by Jack McKinnon

© Judith Bicking | Dreamstime.com

January is the best month for pruning. The deciduous plants have lost their leaves, the evergreens’ sap has slowed almost to a stop and there is time between rains to get out and do this work. This month’s tips will cover tools, techniques and some tricks. Here are the tips.

1. Buy good tools and you will not have to replace them for many years, if at all. Price is a good indicator and may not be negotiable but can certainly vary if you shop. The key is to get a name brand with a long history.

2. Learn how to sharpen and lubricate your tools. Modern saws seldom need sharpening but shears, loppers and pole pruners do. I like to use diamond sharpeners, but files and stones for sharpening work too. The important thing to know is how to look at and test your tools for sharpness. Try cutting a leaf. If the tool cuts cleanly, get back to work pruning. It the cutter tears up the leaf, keep sharpening.

3. Get a good pruning book. There are several on the market. I like Pruning & Training by Brickell and Joyce from the American Horticultural Society. It has good information and illustrations, and covers most of the plants we will be pruning.

4. The best way to learn pruning is to follow behind a good pruner and see where the cuts were made. I did this 30 years ago and have never regretted it.

5. Whenever you have a question about pruning, write it down. This way when you take a class or talk to an expert you can ask all your current questions and maybe even get tips you did not expect.

6. Remember three D’s — dead, dying and diseased — and prune the dead, dying and diseased branches first. This will give you plenty to do without risking destroying your plants and your marriage.

7. After pruning all the dead, dying and diseased branches in your garden it is time to look at thinning and shaping. The best tip I can give here is to do the worst first. Of course this may be subjective.

8. Think about your relationships and if this pruning job will affect them. If there is any doubt, you may want to think about it for a day or two. If you need to, go to a marriage and family therapist. In order to continue pruning, it may be wise to hire someone else to do your pruning.

9. Try not to prune your neighbors’ plants without letting them know about it first. Usually asking rather than telling them works better. I have seen some pretty angry disputes between neighbors and often it takes years to heal them.

10. For fruit trees it is important to know if the fruit comes on little stubs called spurs or directly on the branches. Usually it is safe to remove crossing branches, straight up and straight down branches. Otherwise, consider what the tree will look like with the weight of the fruit bending the branches, and prune it to support this weight. Also keep the fruit within reach. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to reach fruit at harvest time.

Good gardening!

Jack McKinnon worked in Sunset’s gardens for 12 years and is now a garden coach. He can be reached at 650-455-0687, or by email at jack@jackthegarden coach.com. Visit him on the Web at Jackthegardencoach.com.