Not everything needs pruning in late winter. Spring flowering beauties like azalea, lilac, magnolia, mock-orange, deutzia, viburnum, spirea, forsythia, and flowering cherry should be pruned immediately after they finish blooming, or definately within 2 months of blooming. If these shrubs are pruned during late summer, fall, or winter many of next year’s flower buds will be removed. To ensure maximum flowering, these shrubs should be pruned as soon as possible after flowers fade in the spring. Little or no pruning should be done after the Fourth of July on these plants.
     Prune elm and oak during late summer, fall or winter to avoid the chance of infection with Dutch elm disease and oak wilt disease. Insects can spread these diseases, and fresh wounds made during the growing season are likely attractants. Ash trees under stress should not be pruned during June or July because of the likelihood of an infestation with ash borer.
     Some trees have free-flowing sap that “bleeds” after late winter or early spring pruning. Although this bleeding causes little harm, it may still be a source of concern. To prevent bleeding, you could prune the following trees after their leaves are fully expanded in late spring or early summer. Examples include all maples, including box elder, butternut and walnut, birch and its relatives, ironwood. Never remove more than 1/4 of the live foliage.
     If you have other horticulture questions you would like to see answered in this column, please contact aimee_marshall@ncsu.edu or come by the Anson Cooperative Extension Service at 501 McLaurin St., Wadesboro, NC 28170

Aimee Marshall
Assistant Horticulture and Forestry Agent