(Family Features) - While it's easy this time of year to just daydream about next year's garden, there are some chores to be done. Late winter is the perfect time for one of my favorite garden tasks: pruning fruit trees.
Most gardeners are nervous about making cuts to their precious trees, and, consequently, they prune only a little, and poorly, or not at all. However, pruning isn't rocket science. You just need to follow some basic principles and get out there and start cutting.
Pruning New and Old Trees When pruning young trees, the goal is to create a strong branch structure and proper angles for future growth. Prune to create three to five branches that have a 45- to 60-degree angle from the main trunk. These branches should ideally be evenly arranged around the trunk and at least 2 to 3 feet off the ground. You can spread the branches when they're young to grow at the right angle. Hang fishing weights with nylon wire on the branches for one growing season, or use wooden "spreaders" to push the branches apart to create the optimal angle.
For established trees, always remove dead, diseased, broken and competing branches back to the trunk or a main branch first. For a neglected tree, try not to prune more than 25 percent of the tree in any given year. Too much pruning can cause lots of sucker growth that year. The exception would be a very old tree that needs to be stimulated to put out new growth. The goal is to have large diameter limbs near the bottom of the tree and smaller ones at the top. Don't prune limbs flush to the trunk or main branches. Leave the branch collar (raised area near the trunk or main branch) intact so the branch can quickly heal and protect the wound.
Basic Pruning Cuts Keep these basic tips in mind:
Use sharp pruning shears for any cuts on branches smaller than 1/2 inch in diameter. Use loppers or a pruning saw for larger diameter wood.
Cut thin diameter branches 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing in a direction you want the new branch to grow. Make the cut on an angle to shed water and promote faster healing.
Horizontal branches produce more fruit than vertical ones. Prune vertical branches back to a main stem or trunk.
Prune moderately every year to keep the tree healthy and fruiting consistently. The tendency of some fruit trees to bear in alternate years can be caused by insufficient pruning.
For more tips and garden information visit www.garden.org.
Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally recognized garden writer, book author, speaker and radio and television personality, has appeared on HGTV, PBS and Discovery Channel television networks. He teaches and inspires home gardeners to grow the best vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees and shrubs in their yards.
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It is Thursday afternoon, you have
thirty minutes to get from work, go by the house and pickup Heath,
Jamie’s already at basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does
this scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise
that it is a familiar scene.
So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have fifteen
minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you should realize
is that quite often, healthy choices do not necessarily equate to two
hour meals. You can make healthy food choices that are as quick to
prepare or pickup as the unhealthy ones.
For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than pizza or
burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to pickup. Salads
can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and provide for the
necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care for the usual salad?
Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way you’ve changed it up a bit,
and still provided a health choice. As for the dressing, oil based or
vinegar based dressings are much better for you than the cream based,
and are really more tasteful.
Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What about other
prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy Choice is a brand
of frozen entrees or meals that take only a few minutes in the
microwave to prepare, and are still healthy alternatives. Baked rather
than fried is always a better choice, and many supermarkets today offer
baked products fresh from their bakery, ready to go.
Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit down
and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a family when
going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer buffet style meals
are great choices. Thanks to many of the health conscious consumers out
there, buffets have added baked, broiled, and fresh food choices to the
display.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually always available on food bars,
along with broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as
varied, with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked
option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are just
as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.
You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy eating, the
real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will suffer. Or your
children that will suffer from the unhealthy choices you make. Why not
start with healthy options, set the right example, and you will have
children that make health conscious intelligent decisions about their
eating.
Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve dropped
Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from basketball, and you
have exactly fifteen minutes to make a decision about dinner. As you
sit at the red-light contemplating your options, there is a Subway, a
Pizza Hut, and a grocery store with a deli in the same shopping center.
How can this still be a difficult choice to make?
DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner
and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is
not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or
other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical
advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. Since
natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be
accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the
statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not
intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
