Master Gardeners Have the Answers

Robin Stanley

UCCE/El Dorado Master Gardener

Publication Date: January 28, 2005

UCCE/El Dorado Master Gardeners are introducing a new feature in the Mountain Democrat. Beginning today, we will alternate our regular articles with a question and answer column. We’ll be featuring some of the questions we receive in our office with answers that are based on all the resources available to Master Gardeners. We hope readers will enjoy the variety of information this format allows. As always, if you have a gardening question, contact UCCE Master Gardeners at 621-5512 from 9 – 12 each weekday morning. You can also come by our office next to the Bethell-Delfino Agriculture Building at 311 Fair Lane (in between the EDC Library and Juvenile Hall).

Q. I wasn’t able to attend the Master Gardener pruning class this year and wondered if there is anything new that I should know about pruning my fruit trees?

A. Fruit tree experts are learning more all the time about the pros and cons of dormant pruning (during the winter) and summer pruning. Most of us have heard and followed the traditional recommendations to do all major pruning in the winter. But as El Dorado County development brings more suburban-size lots, gardeners are looking for ways to grow fruit trees in smaller spaces. Keeping trees small is one of the best ways of doing this. Current research shows that additional pruning while the trees are actively growing can be beneficial for managing the size of trees. This summer pruning allows a gardener to see which wood has set fruit, increasing your ability to make the correct cuts. Summer pruning also reduces the vigor of the tree, helping restrain growth. In addition, UC Davis specialists recommend summer pruning (right after harvest) for apricot trees as a way to prevent the spread of Eutypa. Since Eutypa, which is also a disease of grapes, is carried into pruning wounds via driving rain, summer pruning will help keep your apricots healthy. Summer pruning is also recommended for the first five years for cherry trees.

Think of pruning as a two part process – winter pruning is your crucial first step for most trees and summer pruning can help you finish the job to keep your trees a manageable size. For more information about summer pruning, attend a gardening class at the Fair Oaks Horticultural Center next summer. These workshops, hosted by Sacramento County Master Gardeners, are held at their demonstration orchard in Fair Oaks Park. Their fruit trees have been kept small by pruning, with summer pruning being a major focus.

Q. What kind of help can Master Gardeners give me with landscaping? My landscape looks boring and I don’t know how to create the look I want. Will Master Gardeners make home visits to help me improve my property?

A. While Master Gardeners don’t make home visits, we have just the thing to help you kick-start your landscaping efforts. On Saturday, January 29^th, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, we’ll be teaching a class on Landscape Design. There are lots of reasons that people decide it is time for a new landscape plan. It might be that you have moved into a new home that isn’t yet landscaped. Or maybe you’re an empty-nester who has decided that it is time to replace the basketball court with a water feature or a greenhouse. Whatever your reasons for beginning a landscaping project, we can help you. We’ll walk you through the design process, including the basic principles of landscaping that can really help you make the most of your space. We’ll even show you how you can re-create the various features of nature in your own backyard.

Even if you only want to create one new flower bed or simply add a new focal point to increase the visual interest of your landscape, brainstorming a plan for your entire landscape can help you move forward with a look that is unified and attractive. So join us at the Agriculture Building at 311 Fair Lane in Placerville. You’ll leave with some new ideas and the tools to create the landscape that is right for you.