Currants are quickly becoming some of my favourite shrubs They are interesting to prune and its even more fun to watch the results: big, juicy fruit I always look forward to making fresh red currant vinaigrette for my garden-fresh spinach and lettuce In addition to their usefulness as a food,...
I remember the smell of ripe cranberries as I walked through the woods as a kid We used to eat the frozen berries that clung to frosty branches all winter That was American low-bush cranberry, Viburnum edule, which is only rarely seen in ornamental gardens American high-bush cranberry and...
Trees are best pruned for structure when young, as early as a season after planting By the time I am normally called to a property to assess the trees for health and safety, the trees are either mature, or very nearly so As a result, drastic steps to improve the structure of the tree are no...
Major deadwood refers to branches that are 1/4″ (dime-sized) or more in diameter, unless specified Occasionally, depending on the situation, I may consider major deadwood to be 1/2″ or greater I generally reserve this technique for larger trees, those that I will be climbing with a rope and...
Fine deadwood refers to all dead branches and twigs with a diameter less than 1/4″ in diameter Removing dead branches of that diameter is useful when a perfectly clean appearance is necessary, or when the incidence of disease in a particular species warrants such sanitary practicesFine...