Real Solutions: Pruning, Wood Ash Uses Is winter the right time
to prune my apple trees and blueberry bushes? — R.R., Jackson,
NJ Most deciduous trees benefit from pruning while they’re
dormant, so winter is a fine time to prune your fruit trees and
shrubs, including apple, pear, cherry, blueberry, and currant.
Some gardeners save the long, thin “water shoot” prunings from
apple and pear trees to use as supports for plants in their
vegetable gardens come spring. Contrary to past advice, most
experts now consider it unnecessary, and perhaps even harmful,
to paint cut-branch scars; they’ll heal just fine naturally. If
you’re not sure how to prune correctly, your local garden center
can suggest a book on proper technique or advise you with regard
to your particular tree and shrub species. For the winter it’s
also a good idea to wrap the trunks of your fruit trees loosely
with quarter-inch wire-mesh hardware cloth, starting at ground
level to a height of about a foot. Particularly if snow
accumulates around the t