If your garden is graced with a specimen Pine or other evergreens, winter holds a special joy for you, as these beautiful trees take center stage. As mentioned in our previous post, keeping them healthy and lovely will require extra time and care throughout the year.

In conjunction with thinking before making any pruning cuts on your trees (as mentioned last week), always

–Prune with the plant’s future in mind: Developing an eye for the tree’s potential is crucial; it’s quite possible that the desired long-term branch isn’t even on the tree yet.

a. Preserve the buds and small branches that will become the tree’s structure years from now.

b. Remove unwanted branches over a few years, a bit at a time; only cut away to make space for one year’s growth on nearby desired branches.

If you’d prefer a professional, experienced touch for your Pines, don’t hesitate to call us (717-653-1273). We can work up a plan of care for your valuable Pines and garden plants.

Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& privileged Pine prunings-picker-upper)