Cathy Isom fill you in on why you should wait before pulling out those pruning shears, if you think that winter did a number on your yards plants. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Pruning Patience
It’s the first week of spring and we’re all a little anxious to get started on lawn and garden projects. Especially if there are any signs of winter kill to plants and shrubs. Kansas State University Horticulture Expert Dennis Patton warns us not to be too hasty about pulling out the pruning shears and chopping some 
of the plant off or taking the whole plant out. Because in areas where it’s been extremely cold…
“it may take them a few weeks longer to break bud or leaf out. So you just might want to be a little bit patient and just kind of wait for the plant to tell you where their sign of growth is.”
Another reason to wait to take any action…
“we have a lot of shrubs that the tops will winter kill, but the root system is very winter-hardy. A good example would be crepe myrtle. Many years it dies back to the ground. But then out from the ground comes these bigger chutes that will flower in the summer.”
If you’re still not sure, ask a garden center expert in your area.
I’m Cathy Isom…