Pomegranate – How to Prune Landscaping and Fruiting Pomegranate Trees

The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a deciduous tree or large shrub, which should be pruned at the end of its dormancy, i.e. towards the end of winter. In general, the method for pruning trees differs with ornamental plants as opposed to those grown mainly for their fruit. As Pomegranate is both a beautiful landscaping tree and one that has delicious and nutritious fruit, the dilemma facing the gardener concerns the type of pruning to adopt.

Pruning Trees for Fruit

Commercial fruit tree growers prune their trees by shortening main branches. The purpose is to induce new spring growth, from which develops more numerous flower buds and thus more fruit. The farmer is also interested in making the harvesting process cheaper and easier, which he does by periodically lowering the height of the tree.

The trouble is that this method is often imported into the ornamental garden, to which it is largely unsuited. The reason for this being that shortening branches disturbs the natural shape and flow of the tree, leaving behind an ugly stump, from which sprout a group of stems. It may be right for the farmer, interested primarily in maximizing yields, but not for the ornamental gardener, concerned with the appearance of the landscape plants.

Pruning Pomegranate Trees for Landscaping

In order to preserve the natural look of a tree, instead of shortening branches, whole limbs are removed to the trunk or larger limbs. This pruning method applies just as much to the Pomegranate, with its natural, arching, vase-like form. The habit of pruning branches short simply ruins the Pomegranate as a decorative specimen.


To reduce the tendency of the plant to become thick and messy, it is possible to thin out some growth in the center, especially those stems that crisscross into each other. In addition, stems that grow too close to the main branches can be removed. It is wise though to retain, some of the stems that sucker from the base, as the Pomegranate looks best as a multi-stemmed tree.

Getting the Best of Both Worlds

Is it possible then to have your beautiful ornamental tree and eat its fruit at the same time? The fact is that the wild species, (Punica granatum) attractive as it may be, does not produce fruit in many garden situations that is nearly as tasty as the cultivated varieties such as “Wonderful”, “Sweet”, or “King”. It’s really up to you. If you’re just interested in fruit yields, you can prune the plant as would a farmer.

This solution is best avoided in most home garden situations as to adopt it is to miss out on all the fabulous aesthetic qualities that the Pomegranate offers. For in addition to its attractive form, it has spectacular leaf color in the fall, (at least where the temperatures are low enough) beautiful, bright green foliage in the spring, and of course showy flowers and decorative fruit.

By pruning your Pomegranate as you would any other landscape tree, you may get less fruit, but the plant as whole will give you far more pleasure throughout the year.

Garden Power Tools – How to Use Petrol Strimmers Safely and Ergonomically

Unless you have a very small backyard with a tiny lawn, a petrol strimmer is infinitely more efficient and even cost-effective in the end than an electric garden tool. For maintaining the edges on a large lawn, whacking the tough weeds around the yard, or for heavy-duty tasks in general, an electric strimmer simply does not have the power to do the job professionally. The trouble is though, that gas-powered strimmers are next to chain saws, probably the most dangerous implement in the gardener’s shed.

Protecting Yourself

*Strimmers endanger the user both immediately and in the long-term. The most obvious threat comes from small objects like pebbles or fragments of glass that can fly at immense velocity after being hit by the strimmer’s nylon cord. Never, under any circumstances, work without industrial standard goggles, and a face mask. Remember that you only have two eyes!

*As with all power tools, but especially with those like strimmers that operate with a two-stroke engine, always protect your ears with industrial standard equipment. It is totally inadequate to stuff cotton wool into your ears. Remember that damage to the eardrums following exposure to high decibel noise is both accumulative and irreversible.

*Always wear working boots and long trousers as these absorb the impact of objects flying at foot and shin height. It might not be as critical as a stone flying into your eye, but it can save you a nasty gash on the foot or leg.

Looking-out for Others

*The strimmer not only endangers the user but anyone else in the vicinity as well. Preferably you should keep people at a distance of at least 15 meters (45ft) while operating the machine. This means that not only should you be focused on your work, but also on what is going on around you. If you see people approaching, (children are often curious and want a closer look) stop, and do not continue until they are at a safe distance.

*Remember that a tiny pebble rocketing at knee-height for an adult, could be at eye-level for a small child. You do not want that on your conscience or be sued for massive damages.

Working Ergonomically

In addition to the immediate danger from missile-like objects, there is the question of long-term damage to various parts of the body, apart from the afore-mentioned ears. You should be aware that heavy use of a strimmer could lead to conditions like tendonitis.

*In order to reduce the possibility of this, it is best to wear heavy-duty gloves that act as “shock-absorbers” to the vibrations of the machine. Also, do not forget that the shoulder strap has not been added by the manufacturer for decoration, but serves the very necessary ergonomic purpose of preventing strain and stress on muscles, ligaments and tendons. Always adjust the strap to the right size, so that it supports the strimmer on the one hand, without causing the neck and shoulder muscles to stretch on the other.

*In this respect, electric strimmers are a lot worse than gas-powered ones, because the motor is usually placed at the front end of the machine, (the nylon cord end) and not at the back as with petrol garden strimmers. This makes the tool top-heavy, a fact that exacerbates the possibility of muscle strains and other forms of mechanical damage that can result in serious conditions like tendonitis.

Electric Garden Tools or Petrol Garden Tools: Which are Better for the Home Garden?

Many if not most home gardeners buy electric garden tools as opposed to gas-powered tools. Considering that you will hardly, if ever find a landscape professional or garden contractor using an electric lawn mower or strimmer, you might want to ask yourself if you should be following your neighbors or the professionals on this matter.

Obviously, price is the reason behind peoples’ decision, because there is no professional justification for choosing electric power tools over petrol ones. Over the whole range of garden power tools – from lawn mowers, strimmers, and hedge trimmers – quality petrol tools completely out-perform their electric-powered equivalents.

Moreover, they easily out-live electric tools. If a gas-powered lawn mower can serve a gardening contractor for about 4 years, working day in and day out, then it should last a home gardener a lifetime, if maintained properly. How many years on the other hand, do you think you will get out of your electric lawn mower?

It is fears about expensive care and maintenance that deter people from buying a gas-powered tool, but these are largely unfounded. For the average suburban garden, maintenance amounts to sending the tools to a small tools repair shop once a year, for a routine change of oil, spark plugs and filters e.t.c.

So although the initial outlay for petrol garden tools is 2-3 times that of electric ones, in the long run, it makes more economic sense to buy gas-powered tools. Again, why not copy the professionals who are always looking at their bottom line.

There are some circumstances however, where the lower cost of an electric tool may justify its purchase. For example, if you use a hedge trimmer for 5-6 working hours a year, then an expensive petrol tool is probably unnecessary. Likewise, for special tasks like mechanical scarifying, which are carried out once a year or less, an electric tool can be hired from a garden center at low cost.

Which type of power tool is safer for the home gardener? In principle, gas tools by being more powerful can cause more damage. A gas-powered strimmer for instance, is a very dangerous tool in the wrong hands, although one should not overlook the possibility of electrocution with electric tools. In both cases, there is of course no substitute for following safety measures to the letter, and acting with responsibility and common sense.

Crape Myrtle – How to Prune this Very Special Landscape Tree

Crape Myrtle, or Lagerstroemia indica, to use its botanical name, is in many ways one of the most special landscape trees suitable for a small garden. It has lovely, fresh-green foliage in the spring, in cold climates it sports dramatic fall color, and when out of leaf in the winter, creates an interesting silhouette with its reddish, peeling bark.

Primarily though, the Crape Myrtle is famous for its spectacular blooms that adorn the tree in the summer. If placed strategically, it can be unmatched as a focal point in the garden. It is this emphasis on the flowering properties of Crape Myrtle that leads many landscape professionals to prune it differently from virtually all other landscape trees.

With landscape trees, pruning amounts to the judicious and careful removal of whole limbs, when and where necessary. In principle, it is mistaken to shorten a tree’s branches, as this spoils the natural shape and “flow” of a tree, induces too many new branches to sprout from one point, (the pruning cut), and is liable to adversely affect the long-term health of a tree.

Shortening branches, or pollarding, is the chosen method for pruning flowering shrubs such as roses or lilacs. It is also the suggested way concerning the Crape Myrtle, for the expressed purpose of increasing and improving flower production. The reason for this is that more and superior blooms develop from the juvenile, spring growth that sprouts from a pruning cut.

As a deciduous plant, Crape Myrtle is best pruned in the winter - its dormant season. In Mediterranean and other mild winter climates, it is best to wait until the latter part of the season, while pruning in spring, while the sap is rising in a deciduous plant, can be a serious mistake.

The question arises however, as to whether it is necessarily wise to prune a Crape Myrtle as though it were a rose bush. For regular, persistent pruning, year after year, is likely to weaken the tree, slow-down its vitality, and make it more vulnerable to pests and disease. Therefore, to grow and prune a Crape Myrtle just for its flowers amounts to condemning it to an early demise.

In fact, as previously mentioned, the species has immense aesthetic value as a small-scale ornamental tree, irrespective of its floral display. A reasonable compromise is to alternate between pruning some branches in one year, and others in the years that follow. In addition, it’s a good idea to allow some of the stems that sucker from the base of the plant, to develop into trunks, which can later replace older, worn-out stems. In any case, the Crape Myrtle looks better as a multi-stemmed tree, than as a single-stemmed one.

To conclude, while pruning procedures should definitely aim to increase and improve the flowering of the Crape Myrtle, thought should be given to the health of the tree in the long-term. Considering that the Crape Myrtle is also fairly drought-tolerant, its importance for gardeners in a dry climate cannot be over-valued.

Growing Roses in a Dry Mediterranean Climate – Is it Compatible with Water Conserving Gardening?

Roses, for the most part are very demanding in their water needs. With the exception of a number of species roses of Mediterranean and steppe-climate origin (i.e. Central Asia), the cultivated varieties known to the gardener consume, to perform at their best, 3-4 times more than drought resistant landscaping shrubs.

For instance, famous hybrid tea roses like Chrysler Imperial, Queen Elizabeth, or Peace, will require some 700mm (30in) of additional irrigation per year, in a dry Mediterranean climate that receives 250-450mm of winter rainfall. Compared to that, shrubs and bushes such as Viburnum, Pistachio, Melaleuca, or Grevillea can get by perfectly well on 100-200mm a year, and even less. The question is, how can roses be grown within the water limitations of a dry climate?

Before answering, let us remind ourselves just how uniquely special a great rose bush can be. What compares to a mass of fiery red floribundas by a whitewashed wall? Or the beauty and fragrance of so many of the fabulous Hybrid teas? There is a place for roses in most Mediterranean style gardens, if a way can be found to keep the water use down.

Defined Rose Beds

The first step, obviously, is to restrict the area that rose bushes cover, and to concentrate them in just one small part of the garden. Admittedly, this small part will need a lot of water, but you can offset their high consumption by planting drought resistant shrubs in the rest of the garden.

As well as some of the species just mentioned, you can add to the list plants like Junipers, Leocophyllum, Pittosporum, and Carissa, to name but a few. By happy coincidence, focusing the roses in one spot makes good design sense.

Irrigation – A Separate Line for the Rose Bed

Efficient water use demands that the roses need an irrigation regime separate from the other landscape bushes in the garden. It is not possible to save water if the water conserving plants are on the same line as the thirsty plants like roses.

Neither is it always wise to have the roses on the same line as other groups of high consumers such as topical plants nor annual flowers, because although the quantities required may be similar, the desired frequency between watering is often quite different. Despite being water guzzlers, roses are also sensitive to a lack of air in the root zone, so the high frequency regime appropriate for flowers could be very unsuitable for roses. Where possible then, give the roses their own, separate irrigation schedule.

Avoid Under Planting

Roses tend to struggle when they have to compete for water and nutrients with neighboring plants. Included in this category are prostrate plants grown to improve the visual effect of the ground plane. Under planting the roses inevitably leads to a need for adding more water, in order to compensate for the uptake by the low growing plants.

Instead of under planting then, it is far better from a water saving point of view, to spread a layer of organic mulch between the rose bushes. Aesthetically speaking, you can turn it to your advantage by using decorative wood chippings as a mulching medium. In addition, the roses will benefit from the cooler temperature of the topsoil and from less competition from weeds.

Pruning Trees and Shrubs – How Pruning Affects the Health of the Plants

No matter how necessary pruning is for attaining the desired shape or growth habit of garden trees and shrubs, it is not, as is often assumed, “good” for the plant. In fact, pruning is about as good for the health of plants as surgery is for the health of people. Like surgery, it may be necessary, but there is invariably a price to be paid. There are two ways in which pruning can adversely affect the health of your landscape trees and shrubs.

Firstly, pruning cuts, which are effectively open wounds, are a source of both bacterial and fungal infection. The consequences of infection can take years to become apparent, but eventually, rot is liable to develop in the heart of a tree trunk or major branch. A tree where rot is well advanced is both numbered in years and dangerous.

The second area is more general but no less important for the long-term health of the plant. Pruning is liable to reduce the energy level of the garden trees and shrubs. This may seem counter-intuitive, especially when we see plants growing with renewed vigor following a good pruning. However, the consensus today amongst arboriculturists is that a positive energy level is the single most critical factor behind a plant’s health, vitality, and resistance to pests and disease, and that pruning is detrimental to the plants’ energy level.

This might not be too critical for shrubs, as the lifespan of most landscape bushes, as vibrant and beautiful garden elements, is usually not more than 20-30 years. In other words, by regular pruning, we effectively decide that a compact growth habit or more and better flowers are more important than longevity.

When it comes to trees however, it is a different story entirely, because the greatest value of a tree is in its age. Nothing in gardening compares to or can replace a mature tree. It is a magnificent living sculpture that to a great extent, affects how we feel. It follows then, that care has to be taken to avoid or at least reduce those actions that are liable to affect the long-term health of the tree, and those actions are primarily connected to pruning.

Correct Pruning Cuts – Some Guidelines

*The wound should be as small as possible in relation to the diameter of the trunk or branch to which the removed limb was attached. If the wound is going to be too large, then it is better to leave a stump about 50cm (1.5ft) in length, and periodically cut away new tissue that grows from the pruned branch. In time, the diameter of the limb should be smaller in relation to the girth of the trunk.

*Never make the final cut flush with trunk or branch, as bacteria and fungi are liable to penetrate the tree’s defenses. Studies prove that this occurs even when the wound has calloused over completely. Rot of course, eventually develops from the infection. Instead of flush cuts, prune at the outer border of the joint between the branch and the trunk. The rot that may develop should be contained within this area without penetrating the trunk’s bark.

*In order to prevent infection and reduce energy loss, never remove too much matter at one time. A third of the total volume of the tree is the absolute limit. It is far safer however to stop well before this quantity, and continue the pruning the following year.

Pruning Roses in a Dry Mediterranean Climate – The Purpose of Annual Pruning

The second half of winter is the best time for pruning most rose shrub varieties in the mild winters typical of a Mediterranean climate. The purpose of pruning however, is not always clear to the home gardener. “Well it’s what roses need isn’t” – is a common remark. There are in fact two main reasons for giving your roses a good annual prune.

Better Flowers

Flower buds that develop on the new growth that sprouts from a pruning cut are likely to be more numerous and of better quality than from those flower buds that open on old wood. Moreover, the flowers should be more or less at eye level, as opposed to a bush that is not pruned. In the latter case, especially after the passing of a few years, the flowers tend to be at a height that reduces their visual effect and significance.

Removing Old Growth

The second reason for pruning is to pave the way for juvenile branches to develop by the removal of old or aging wood. Providing there are a number of new limbs growing, one or two old branches can be cut down as far as the bud union. This has the additional effect of exposing the bud union to direct sunlight, thereby inducing fresh buds to sprout and develop into young branches.

Similarly, removing week and thin branches directs the plant’s energy into the young branch tissue, and therefore, a few weeks later, into the flowers. Removing the tangle of thorns and branches, allows more light into the center of the bush, with the afore-mentioned effect of encouraging, young, healthy, and vibrant tissue.

Extending the Roses’ “Shelf Life”

Overall, pruning probably does not extend the life of the plant. In fact if anything, it may well result in reducing it. However, as gardeners, we are concerned with the quality of the plant’s existence, and the contribution it makes to the beauty of the garden. In this regard, the annual pruning of most rose varieties increases the years by which they perform satisfactorily.

Warning

Just be careful that your roses are not those species that flower on the growth that originated in the previous spring. If pruned in the winter they simply will not bloom later as the flower buds will have removed!

Bedding Plants – How to Integrate Bedding Plants into the Overall Garden Composition

Inexperienced gardeners tend to choose bedding plants solely to make a splash of color. Little if any thought is given as to whether the species in question go with the rest of the plants in the garden. The question that the gardener should be asking is “does this bedding plant add to the composition, or does it detract from it?” This question is rarely raised.

The fact is though, that no matter how spectacular the blooms of any particular bedding plant may be, if the plant is wrong in relation to the garden as a whole, its novelty will quickly wear-off, and an undefined sense of dissatisfaction is liable to set in. This feeling, by being something you cannot put your finger on, is all the more damaging and frustrating.

But what is meant by “wrong”? The first thing to remember is that bedding plants, like any other type of plant, possess anatomical and morphological features that affect the eye in addition to their flowers. Plants have shape, form, and size. They have foliage too; are the leaves large and course in texture, or fine and delicate? Similarly, the flowers themselves have shape and form, size and texture.

In principle therefore, the more the bedding plant has in common with the plants that surround it, including the trees and shrubs, the greater the chance it will look right. For example, if a tree and a group of bushes have fine, feathery leaves, then the perennials or annuals in the flowerbed will be more in tune with them, by having a similar foliage texture. Here then are some guidelines for choosing herbaceous flowering plants according to their suitability to any given design.

*Classify bedding plants into stylistic groups, such as Mediterranean, exotic, alpine e.t.c. If the garden’s style is clearly of one type, then the bedding plants should be of the same category. For instance, flowering plants belonging to the daisy family, Asteraceae, (Compositae) such as Chrysanthemum, Felicia, Arctotis, and Asteriscus, look right in a Mediterranean composition, combining appropriately with such plants as Rosemary, Junipers, and Lavender.

On the other hand, “exotic” plants such as Impatiens, Iresine, Alternanthera, Fuchsia, and Ruellia, are more suitable close to palms, cycads, and ferns, while ice plants and other succulents associate clearly with sculptural species like Yucca or Dracaena.

*In general, flowering plants with large leaves and big flowers are suited to a tropical corner, usually appearing out of place with the thin leaves and sparse growth of dry climate plants. Similarly, glaucous-leaved perennials, such as the grey-blue foliage of perennial carnations (Dianthus) are better in a Mediterranean style garden, while dark-leaved plants often work best in a tropical scheme.