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When to Time your Tree Pruning

It is a general rule to prune trees while they are dormant to minimize damage and stimulate new growth.

Fruit bearing trees are pruned during dormancy to reduce crop quantity, but increase the fruits quality. This timing will also aid in new bud formation the following year.

Spring pruning should be complete before the buds begin to open. However diseased or damaged branches should be immediately removed. Evergreens do well if pruned right after the wood has had a chance to thaw. To achieve a compact effect on pine trees, pruning should be put off until late June.

Pruning has a dwarfing effect on all trees but more so if it id done in June and July. Flowering trees should also be pruned during the summer after the trees have flowered. If a tree is particularly late flowering it can be pruned in the spring just before active growth begins.

Trees such as Maple or Birch are considered bleeders and should be pruned in the summer, when the leaves are fully formed. Summer time pruning will minimize excessive sap loss.

Late summer and early fall pruning should be left for dead wood only. Any extra pruning at this time before dormancy can stimulate new growth, this growth will not be able to harden off adequately before winter. Damage usually includes cankers and excessive die back. Deciduous trees thrive with a late winter early spring pruning.

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Timing your Turf Fertilizers

Now that the frost is slowing coming out of the soil, it is time to start thinking about fertilizing your lawn.

How often you fertilize a home lawn depends on your soil type. Most of Calgary has very rich clay soil. Clay based soils hold nutrients very well, unlike sandy soils that naturally leach fertilizers. Properties in the river valleys tend to have sandy soils.

Ideally lawns in Calgary should be fertilized 2 to 3 times a year. The regimen for two applications a year, is late spring and early fall. The greenest lawns are the ones that had a early September fertilizer application. It is a common mistake to fertilize in early April rather than the fall. If you have missed the fall application it is best for the turf to wait until late May.

If you choose to do 3 applications a year, the first should be in late summer. The next application should be late fall, followed by a May application.

If a lawn is in need of repair from neglect or weed problems, 4 applications a year can be used. The first application should be late summer, followed by a late fall application. The third amount would be late spring and the final fertilizer is added in early summer. Add a cool day and irrigation to these application dates and success shall be yours.

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How do I prevent weeds?

There are a lot of variables when it comes to weed growth but we will start simple. In the spring, around the same time as your first mow, you should start off by feeding your grass with a good fertilizer like Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer. (be sure to mow higher in the spring to encourage healthy roots I would recommend over 2?) If your grass is healthy and well fed, then weeds will have a harder time taking over. Once you do see a weed pop up, you may want to spot-kill them with something like Ortho Weed-B-Gon MAX? Weed Killer For Lawns. And if they have already become a big problem for you, you could try something like Scotts? Turf Builder? Weed & Feed. Be sure you calibrate your fertilizer spreader correctly, usually there are instructions on the back of the fertilizer bag. Don?t forget to give your grass a good watering after to prevent a burnt lawn too. Watering your lawn very well 1-2 times per week will encourage lawn health and keep your weeds at bay!