Pruning

 

   It's January and that means it is time to prune the trees and bushes.  Honestly this is the area of gardening that I have never been consistent with.  Several times I have planned to do it but finding information on the best ways and how much to prune can be difficult.  Also it is January and I don't do cold.  However, if we are truly going to live sustainably then garden chores must be done consistently year round.  This is why we are starting off very slowly and the source of my biggest doubts as to if we can actually pull off this life style.
     A few years ago, I took a community class on gardening at our local community college.  It was a great class.  Here are my notes on pruning from that class:
Pruning - The purpose of pruning is to control the structure, shape and growth of plants.  Pruning can guide a plant into healthy and productive growth and prevent major problems.  When pruning start by removing dead or diseased wood, then look for crowded branches, next remove suckers (branches going straight up), then remove or cut back branches that are drooping, and finally remove branches that are crossing over or are directly above / below another branch.
     It all sounds pretty straight forward, until I am standing out in the cold with a pair of shears.