Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message was recorded on Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

As we begin to warm up after this cold winter, calls start coming into the Extension office. It seems that area gardeners are getting anxious to get back outside! Today, two topics have been of primary interest: pruning trees, and controlling the early season weeds.

The techniques for pruning fruit trees vary according to their growth and fruiting habits. You can access this information on the Tri River Area horticulture website at http://westernslopefruit.org or give the Master Gardeners a call at 244-1836 and we’ll be glad to send you a copy. You may also want to contact Susan Baker at the Western Colorado Research Center, 434-3264 extension 201, to sign up for a workshop on Saturday, March 1 from 1:00 to 4:00 on pruning fruit trees. The cost is $25.00, and space is limited. The Research Center is located at 3168 B ½ Road on Orchard Mesa.

As a general rule, if you don’t have a lot of trees to prune, wait until closer to bud break. It is a good idea to prune before applying dormant oil, which needs to be applied while the trees are still dormant, but if you can put off all this until right before the buds emerge you’ll run less risk of damage from late frosts. Dormant oil controls mites, aphids, and scale insects by suffocating them. Orchardists must start early so that their trees are ready to spray at the right time, but for just a few trees we can afford to wait.

Ornamental and shade trees are pruned primarily to solve problems or prevent them from happening. Young trees are pruned to develop good structure over time. An excellent publication is available on line at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/prune/prune.htm from the Pueblo Consumer Information Center with good illustrations and explanations, to guide you through the pruning process.

Aspen, ash, maple and many other trees and shrubs are susceptible to aphids and scale insects. They will also benefit from a late winter or early spring spray of dormant oil. If you can’t do this important spray yourself, contact a tree care firm and get on their list to have this done.

Once the leaves have started to emerge to the point where green can be seen, applying dormant oil typically burns the exposed tissue. On an aspen, due to its sensitivity, dormant oil turns any exposed leaf tissue black. The aspen, however, benefits from dormant oil spray as long as the spray is applied prior to leaf emergence. If you can see green, it is too late to spray.

The other topic of interest this week has been treating the early weeds, especially the cheatgrass. Around our gardens here on the Mesa County fairgrounds, the annual wheatgrass, redstem filaree, and the early mustards are already greening up. Annual weeds can be removed by grubbing or hoeing, and now before they set seed is a good time to tackle them. You’ll want to cut the root below the soil level by an inch or two, which is sufficient to keep the plant from coming back. If you want to spray these weeds, they will respond best when they are actively growing. Ours here are just waking up now, and herbicide control would be limited, but if this warming trend continues we’d be able to treat in a week or two. Be sure to follow the effective temperature range guide on the product label, in order to get good control.

The Master Gardeners are starting to come into the Mesa County office to take phone calls and return messages, so if you have questions about these or other yard and garden topics, give us a call at 244-1836.

Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message will be updated next week; have a great week!

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Curt Swift CSU Extension Tri River Area Horticultural Agent