Pruning Trees And Shrubs In The Autumn Is Often A Costly Mistake:

Gardeners in cold ter clims are usually well aware t the autumn is hardly the ideal season ning both rgn and deciduous ts and shrubs. Is sometimes howr, less obvious to gardeners in Mediterranean and other mild ter clims, where frosts if they occur at all, are light and occasional.

Pruning rgns in cold weather greatly increases the possibility of bacterial and fungal infection, resulting in the dlopment of rot around the ning cuts. While on the other hand, it is common knowledge, hopefully, t deciduous plants should be ned in their dormant season, which is of course during the ter.

The trouble in Mediterranean type clims is t the transition from warm summer weather to cold try temperatures is often sudden and abrupt. One day at the end of October, it can be 27c in the shade. The shrubs appear too open and leggy, looking as though they need a good ne to encourage dense and compact growth. Pruning the ts and bushes at such a time, can be highly detrimental to their health, because the new juvenile growth will be damaged, inviting infection, if early frosts occur in November. These may be rare, but they do happen.

Concerning deciduous species, the danger of rot t is caused by fungi or bacteria ering through the ning wounds, is no less acute. It is this reason, t ning woody plants should be delayed to the end of ter, so t the young growth, which has been partially simuld by the ning, will not appear until all danger of frosts has passed the year. The advice you may read about ning at the onset of ter, applies to cold ter clims, not to mild ones such as in Calinia, The Middle East, and South West Australia.

A further danger lurking Mediterranean clim gardeners concerns some ts and shrubs of tropical or sub-tropical origin, t drop their leaves in the ter, but are not naturally deciduous species. These are often more sensitive to cold temperatures n many rgn plants, like Olive and Viburnum, and are nr seen in cold clims. They are howr, especially vulnerable to the damage caused by autumn and ter ning. It is essential theree, to know what your t or bush is and where it origins, bee assaulting it with the saw and securs!

A simple rule, worth remembering, is t rgn, or cold sensitive ts and shrubs should only be ned from the spring through the summer. The end of the summer is probably the last chance a major ning operation. If the weather is still warm, but ter only a couple of weeks away, then it is best to accept t you have missed the boat and delay the ning until the follog spring.