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Pruning And Weeding For Healthy Trees

By Greg K. Hansward

Keeping a healthy, clean garden takes time and effort. Pruning, weeding and pest control are three of the more fundamental tasks involved in cleaning your garden. Read on for a few tips to help you clean your garden.

There are two main reasons that pruning the roots of your trees and shrubs is important. The first reason is to prepare a tree or shrub for transplanting to a different location. For a smaller size plant, cut down straight all around the bush about sixteen to eighteen inches from the main stalk. You will want to cut down farther if it is a larger plant. You then leave the plant to grow new roots, but be sure to water the plant well for at least a month and fertilize as needed. You should prune the tree or shrub at least six weeks before moving it.

A second reason pruning is important is to cure what is referred to as girdling. Girdling is when one of the larger underground roots, or sometimes a surface root, is turning onto the other roots and not spreading out or implanting itself into the soil as it should. Sometimes, you can actually see the root circling where it should not be but, other times, you can only see that the trunk goes straight down in certain sections rather than slanting in spots where there are roots. A straight trunk is a good sign that girdling is taking place. Be sure to remove all of the girdling roots to prevent these roots from strangling the tree and damaging its growth, eventually to the point of dieing.

Many gardeners prefer mulching over weeding, but there are times when weeding is necessary. When the plants are small, you need to pull out the weeds that could grow in and “choke” the flowers. Weeding is often an important step before you can even begin to mulch. Many weeds are, actually, beneficial either from their root exudates or sometimes for food. Deep-rooted weeds can bring good supplies of nitrogen up into the topsoil and the plants’ stems. During tilling, the weeds will supply the soil with healthy nutrients and such that will help young plants grow.

Pest control is no fun in gardening, but fortunately you do not have to do a lot of work aside from the normal garden practices that tend to keep pests to a minimum. You should give plants a lot of room and air, ensure that they are not too damp unless required by the plant type and also plant them in sun or in shade, depending on what their needs require. Also, be sure to select disease-resistant varieties of plants and their companion plants. It is important to create a harmonious environment of living creatures, for example, bees on flowers and birds that are known for consuming insects.

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Copyright by Greg K. Hansward

Greg Hansward is writing for the most part for http://www.insidewoodworking.com , an internet site with topics around different wood types . His publications on wood splitters are published on his website.

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