QUESTION: How long can I wait to prune my fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and rose bushes?
ANSWER: Fruit trees should have major pruning during the dormant season after rest is completed. In Cochise County that is usually after Christmas. If pruning is done to early plant damage from cold and freezes can occur. Fruit trees can be pruned until flower petals fall. So for stone fruits; i.e. apricots, almonds, cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines the time has now past. For pome fruits; i.e. apples, pears and quince pruning can continue until bloom is completed. Small fruits; i.e. blackberries, grapes, raspberries, currants and gooseberries are best pruned during the dormant season. Grapes can be pruned through bloom but have a tendency to "bleed". This is not as detrimental as one might think and it is better to prune grapes a little late than let grow in to a knurled mass. Blackberries and raspberries bare fruit on one year old canes. The two year old canes need to be removed because they have born fruit and are dead. Thinning out weak canes can also be done through bloom. Currents and gooseberries should be dormant pruned by removing wood that is 3 years old by cutting it back to the base or to a main branch. Ornamental shrubs generally are pruned after flowering, however some species have other requirements. Consult a good pruning book like Sunset's Pruning Handbook or call the Extension Office. Roses are dormant pruned except in the case of climbing roses which are pruned after flowering. A pamphlet entitled Roses for Arizona is available at the Extension Office which discusses pruning different classes of roses.
QUESTION: When is the proper time to plant a turf lawn?
ANSWER: Because of our climate in Cochise County we can grow two general classes of turf. They are warm season and cool season grasses. Warm season grasses are those that flourish during spring and summer and then go dormant (brown) in the fall and winter. Warm season grasses include bermuda, buffalo grass, grama grass, sideoats, St. Augustine and zoysiagrassi These grasses should be sown, plugged, stolonizing or sprigging, (planting shoots with leaves) or sodded in the spring when temperatures are warming up. Cool season grasses grow best during cool weather but are green during the heat of summer if they are watered. They will remain green if winters are mild. Cool season grasses include Kentucky bluegrass, the fescues and ryegrasses. Cool season grasses are best sown or sodded in the late summer (late August or September) or early fall. The second best time to plant or sod these grasses is in early spring.