Yes, that's part of my compost pile. Yes, I know it needs to be turned. That's what happens when you rely on chickens to turn your compost, they're slackers and don't do a thorough job. But that's not what this article is about. We can discuss my laziness some other time. Today, I want to talk about the most painful aspect of gardening.
Today, I want to talk about... pruning a healthy plant.
Now, I don't know about you, but I hate putting a sharp pair of pruners to a robust, healthy plant. It feels like vandalism. Here's this awesome tomato plant, or rose bush, or azalea, or whatever, and it's growing like a weed, completely free of signs of disease or insect infestation, and doing juuuussst fine without your intervention. It doesn't need you, right?
That's right now, though. Sometimes, plants lack restraint. Much like some people, they are prone to taking advantage of the good times and gorging themselves on an all-you-can-eat buffet of great weather, good soil, and adequate water. Also like people, stuffing one's face and putting on some bulk seems fine early on, but can be regrettable later. Plants don't get diabetes and heart disease, of course, but there are other problems that can crop up when growth is allowed to go unchecked, especially in a crowded, overplanted garden like mine. Yes, I am guilty of the sin of planting my tomatoes too close together. I just HAD to squeeze in one more cultivar, because the plants aren't the only ones in my garden with a bit of a common sense problem.
The most damaging of these problems is disease. A huge, wild mass of tomatoes, or a thick wall of green rose leaves, might look impressive and healthy, but lurking in the soil beneath those plants are a plethora of infectious fungus spores, bacteria, and viruses, just waiting for a chance to grow. No matter how clean your garden area is and how careful you are, pathogens of one sort or another are always there, just waiting for the right conditions to set off their unchecked growth. For many of these, those perfect conditions involve shade, wet leaves that never completely dry off, and low air circulation. Your plants, in their eagerness to shove fistfuls of nitrogen into their metaphorical pie holes and pump out tons of new foliage, have unwittingly provided a fungal wonderland. A thick tangle of leaves shade out the sun and hamper air circulation around and through the plant, leaving the leaves and stems under the canopy perpetually damp and protected from the sterilizing UV rays of the sun. It's a recipe for disaster.
So what do you do? For many, the natural reaction is to wait for the first yellow spots, and then reach for a bottle of fungicide. Fungicide can be a valuable tool, but it shouldn't be the only tool in your toolbox, or even the first one you reach for. Fungicide can stave off symptoms for a while, it can help the plant survive with minimal symptoms if it's a fairly resistant cultivar, but once that disease is there, it's there to stay. You can't get rid of it, and even if the plant survives this bout, those spores will remain in the soil, just waiting for those damp, shady conditions to return. Next time, that fungus could spread to other plants. No, prevention is far preferable to fighting an ongoing issue. And while a preventative spraying of fungicide can be a good idea if you live in a wet or humid area, often, preventative garden maintenance starts with that terrible, painful sound.
Snip.
Snip.
Snip.
Now, you don't have to butcher that poor plant, but you are going to have to remove a few branches that look just fine, and if you're like me, you're going to second-guess every cut you make and wonder if that branch next to it would have been a better place to start. Suck it up, sunshine. It's got to be done, and the plant will be fine. First, remove any branches that sport leaves that are in direct contact with the ground. These make a brilliant entry point for any pathogens lurking in the soil. Next, choose branches that crisscross each other, which could rub and damage the stems later, and remove at least one of those offending branches. If you're a serial overplanter like me, it's not a bad idea to remove stems and branches that are encroaching into the personal space of the plant next to it. Unless you're trying to grow a hedge, open space between each plant will help the air circulation and sunlight work their magic. You should reach deep into the plant and make each cut as close to a main stem or trunk as you can without damaging that main stem or trunk, not on the outside of the plant; the idea here is to open up the center of the plant so that air and just a little bit of sunshine can reach the center. If we're talking about a shrub or tree, you'll be better off in the long run if you prune each branch by hand instead of breaking out a hedge trimmer; just snipping off the twigs on the outside encourages a dense mat of foliage to grow around the outside of the plant, which could exacerbate that whole airflow and sunlight issue I've been droning on about.
Finally, don't forget one very important but oft-overlooked step: sterilize your pruners! Cutting into a plant you didn't realize was diseased and then using that same equipment on healthy plants is a surefire way to spread disease all over the place. Every time you finish with a plant, use bleach solution or a commercial sterilization solution formulated for garden equipment to clean up the blades before moving on to the next plant. When the job is done, take the time to sterilize them again before putting them away. It's worth the extra few moments of inconvenience to prevent a long-term headache.
So go ahead, take a long look at that giant, unruly beast of a plant that is taking over its garden space. Enjoy its vigor and good health... then whack that sucker back so that it and everything around it has a better chance to stay healthy. It hurts, but that plant will thank you later.
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