Question: Should we prune our raspberries and blackberries now? How much of each plant should be removed in the pruning process?

Answer: Just like fruit trees, the vines and bushes that most berries and grapes grow on need to be pruned to provide maximum production. Whether you’re talking about raspberries, blackberries, grapes, or gooseberries, pruning them will help put more fruit on the table at harvest time. The techniques of pruning differ, though.

For example, black and purple raspberries require both dormant and summer pruning. During the dormant season, four to six of last year’s canes should be left on each hill, and all lateral branches from the previous year’s growth should be cut back to about 10 to 12 inches. Then, in the summer, you should pinch off the growing tips of the new canes as they reach two feet for black and three feet for purple raspberries. This causes side branches to grow.

Summer bearing red raspberries are commonly grown in a hedgerow system. The row should be kept 14 to 18 inches wide. The tips are not pinched back since they do not branch in response to the practice. Weak and dead canes should be removed in the spring, leaving four or five vigorous ones per foot of row. Thorny blackberries should be pruned similarly to black raspberries. Canes may be allowed to become shortly higher before summer pinching however.

Semi-erect thornless blackberries should be trained on a trellis. Vigorous ones can be pinched when they get above the top trellis wire to help keep them in bounds. Then in the early spring, before buds begin to swell, reduce the total cane number by about one-third, leaving the thickest, most vigorous ones.

Grapes should be pruned in early spring after severe cold weather is past. Don’t prune them while the wood is frozen, because frozen canes are brittle and the vines could be damaged. Pruning in late spring causes bleeding (sap flow) to occur, but there is no evidence such bleeding is harmful. When planting a new grape plant, cut the vine back to two buds, and train one trunk up to the top of the trellis by pinching off the lateral growth during the growing season.

The top one-third of the blueberry plant should be removed at the initial planting. For the next two years, little pruning is needed except to remove broken or damaged branches. After the third growing season, prune the bush to open up the center early in the spring.

Currants and gooseberries are pruned in late winter before growth begins. Both have similar growth patterns. After the first season, retain six to eight of the most vigorous shoots on a plant and cut the others off at ground level. After the second season leave four or five vigorous one-year-old shoots and three or four two-year-old canes. After the third year, retain three or four each from the one, two and three year canes. Since canes that are four years old or older produce very little fruit, those older canes should be removed.

Question: We can’t believe it! We have several rhododendrons in full bloom and our lawn needs mowing. What will happen if February brings cold weather?

Answer: There is no question that these past few weeks of mild temperatures make it seem as though spring has arrived. Many of our garden plants have broken dormancy with the emergence of new leaves on herbaceous perennials and swollen buds on woody ornamentals and fruit trees. As long as these mild temperatures prevail, it looks as though we are headed for a very early spring. That could easily come to a screeching halt however, if temperatures plummet to below freezing. If that should happen, new growth and especially flowers will be vulnerable to winter damage. If the forecast should call for temperatures to drop below freezing, you may want to cover early blooming shrubs with a blanket or plastic sheet for protection. Most herbaceous perennials can tolerate some cold temperatures with minimal damage. Covering new foliage with a light mulch will help to reduce plant damage if below freezing temperatures are forecast.

We are so very fortunate to live in our coastal area which allows us enjoy gardening activities this time of the year. Mild February days are perfect for pruning landscape plants and fruit trees, applying dormant sprays, pulling weeds, transplanting and giving the lawn its first mowing of the year.

Question: Help! We have several old lilacs and forsythia plants in our garden that have really gotten out of control. We are afraid that if we prune them now, we might lose all of this year’s blossoms. What do you suggest?

Answer: With most shrubs, the ideal time to prune is now, during the dormant season before new growth begins. Spring flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilac however, should be pruned shortly after flowering to avoid removing flower buds. Shrubs that bloom after the end of June should be pruned now before new growth starts. These plants develop their flower buds during the spring growth period. Shrubs that bloom on current season’s growth include rose-of-sharon and weigelia.