Guest guest Posted June 17, 2008 Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 ----- Original Message ----- www.ArcaMax.com | ArcaMundo.com | News | Books | Comics | Games | Subscribe | My Account Gardening Daily TipsFor JoyceSunday June 15, 2008 Tulip (Tulipa x) Today's Featured PlantTulip (Tulipa x) Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com. Q & A: Arborvitae Culture Question: My 3-year-old, 4-foot-tall arborvitae look terrible. The branches are long and somewhat bare near the trunk and they just don't have that bright green healthy look they had when I bought them. I occasionally give them a shot of fertilizer in the spring and summer. I also tie them up to protect them in the winter. Should I be pruning them too? Answer: First of all, I'll describe some of the plant's requirements. Arborvitae should be planted in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. They like full sun, though light shade is acceptable. (In very shady spots they'll lose their internal foliage and become airy and open.) Certain cultivars are particularly susceptible to winter damage in your zone, despite winter protection. Now let's talk a bit about pruning. When the tree is small, pruning is generally corrective, such as pinching buds and redirecting branches to get the plant to grow in a strong, attractive shape. In the prime of life the shrub would probably benefit from some corrective pruning for rejuvination, beauty or usefullness. In its old age, you just want to keep it healthy enough to live long, and well. At three years, I would assume yours fall kind of in between "young" and "prime"! This means you need to be helping it look good. Evergreens make their growth from buds formed the preceeding year. Proper pruning or shearing temporarily stops the active growth of the large new buds, but stimulates the sprouting and growth of many of the smaller ones that lie dormant all over the branches. Because of this, when you shear off the new growth, the tree's energy which would normally be directed towards those few large, buds, now is redirected into the thousands of little twigs, and you force the tree to grow bushier! For the best results, begin the first shearing soon after the growth starts in the spring. Don't allow the tree to make a lot of growth before you shear it, or the smaller buds will remain dormant. Also, when you cut during the early part of the growing season the cuts will heal quickly and new buds will form where the cut was make. These new buds will grow in the spring, hiding the shearing wounds. If you shear too late in the season, the newly formed buds will be cut off leaving unsightly cut stubs showing all year. Finally, consider mulching the plants each spring with a layer of compost. Q & A: Harvesting Herbs Question: I have tried year after year to grow herbs, usually basil and oregano. The plants thrive and it seems after I harvest them they are never quite the same. I usually pinch them with my fingers. Help!! Answer: I wonder if you're accidentally bruising the stems when you harvest your herbs? Sometimes it's best to snip the stems with a pair of scissors. A clean cut will heal quickly, and the act of snipping the growing tips promotes new stem and leaf growth on the remaining portion of the stem. It might also be that you're not harvesting often enough. With both the basil and oregano, try harvesting frequently rather than waiting until late in the season. You can snip sprigs from spring through summer. In fact, oregano sprigs can be harvested when the plant is only 6" high, and you can continue snipping the leaves and stems throughout the summer months. Tip: Fertilize Strawberries Strawberries are heavy feeders. After harvest, supply plants with 5 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-5 for every 100 square feet of bed and side dress with compost. Repeat in mid-August. Today's Reader Submitted Photos Click an image above to see full size and read caption. To see more of our subscriber photos visit our full Photo Gallery. Sincerely, ArcaMax Editors Make sure this email gets to your inbox (and not your junk folder): just add ezines@... to your e-mail address book or safe list. Thank you! ArcaMax Publishing, Inc.729 Thimble Shoals Blvd. Suite 1-BNewport News, VA 23606Fax: (757) 596-9731 ArcaMax Publishing is a leading publisher of family-friendly newsletters, featuring popular comics, games, feature columns and books by email. Thank you for reading the "Gardening Daily Tips" newsletter. You are subscribed with the following email address: bjoyful@... Please feel free to forward this email on to your friends! 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