How To Sharpen Pruning Shears

In addition, dried plums also contain sorbitol. Additionally, its insoluble fiber pulls water into the intestine resulting in a softer stool that is more quickly eliminated. While all prunes come from plums, not all plums become a prune.

In the second year, trim groups 1 and 2 in late winter to early spring back to 3 inches from the ground. Group 2 vines can be left unpruned but they have a neater appearance if you remove the spent blooms.

A fence or trellis works well. Stay away from fertilizers that are heavy in nitrogen; use an all purpose with an N-P-K of 5-10-10 or a 6-12-12.One of the most asked questions that I receive in my newspaper column is how to prune clematis.Clematis are...

Whether or not this characteristic has been bred out of your particular cultivar, originally, plants want to carry their genetic material on to the next generation. The most natural thing in the world for most plants in their first, actively growing stage...

However it is amazing to me how often palms are either pruned improperly, unecessarily or even fatally. But the Queen on the right is unecessarily pruned severelyChamaerops palms can be difficult palms to prune as they have incredibly sharp spines along...

Use the leaf rake to rake out pieces of cane and leaves from the berry bed.Take all the cut canes and debris away to dispose of it by burning or bagging.Keep the raspberry row 24 inches wide or less, for good air circulation and picking ease.

Unlike the arms of an octopus, these roots cannot unwrap or unfurl once the tree is planted in the ground. At this time, retail availability of the root pruning containers is limited; however, the Superoots Air-Pot is available at retail in the western...

From toes to ears; safety footwear with an iron shell to keep your toes where they belong, chainsaw-proof pants, jacket and gloves, helmet with mesh screen and ear protectors. The chainsaw-proof garments are not very elegant (Gucci does not make any)...

Eliminate one of the major trunks if it is leaning too close to a building." recommends theI know from my horrendous French classes that a crepe is a very thin pancake.says that crape is confused with crepe.

Trimming rhododendrons is typically done for maintenance, shaping, and rejuvenation- as is the case for overgrown plants.The most common type of pruning is maintenance pruning, which simply involves the removal of spent flowers and old, dead wood.

And since I love apricots, but especially apricot jam, I had no time to waste. For those who don't know me I have to say that I am a short and fat lady. A week later, the cherries were blooming.

I couldn't bear to look at the empty place where the oak tree had once been. Last winter when we had the ice storm of the century, the oak held firm, but a lot of its limbs were broken and it was never trimmed.Last week, the new owner came to tell me...

This variety is so named because of the shape of the flowers, cone shaped. One of the advantages of the Oak leaf is that it does much better in drier location than its cousins.Will tolerate some dryness but will not flower unless sufficient moisture is...

Tie tomatillo plants to the support loosely with polyethylene or sisal twine, avoiding parts of the stem that are just below flower clusters.are easy to work with and you won't have to spend time tying and retying your plants.

In addition, prune out unproductive canes that have not produced any new growth.Generally for blueberry plant pruning, you should remove the two oldest canes each winter. Also, cut out any short, soft shoots developing from the base of the bush late in...

Be careful not to prune too close to the developing fruits.When pruning zucchini plant leaves, take care not to remove all the leaves. In addition, pruning zucchini allows more energy to reach the fruits rather than the majority of zucchini plant leaves.Pruning...

Obviously, you're not going to top a magnificent saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea, zones 9 through 11), and many types of yucca, such as mound-lily yucca agave (Yucca gloriosa, zones 9 through 11), are happiest if they spend their lives far from the clippers.

Cryptomerias are commonly used as decorative trees, green privacy screens, hedging and windbreaks. They need not be pruned except to control the shape and size but are very resilient to pruning so do not be afraid to prune as you desire.Don your gloves...

Poinsettias do not require high levels of light, one of the reasons they are favored as a potted plant. Poinsettias may also require some trimming throughout the growing season in order to remain full and healthy.Trim off the leaves on each poinsettia...

Without proper pruning, allamandas rapidly become overgrown and look bulky.Cut out all damaged, dead or dying branches. The Missouri Botanical Garden reports that allamandas often attract mealy bugs and scale.

Direct sunlight on the zucchini vegetable can cause the skin to harden and mature too quickly. Zucchini vegetables themselves do not require direct sunlight. Zucchini is a prolific vegetable that grows well in most soil as long as it gets plenty of sunlight.

Garden scissors shape up soft annual and perennials stems. Perennial sages often develop old, woody stems and require pruning to stay attractive. Salvia (Salvia spp.), commonly known as sage, is a plant group that ranges from annuals to woody perennials...

The stems of eggplants grow similarly to tomato plants, with suckers appearing between the main stalk and the side branches. Never leave discarded plant pieces littering the soil beneath a plant because this may introduce bacteria and infection to the...

It also cleans up the plants for an improved appearance and mildew prevention. Shorter phlox varieties such as creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, and moss phlox (Phlox subulata), hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8, need...

The foxglove attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is covered in bold, bell-shaped blooms in white, pink, red, lavender and yellow. If you prefer your foxglove to self-sow, leave some of the stalks alone so they can go to seed.Prune the stems...

It is time for the plant to ready itself for winter. This encourages more leaf growth and keeps the volatile oils strong. Sage should never be cut all the way to the ground; it will not recover.Continue to snip flowers all through the season to keep the...

Annual pruning helps keep them manageable sizes.Soak a clean rag in isopropyl alcohol. Cut them flush to each specimen's main trunk.Shape and prune the pittosporum tree immediately after flowering.