I know that we are all trying to get on the GREEN band wagon but did you know that you can work on applying those concepts to your yard right now. The three key words of sustainability are reduce, reuse and renew. Don't think that just because temperatures are still hovering around freezing in the Midwest, that you can't get out into your yard. You can get out there and take initiative in 'renewing' your deciduous trees and shrubs. The best way to do that, Dormant Pruning. The best time to prune woody trees and shrubs is in the winter, during dormancy. Dormant pruning may seem to be a heavy undertaking at first glance. You will be 'reducing' the plant material by 1/3, therefore it turns out to be a smaller task. Right? Remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches. This will help your plant material to rejuvenate itself each spring. You will find more buds and a lusher canopy come June. You should be thinking about a three year dormant pruning plan. 1/3 every year. In a sense, you will be 'reusing' your same trees and shrubs for years to come because of the sustainable dormant pruning practices that you have implemented. Protect your investment and more importantly protect our environment. Now get out there and get GREEN!!
