Archive for March, 2011
March 8th, 2011 | 
Author: Spring is in the air and its time to get your shrubs ready for the growing season.
The three main objectives for winter and early spring shrub pruning are to:
1) Thins excess or unsightly branching
2) Reduce overall height or to promote compactness
3) Rejuvenate multi-stem shrubs with too many old branches by cutting all stems
to a height of 3-6″.
A general rule of thumb: Do not trim spring flowering shrubs until after flowering is complete. If needed, you can go ahead and trim without injury to the shrub but the spring flower display may be greatly reduced for this spring season. Examples of shrubs in this category are Forsythia, Lilac and Mock Orange. Spireas which flower in the summer should be trimmed to a height of 3″-6″ every two to three years to reshape the shrub, remove any winter dieback and promote dense branching.
Red Twig Dogwood, Variegated Dogwood and Purple Leaf Plum also can benefit from an occasional sever pruning since these varieties can lanky growth patterns. Barberries can also withstand and benefit from an occasional hard pruning to reduce their size and promote compactness.
Posted in 
I have fielded several questions recently about snow mold and would like to shed a little light on the subject. The two “snow mold” diseases are called gray snow mold (Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (sometimes called Microdochium Patch or Fusarium Patch). Snow molds are most likely to occur when snow falls on ground that has not yet frozen, and remains for weeks or months. The lush turf under the snow is an excellent nutrient source for the fungi. Snow mold is typically not found on home lawns but more likely to found on golf courses. More information on this subject may be found on the Kansas State Research and Extension website.
Becks Recommendations:
Fungicides are not recommended for home lawns except in extreme situations. Though symptoms look dramatic, the turf will recover eventually. You may over seed the affected areas now, but care must be taken when selecting a turf pre-emergent for spring application. Use cultural practices described below.
Rake lawns to air out the turf and promote drying. This must be done prior to the application of any turf pre-emergent chemicals.
Eliminate poor drainage areas in your lawn by incorporating changes to the grade, installing downspout drains to re-direct roof water or a French Drain system to remove water from low spots.
Core-aerating can also be helpful in promoting better drainage and relieving compaction.
