PRUNING
Pruning is the removal of unwanted growth to make a plant develop or respond in a desired manner. Plants can be pruned for several reasons. You may prune plants to produce more blooms and fruit, develop a desired shape, maintain a certain size, remove older stems, or remove diseased or damaged portions (click here to see informative drawings on pruning cuts). Even if you have chosen plants that require little maintenance, chances are at some point they will need some pruning. Shrubs often need pruning to serve their intended purpose in the landscape. Except for a few dwarf or extremely slow-growing plants, all shrubs should be pruned regularly, usually every year or two. Major pruning cuts for trees and shrubs should be done at one of two periods, during dormancy (before growth begins in spring) or immediately after flowering based on the May Rule. Small pruning cuts can be done at any time.

May Rule: If the plant blooms before May 1, prune immediately after flowering has ended (flowers are produced on old wood or last year's growth). Examples: Azaleas, Camellias, Forsythia, Spireas. If the plant blooms after May 1, prune during the dormant season (flowers are produced on new growth or current year's growth). Examples: Crapemyrtles, Lilac Chaste-trees, Gardenias.

PRUNING TECHNIQUES:

Thinning
In trees, side branches can be cut back to lateral branches or to the collar. Thinning gives a plant an open appearance. Where growth was dense before pruning, afterwards you can see daylight. Thinning encourages new growth inside the plant crown and increases light penetration and air circulation inside the crown. It also results in fewer branches that grow thicker, developing stronger resistance to wind damage. Read more about pruning ornamental shrubs and trees.

Heading Back
Selectively cutting the tips of twigs or young branches back to a bud is called heading back. Heading back produces a denser fruit tree or shrub because it usually increases the number of shoots and leaves. To make pruning cuts that aren’t visible, locate them inside the plant so they are covered up by the remaining foliage. You can use heading back on annuals at planting time to create more flowering stems, but you will have to wait for more flower buds to develop. (NOTE: Heading back is inappropriate for large shade trees.)

Bud: an undeveloped or compressed stem.

Hedging
Hedging is removing shoots or branches from a shrub to maintain a dense row of plants. Formal hedges feature neatly clipped shrubs while informal hedges let shrubs grow to their natural shape. Formal hedges must be pruned frequently during the growing season; informal hedges can be trimmed annually, enough to keep growth from overwhelming nearby walkways or structures or from shading lawns. Hedging can establish and maintain a barrier that can provide privacy as a screen or form a windbreak. Correct hedging cuts help a hedge to remain healthy and grow actively from top to bottom. The way to accomplish this is to cut your hedge so that the top is narrower than the bottom. This ensures that light can reach each part of the hedge. If light does not reach lower leaves, leaves die and drop creating a "leggy" plant, bare at the base. Make cuts during the growing season when growth is green and tender. See Pruning Ornamental Plants.

BASIC PRUNING TIPS

• Remove all dead, diseased or injured branches at any time.
  

• Dip pruning shears and saws in a weak alcohol solution (one part alcohol to nine parts water) to prevent spreading diseases between plants.

• Remove branches that cross or touch each other and any that look out of place.

• If a shrub is too big, requiring excessive heading back, then the best recommendation is to remove it or to transplant it to a more spacious area.

Calling the Professionals
If you are unsure about proper pruning techniques, consider hiring a Certified Arborist to prune your trees. An arborist is a specialist in the care of individual trees. Certified Arborists are knowledgeable about the needs of trees and are trained and equipped through continuing education administered by the International Society of Arboriculture to provide proper care.

Reduce Your Pruning Load
Keep pruning chores to a minimum by doing things the environmentally friendly way:

1. Select slow-growing plants.

2. Place plants far enough from walkways, driveways, buildings, or overhead wires to allow them to reach maturity without encountering obstructions that require labor intensive pruning.

3. Reconsider the formal look or minimize the extent of it. Is that the appearance you want everywhere, and do you want to commit the time and resources to maintaining that look? Soft, flowing, natural lines are attractive and easier to maintain.

Raking
Deciduous trees reduce energy costs by shading a house in summer (by 11.4%). After leaves fall, sunshine has access to windows to heat a house in winter. If you desire turf under trees, then you should thin trees and rake leaves to improve light penetration to the turf. Trees and turf are healthier when kept separate.

If you do not want turf, permit leaves to remain under trees to form a self-mulching area. Leaves add nutrients to soil as they decompose. If you want a different, more diverse understory, plant shrubs and groundcovers under trees to avoid raking. They will benefit from decomposing plant litter and help to hold leaves in place so they don’t clutter the landscape.

LAWN MAINTENANCE
Whatever the level of quality you desire for your lawn, the objective should be to have a healthy, dense stand of turfgrass. Correctly implementing proper turfgrass maintenance practices can reduce the need for supplementary practices such as pest control. Mowing and fertilizing are considered basic maintenance practices, and each has a significant impact on the quality of a lawn. These routine maintenance practices are normally done when it is convenient for the homeowner; however, they should be done relative to the lawn’s needs. Remember to plan for the size lawn you are willing to maintain. Expansive lawns often become a drain on your time or an expense for regular professional care. Develop the lawn you need for aesthetics and recreation but use other, lower maintenance plantings to reduce maintenance demands.

MOWING
Mowing is the most important maintenance practice for a good-quality lawn and it is probably the most overlooked maintenance practice as well. Fertilizer, overseeding, and other treatments will accomplish very little if lawns are not mowed at a height that is healthy for that turfgrass. Mowing directly affects the health and quality of a lawn and it has a measurable effect on the way turfgrass grows. Mowing is the process that creates a lawn rather than a pasture or a meadow. Proper mowing is important in creating a good-quality lawn because it encourages a dense stand of turfgrass by keeping weed seeds from the soil surface and by blocking sunlight.

Mowing Heights
For the best appearance and quality, turfgrasses should be mowed at the optimum mowing height for the proper growth and health of the specific turfgrass species that is present. Each turfgrass species has a range of mowing heights that are recommended for optimum performance. Turfgrass species that spread or grow horizontally, such as bermudagrass, can usually be mowed at a lower mowing height than an upright-growing "bunch-type" turfgrass like tall fescue. Turfgrasses with smaller leaves (fine textured) such as zoysiagrass can usually be mowed lower than turfgrasses with larger leaves (coarse textured) like St. Augustinegrass. Turfgrasses that are under environmental stress such as drought, heat, or shade should be mowed at the highest recommended rates as listed below. Table 1 outlines the suggested mowing heights for the turfgrass species used for home lawns in Alabama.

Table 1. Recommended Mowing Heights for Lawn Turfgrasses
Turfgrass	Optimum Mowing Height (inches)	Mowing Frequency (days)	Mower Type
Bahiagrass	3 to 4	7 to 17	Rotary
Bermudagrass	1/2 to 1-1/2	3 to 5	Rotary or Reel*
Centipedegrass	1-1/2 to 2	10 to 14	Rotary
St. Augustinegrass	2-1/2 to 4	7 to 14	Rotary
Tall Fescue	2 to 3-1/2	7 to 14	Rotary
Zoysiagrass	1 to 2	10 to 14	Rotary or Reel*
* Reel mowers provide a superior-quality cut.

See Extension publication: Home Lawn Maintenance

Mowing Frequency
Mowing frequency should depend on the growth rate of the turfgrass, but it is often based on when a convenient opportunity presents itself. The rate of turfgrass growth depends on the type of turfgrass present in the lawn, soil fertility (especially nitrogen), and weather or environmental conditions. Watering practices also play a role in how often you have to mow your lawn – more frequent irrigation means mowing more often.

Another factor involved with mowing frequency is mowing height (see Table 1). A good rule of thumb is to mow your lawn regularly and to never remove or mow more than one-third of the turfgrass height at any one mowing. For example, if you are maintaining your lawn at a mowing height of 2 inches, you should mow the lawn when or before the turfgrass reaches 3 inches in height. Also, by following this "one-third" rule of thumb, you will have fewer and smaller turfgrass clippings. If the turfgrass becomes too tall between mowings, raise the mowing height and then gradually reduce it until the recommended height is reached.

FERTILIZING LAWNS
Properly fertilized lawns absorb nonpoint source pollutants, help stabilize soil, reduce ambient air temperatures and promote a healthy ecosystem of its own. Overfertilizing can aggravate pest problems, stimulate excessive growth, and require frequent watering. In addition, when people use too much fertilizer on their landscapes, it can seep through the ground, past the root zone of the grass, plants or trees and into the community aquifer polluting the area water source. It can also be washed off by rainfall or irrigation and runoff directly into surface water or stormwater systems causing algal blooms, fish kills, and nitrate poisoning.

The way you fertilize your lawn influences how much fertilizer is taken up by grass — and how much might be lost to leaching or runoff. Several factors determine pollution potential from lawn fertilizing. Among these are:

• Type of fertilizer.

• How much you apply.

• How you apply it.

• When you fertilize.

• How much irrigation you apply afterwards.

• Overall health of the lawn.

• Before you apply fertilizer, it is very important that you read and understand the label.

Selecting A Fertilizer
When selecting fertilizer, look at the three numbers on the bag. They will read something like 15-0-15 or 16-2-8. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen in the bag, the second refers to phosphorus, and the third number refers to potassium. For example, a 50 lb. bag of 16-2-8 contains 16% nitrogen, or eight pounds of nitrogen, 2% phosphorus, or one pound, and 8% potassium, or four pounds. The remaining weight is usually comprised of inert ingredients. Nitrogen and phosphorus cause the most problems with regard to water pollution. Nitrogen is a mobile nutrient and leaches easily through groundwater while phosphorous has a tendency to runoff the surface causing pollution to groundwater. Soil tests will indicate the number of pounds to apply for a specified area.

How Much Phosphorus and Potassium Should I Look for in a Fertilizer?
If you have ample phosphorus in your soil, look for a fertilizer with no more than 2% phosphorus. As for potassium, look for a fertilizer with at least half as much potassium as nitrogen (16-2-8) or equal amounts of nitrogen and potassium (15-0-15), depending on the results of your soil test.

What Fertilizer is Best to Buy?
Look for slow-release fertilizers, or fertilizers that have a high percentage of slow-release nitrogen in them. These products have less potential to leach or run off into Alabama’s waterways than quick-release sources. Nitrogen promotes shoot growth, so if you use slower, more uniform release of nitrogen provided by slow release or controlled release fertilizers, you’ll also have less of a growth surge. In lawns, that means less thatch accumulation following fertilizer application which ultimately means less mowing.

Slow-release fertilizer: a fertilizer that releases its nutrients gradually, over a period of time. Thatch: a layer of dead and living plant matter that accumulates between soil and turf, often blocking water and nutrient movement into soil.

How Do You Know if a Fertilizer is Slow-release?
Look at the fertilizer sources listed on the back of the bag and find the amount of nitrogen that is “slow-release.” The higher the percentage of slow-release, the less chance of leaching and less thatch and mowing.

How Much Fertilizer to Apply Depends on Three Things:

1. Your desired level of maintenance.

2. The amount of nitrogen in the bag.

3. What percentage of that nitrogen is slow-release.

Understand that at times an underfertilized lawn may be less pest- or disease-resistant and unable to perform as well in preventing erosion.

If you are applying a fertilizer with less than 30% of its nitrogen in a slow-release form, only apply ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn per application. If it has at least 30% slow-release nitrogen, you may apply up to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn per application.

Regardless of the total nitrogen applied over a year, even at high maintenance levels, it is the amount of nitrogen applied at any one time and the proper application and watering-in that has the greatest impact on the potential for creating pollution.

How Should I Apply Fertilizer to a Lawn?

1. Determine the annual fertility needs of your grass species by referring to Table 2 (below).

2. Measure the square footage of your lawn area. Do not include landscape plants in this area calculation.

3. Determine how much slow-release nitrogen is in your fertilizer.

4. Refer to Table 3 (below) to find out how much fertilizer to apply to your lawn area, based on the percentage of nitrogen in your fertilizer product. These figures are based on ½ pound of soluble fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. If you are using a product with over 30% nitrogen in slow-release form, double these amounts to apply 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

5. Broadcast the fertilizer over the lawn with a drop spreader.

Table 2. Fertilization Guidelines for Established Turfgrass Lawns in Three Regions of Alabama
Nitrogen recommendations (lbs N/1000 ft2/year)*
Species	North	Central	South
Bahiagrass	2-3	2-4	2-4
Bermudagrass	3-5	4-6	5-7
Centipedegrass	1-2	2-3	2-3
St. Augustinegrass	2-4	2-5	4-6
Zoysiagrass	3-5	3-6	4-6
* Homeowner preferences for lawn quality and maintenance will vary, so we recommend a range of fertility rates for each grass species and location. Also, effects within a localized region (for instance, shade, drought, soil conditions and irrigation) will require using a range of fertility rates. These recommendations assume that grass clippings are recycled.

Table 3. Proper Application Rates for Specific Fertilizer Products
% Nitrogen in Fertilizer Bag
6%	10%	12%	15%	16%	23%	27%
1.3 oz	0.8 oz	0.7 oz	0.5 oz	0.5 oz	0.4 oz	0.3 oz
3 TB	1½ TB	1½ TB	3½ tsp	1 TB	2½ tsp	2¼ tsp
6.6 oz	4 oz	3.3 oz	2.7 oz	2.5 oz	1.7 oz	1.5 oz
14 TB	½ c.	7 TB	6 TB	5¼ TB	4½ TB	¼ c.
13.3 oz	8 oz	6.7 oz	5.3 oz	5 oz	3.5 oz	3 oz
1¾ c.	1 c.	14 TB	¾ c.	10½ TB	9 TB	½ c.
8.4 lbs	5 lbs	4.2 lbs	3.3 lbs	3.1 lbs	2.2 lbs	1.9 lbs
17½ c.	9½ c.	8¾ c.	7¼ c.	6½ c.	5½ c.	4 ¾ c.
13 lbs	7.5 lbs	6.5 lbs	4.9 lbs	4.8 lbs	3.3 lbs	2.9 lbs
26¼ c.	14¼ c.	13 c.	11 c.	9¾ c.	8¼ c.	7¼ c.
25.2 lbs	15 lbs	12.6 lbs	9.8 lbs	9.4 lbs	6.6 lbs	5.8 lbs
52¼ c.	28½ c.	26 c.	21¾ c.	19½ c.	16½ c.	14½ c.
42.0 lbs	25 lbs	21 lbs	16.4 lbs	15.8 lbs	11 lbs	9.8 lbs
87¼ c.	47½ c.	43½ c.	36½ c.	32½ c.	27½ c.	24½ c.
The chart explains the approximate weight of fertilizer to use for a given lawn or landscape area in pounds (first number) and also in cups (second number) to deliver ½ lb N/1000 sq. ft. (the recommended rate for a single application of soluble fertilizer).

Fertilizer BMPs
One of the main things you can do to prevent pollution is to use caution when applying fertilizers.

• Do not spill fertilizer granules. If you do have an accident, sweep the granules up. Rinsing fertilizer off with a hose could send it down the storm drain.

• Do not spread fertilizer onto water bodies or impervious surfaces, such as driveways or sidewalks. Particles on hard surfaces can wind up in waterways.

• Use a drop spreader, which puts particles down directly beneath the spreader, rather than a rotary spreader, which flings particles a farther distance.

• Make sure equipment used to distribute fertilizer is properly calibrated.

• Avoid using “weed and feed” products that contain herbicides and fertilizer together. These products can injure some trees and shrubs. Tree and shrub root systems can extend far beyond the visible foliage, intermingling with turf. In addition, pesticides, including herbicides, should be applied only to affected areas, rather than broadcast over the entire yard as occurs with a weed and feed product.

• Do not fertilize if heavy rain is forecast. This increases the potential for fertilizers to run off into storm drains or to leach through soil with the rainwater.

• In summer, when turf is actively growing, apply an iron source instead of a nitrogen fertilizer to green the lawn without increasing growth. Use chelated iron or iron sulfate.

Herbicide: a chemical that kills plants or inhibits their growth; typically intended for weed control. Chelate: a complex organic molecule that surrounds certain trace elements, such as iron, and keeps them dissolved in a solution.

When Should I Apply Fertilizer to a Lawn?
Apply fertilizer when grass is actively growing, not when it is dormant. Do not apply too much nitrogen at one time in summer months when grass is already growing rapidly. Consult your county Alabama Cooperative Extension office with questions.

How Do I Water-in Fertilizer?
Most fertilizers need to be watered in to move fertilizer just below the soil surface to grass roots. This process requires only about ¼" of irrigation water. To find out how long it takes your sprinkler system to deliver this much water read Calibrating Irrigation Systems. Do not over-water or you will increase the potential to move fertilizer past the root zone and into ground water.

FERTILIZING WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS
In the soil, roots of trees, shrubs, turfgrass, and bedding plants intermingle and compete for water and nutrients. In fact, the roots of a single mature tree may extend 60 feet or more out into your lawn or flowerbeds. Fertilizer applied to one plant is often absorbed by the roots of another plant. Every treatment you apply to your lawn (fertilizer and herbicide, for example) can impact your trees and shrubs. Conversely, treatments applied to a tree, such as pruning and fertilizing, can influence the appearance and health of underlying turfgrass, shrubs, or bedding plants.

Table 4. Fertilization Guidelines for Established Landscape Plants
Level of Maintenance	Amount of Nitrogen (lbs N/1000 ft2/year)
Basic	0-2 lbs
Moderate	2-4 lbs
High	4-6 lbs

Bedding plants: herbaceous annual or perennial plants that are used in flower or vegetable gardens. Mature tree: a tree that has reached at least 75 percent of its final height and spread.

In areas where tree or shrub fertilization zones overlap with lawn fertilization zones, fertilize for one or the other of the plant types, but not both. If trees and shrubs are not located near fertilized turfgrass, you can apply additional nitrogen to enhance growth of established trees and shrubs.

Table 3 contains helpful information on calculating the amount of fertilizer to apply to a given area. Broadcast fertilizer uniformly over the desired areas of the landscape. Apply water-soluble fertilizers at no more than ½ pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application. Application rates of controlled-release fertilizers depend on release rates of the product.

SOIL TESTING
Proper soil sampling is important to ensure representative soil test results and proper fertilizer and lime recommendations. Soil test results supply a wealth of information concerning the nutritional status of your soil and may aid in the detection of potential problems that could limit plant growth and quality. A typical soil test report will supply information about soil pH, lime requirements, and soil nutrient levels for phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. It is important to let the Soil Testing Laboratory know what crops you intend to grow so that fertilizer recommendations can be made based on this information. Your county Extension office will assist you in the proper technique for taking soil samples and having them analyzed.

The nitrogen requirements for a lawn cannot be reliably evaluated by a soil test; therefore, the soil test report will not contain a nitrogen recommendation. The type of turfgrass that is present in the lawn, as well as the desired level of quality, will determine the amount of nitrogen that should be applied to a lawn. If you have any questions regarding the soil test report and/or recommendations, contact your county Extension office.

1. Getting Started	4. Care & Maintenance	7. Attracting Wildlife	10. Protecting the Waterfront
2. Plants for Alabama	5. Mulching/Organic Matter	8. Managing Yard Pests	11. Is Your Yard Healthy?
3. Watering/Irrigation	6. Recycling Yard Waste	9. Reducing Stormwater Runoff	12. Resources

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