Home Gardening

Things NOT to do in the garden
Garden Tips Newsletter - September 4, 2001

Fall is approaching and the weather looks like it might be cooling down soon and many of us are anxious to get back out into the garden. We need to be sure and not be overly anxious though and do things that will harm our plants in the long run.

DO NOT fertilize your trees, shrubs, or fruit trees. Fertilizing now or anytime before winter may cause your plants to put out new tender growth which might be killed by early freezes.

DO NOT prune your trees, shrubs, and/or fruit trees now or anytime before winter. Like fertilizing, pruning may cause the plants to put out tender new growth and may disturb fruit tree bud formation. Plants that are showing nutrient deficiencies may be lightly fertilized to remedy the problem. Additionally, if you have dead or diseased wood that could pose a problem to your tree or home, it should be pruned. Many fruit trees are now putting on new growth and forming new buds, pruning them now would remove next year's fruit crop.

These archived newsletters were written by Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly. Kelly is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.