You may have heard that pruning spruce trees in the landscape is an important way of maintaining their health, size, shape, and vigor. But this is more applicable to deciduous trees than evergreens.

Q: I have volunteered to help our church with yard maintenance. I need to trim back all the bushes, but my concern is the blue spruce tree. It is a very nice tree, but it is growing over the parking ...

Shrubs and trees can be pruned to improve structure, maximize blooms and/or fruit production, or to remove damaged or diseased branches. Such branches should be removed as soon as possible. They ...

Q: I need to prune an arborvitae hedge because it is too tall. I’d like to remove 3 or 4 feet off the top of these shrubs. When is the best time to prune them? A: Late winter or early spring is ...

Some trees can be pruned in winter, while other trees grow better when they’re pruned in spring. But no matter what types of trees you’re growing, early fall is the worst time to prune trees. Pruning ...

Have you been following my repeated advice to water your trees and shrubs? So far, this fall appears to be extremely dry, so start watering now including any newly planted shrubs or trees. Stop ...

It is so disconcerting to see a specimen tree going into decline. One of the prized oak trees in my yard appears to be declining, so I can relate to your concerns. Your description suggests that your ...

The Penn State Extension of Berks County Master Gardeners will be featuring questions and answers to inquiries received through their Garden Hotline. Q: What are those blue-green growths on trees and ...

Editor’s note: Throughout the growing season, Mike Hogan, OSU Extension educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Franklin County, will answer gardening and home landscape questions submitted ...