{"id":1180,"date":"2020-12-30T11:50:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T16:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplestead.com\/?p=1180"},"modified":"2021-08-29T11:33:57","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T15:33:57","slug":"pruning-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplestead.com\/?p=1180","title":{"rendered":"Simplestead Guide to Pruning Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Each morning I walk our dogs through the semi-wild parts of our wooded property. There I encounter various trees, shrubs, ground cover, mosses, lichens, and a seemingly infinite variety of fungi. What beautiful complexity exists in this woodland ecosystem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, as a gardener, I can’t help but notice the diseased limbs on otherwise healthy trees. My attention is drawn to the anthracnose stricken leaves on overcrowded mountain laurel. Then there’s the parasitic mistletoe hanging high in more than a few branches — a slow, menacing death sentence for a weak tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shelf fungus on a large oak is a surefire sign that tree will become a fall hazard soon. The sheer number of tent caterpillars defoliating young trees captivate even as they devastate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and how can I not feel a pang of sympathy for those spindly saplings stretching hopelessly to touch sunlight with their sparse leaf tips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gardener’s Instinct<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If only I could remove those dead branches, cut away the parasitic mistletoe, and eradicate the anthracnose-blackened leaves to improve airflow. Perhaps I should rip open a few of those caterpillar tents so birds can feast. I ought to fell that fungi-infested tree by a safe path to save other trees from being taken down by it’s mighty fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I could just prune out the “problems” I see in nature’s garden, this forest could be as radiantly beautiful — to my gardener’s eye — as any cultivated landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Tasha Greer (@exploresimplestead)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>