All deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned at least once a year for good shape and to bear fruit. The time to do major pruning is during the winter. The rule of thumb with pruning deciduous fruit trees is to prune while the trees are dormant, after the leaves have fallen to the ground but before new buds have swelled.

Each type of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently, so it's important to know which kind of tree you're pruning and how to prune it properly. For example, apples bear their fruit on spurs that bear again and again, sometimes for as long as twenty years. If you whack off all the spurs you'll have no fruit. However, peaches and nectarines bear their fruit on one-year-old wood. By pruning them hard, you encourage new growth to replenish fruiting wood.

The best shape also differs among types. Apple and pear trees, for instance, do best with a central trunk, with shorter branches at the top, longer ones on the bottom. Peaches and plums do best with an open-center shape (kind of like a bowl).

No two trees, even of the same type, can be pruned exactly alike; basic guidelines will apply differently according to the placement of their branches, their age, and their overall vigor. If you're not an expert, follow a pruning manual (one that contains charts) that applies to your climate and type of tree.

When you buy a fruit tree, ask us for the best pruning method to use for that tree. Pruning a young tree properly to start with will save you a lot of time and effort later.

If you are dealing with a large old tree that has been neglected for some time, keep in mind that it may require several years of pruning to bring it back to where it should be.

Your primary goal is to open the tree so that sunlight can penetrate inside of the foliage during the fruiting season and to shorten the taller limbs to bring the fruit production down to a more manageable height. It is safest to call a professional to do the high work and any large branch removal for you. They have the experience and equipment needed.

Remember after pruning deciduous fruit trees to clean up the ground under the tree and follow up immediately with dormant spray.

Although many cymbidiums start to flower in December, some bloom as early as November. Most bloom between February and May, a few in May and June, and just one or two bloom year round. Choose wisely, and you can have these exotic orchids decorating your home, patio, and garden for six months or more. Protect cymbidiums' bloom spikes from snails when they are outside. Stake the spike to avoid breakage, but allow each spray to maintain its natural arching form. Allow miniatures in hanging baskets to cascade naturally. Continue to feed the plants for bloom with a fertilizer rich in bloom ingredients until buds open. Once they bloom stop feeding the plants; keep them damp but not soggy. For longer-lasting flowers, move blooming plants into more shade and keep away from bees if they are outside. (The flowers "blush" and fade after pollination.)

Once cymbidium spikes have set buds you can force some into bloom for holiday decoration ahead of their natural schedule. Wait until the buds on the bloom spikes are full size and look fat and ready to open. Then place the plant in a warm area with bright light. The warmth plus the longer 'day' will open the buds quickly. Move back into a lower-light area for longer lasting blooms.

There's one drawback to forcing - plants you force into bloom early won't perform as well next year. You'll get a few spikes but not as many. This is also a factor to consider when buying new varieties. Some may have been forced into bloom, and you won't get as many spikes the following year. Wait for the third year and they'll be loaded with blooms.

Cymbidiums need dividing when they overcrowd their containers or get too heavy to carry.

• Water plants well before dividing them.
• Use a can cutter or sharp knife to cut off the plastic container. If the plants are in a wooden tub, remove the old container with a hammer, and discard it.
• Use a large kitchen knife kept for gardening to cut between the pseudobulbs (the bulblike structures growing above ground) and down through the roots. Aim for at least three productive pseudobulbs and four or five back bulbs per division. (Back bulbs are fully grown pseudobulbs that once bore leaves and flower spikes but now are bare. They act as storage containers for the remainder of the plant.)
• Trim off all roots that are diseased, damaged, or simply messy. In all, you should remove about one-third of the roots.
• Optionally, soak the divisions in a solution of 1 quart bleach to 10 quarts water for ten minutes to kill any fungus or rot. Air dry them.
• To replant, choose plastic containers that have plenty of holes in the bottom and are the next size larger, or approximately 4 to 6 inches wider than the top of the root ball. (Oversized containers slow growth.)
• Hold the plant so that the bottom of the pseudobulbs is level with the top of the container. Fill around the roots all the way to the top of the container with a commercial soil mix recommended for cymbidiums or with a homemade mix, such as 2 gallons pathway bark, 2 gallons ground nitrolized wood shavings, and 1 gallon commercial sterilized potting soil. It's important to make sure the roots are completely covered with soil mix but the pseudobulbs are totally above ground. (If the pseudobulbs are buried, they'll rot.)
• Water the cymbidiums thoroughly after planting, keep them in semishade, and wait two or three weeks before starting to fertilize

It's time to plant summer blooming bulbs!

Tigridias:
Bulbs of tigridias, or tiger flowers, can be found at local nurseries now. Plant them six inches apart and three inches deep in full sun along the coast, or where they'll get afternoon shade inland. Fertile loam or sandy soil is best. If you have clay soil, mix in plenty of soil amendment or plant in pots or raised beds. The colorful blooms appear in July and August. Each flower lasts only one day, but others follow on the same branch so the bloom season is quite long.

Gladioli:
Tie gladioli planted earlier to stakes installed at planting time. Protect them from slugs and snails, and keep them well watered. Feed potted glads with liquid fertilizer. Continue to plant gladioli, though when planted now they will need more protection from thrips in summer.

Dahlias:
Prepare planting holes for dahlias by mixing plenty of organic matter into the soil. Some aged chicken manure can be added to the soil now, along with pre-moistened peat moss, nitrolized wood shavings, or homemade compost, in preparation for planting in April. Dig the organics deeply into the ground - as much as a foot deep - and keep the soil damp.

Tuberous Begonias:
Start tuberous begonias this month. If you kept some tubers from last year, take a look at them now to see whether they're showing signs of life. If so, bring them out of hiding and start watering them. Buy new ones at local nurseries. Some tubers are slow to sprout, so choose those that already have a sprout or two.

Tuberous begonias aren't easy to grow, but if you have rich acid soil in an east-facing area, not too many snails, and a knack for growing begonias they can be one of the most rewarding plants for summer color in semishade. Years ago they were considered suitable for coastal zones only. New heat-resistant varieties such as the Non-Stops have made it possible for gardeners in interior zones to try their hand at this most colorful and exotic-looking garden plant. If growing them from tubers sounds too involved, wait until summer and visit a nursery that has the begonias already planted and potted.

Blooms — Choosing a plant with flowers on it will give you an idea what season it blooms in and lets you know the plant is mature. Look for uniform color and shape. Splotches and streaks may be indications of a virus that you shouldn't take home.

Even if a plant is blooming when you buy it, be patient with it. The shock of going from a garden center to the typical home may cause an orchid to skip a season before it performs again. Don't get frustrated and throw it out, and don't take it personally. It's worth the wait.

Leaves — The same principles apply as when buying any plant. Look for medium-green, uniformly shaped and colored leaves with no black spots or streaks.

Insects — Greenhouse-grown plants are more susceptible to insects than home-grown ones. Don't buy infested plants — why take home trouble?

Roots — Look for white, fat roots with healthy green tips poking through the potting medium.

Potting medium — You may have seen orchids planted in potting soil covered with a layer of bark. Soil will smother and eventually kill roots. So don't make that mistake. If you are repotting an orchid, use all bark. If you are buying a new one, stick your finger in the mix to test it. It should be all bark and not soggy, but firm and damp or dry.