End of winter is the best time of year to prune shrubs that flower later in the growing season, i.e. from mid-June and after. The reason is that later-flowering shrubs bloom on “new wood.” This means ...

Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain laurel) is a wonderful evergreen shrub which breaks forth in February and March with showy purple blossoms whimsically smelling like grape bubblegum or perhaps ...

Gardening is in full swing and if you’ve got questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master ...

Key Points Prune annual herbs like basil fully before frost, but leave cold-hardy types to reseed naturally.Lightly trim ...

A. This plant flowers on old wood, so prune immediately after spring bloom to avoid losing next year's flowers. Kathy Huber has worked for the Houston Chronicle since May 1981. She was Features Copy ...

Q. I can't figure out what happened to my Texas mountain laurel. It is 6 years old, and I've tried to train it to be a small tree. This spring, however, a big portion of it turned brown. Should I ...

There is a mix of perennials and shrubs that should not be pruned before winter. Keep in mind that any pruning on a plant encourages growth. Pruning stimulates a growth hormone called an auxin. If ...