Will my muscadine vines bleed to death?

I've pruned my muscadine grape vines, and water is dripping from the cuts. I was told they might bleed to death. Is that possible?

The water that's dripping is sap. The sap is running because it's spring, the weather is warming, and your vines are coming out of dormancy. There is no danger that your vines will "bleed" to death.

There is a possibility that orange slime mold might grow in the sap. You can read about that in another blog post. The slime mold won't harm your plants.

John J Marshall
goGardenNow.com

John also blogs at goGardenNow.blogspot.com.

Slime mold on muscadine vines.

"Hello, I live in the northeast corner of Alabama and in early Feb., I pruned our muscadine vines.  Two of the vines are still "bleeding" and forming an orange colored build-up.  Should I do something?  If so, what?  Thank you for your time,  D.L."

It's slime mold, a species of Fusarium. It grows in the sap. Looks bad but is harmless. When the sap stops running, the mold will dry and flake off.

That reminds me of another question I'm often asked about vines "bleeding". I'll deal with it in a separate post.

John J Marshall
goGardenNow.com

John also blogs at goGardenNow.blogspot.com.

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Pruning a fig tree to reduce its height.

I received the following inquiry a few weeks ago.

Mr. John, (We) have a very large fig tree. It's at least 15 feet tall, if not taller. When is the best time to prune it? ...I would like to prune it so I can reach all of the figs! ALL OF THEM. Just kidding. ...I heard it was good to prune them, but I won't if it isn't!  -C.K., Athens, GA.

Dear C.K., I'm assuming that your fig tree is vigorous and in good health. Since you want to prune your fig to reduce the height of the tree, you need to do it so it won't grow back to its present height too quickly. Timing is important. Spring pruning tends to stimulate new, rapid growth; summer pruning does not, so prune in late summer.

Prune in stages. Heavy pruning all at once tends to stimulate new, rapid growth; selective pruning in stages does not, so prune selectively in stages.

Heavy pruning will reduce your crop a lot. You don't want that. Selective pruning in stages will reduce your crop a little, so do that.

Here's how:

Resign yourself to the fact that this will be a two-year process. Resign yourself to the fact that you will lose some figs.

Prune from late June to mid-July.

Be sure your tools are sharp. Make clean cuts. Avoid making ragged wounds.

Determine how tall you want your fig tree to be. Select about 1/2 of the tallest limbs, and cut them back about 2 feet below the ultimate height you desire.

Always cut back to a point just above a node, if you can identify it. A "node" is a point on a limb or branch where growth emerges. If you cut midway between nodes, or just below a node, you'll leave a stub that will die and rot. The rotting tissue can invade healthy tissue; you don't want that.

While you're at it, remove any dead, diseased or damaged limbs by cutting them back to the nearest node or joint.

Next year, follow the same procedure, cutting back the remaining portion that's too tall.

Avoid fertilizing. It will only stimulate your fig tree to return to its original height.

FAQ: What garden tasks should I do in March?

Among the most frequently asked questions, "When is the best time to...", is near the top of the list. Here are a few gardening tasks for March organized by region.

Northeast States: Frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines; but avoid removing spring flower buds. Order spring flowering bulbs, onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus, if you haven’t already. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Plant bare-root fruit trees and shrubs. Clean and oil garden tools.

Mid-Atlantic States: Frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines. Avoid removing spring-blooming flower buds. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary. Plant bare-root fruit trees and shrubs. Clean and oil garden tools.

Mid-South States: Late frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet. Fertilize fruit trees and shrubs when dormant, if you haven't done it yet. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary.

Lower South and Gulf States: Finish dormant pruning of deciduous fruit trees, shrubs and vines. Do not spray fruit trees with pesticides if flowers are in bloom. For that matter, don’t spray any flowering shrub or tree with pesticides while flowers are in bloom. Fertilize fruiting shrubs, trees and small fruits.

Plains and Rocky Mountain States: Follow the same regimen as for Northeast States.

Pacific Southwest and Desert States: Follow regimen for Lower South and Gulf States.

Pacific Northwest States: Follow the same regimen as for Mid-Atlantic States.

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Cornell University releases new strawberry variety

"Cornell's newest and darkest strawberry variety -- Purple Wonder -- will make its debut at the Philadelphia International Flower Show March 5 through an exclusive licensing agreement with seed giant W. Atlee Burpee Co." Read more about Purple Wonder Strawberry.