Question: I live in Arizona and we had a freeze that killed part of my 3-foot-tall rosemary plant. It now has some dead growth in the middle of the plant. When and how should I prune it?
Answer: Prune your rosemary in early spring. Luckily rosemary responds well to hard pruning cuts in old woody growth. First remove any dead growth. Then prune further to shape the plant as you like. New growth should emerge from below the pruning cuts and the plant will have the whole summer to recover the form that you enjoyed last year. Next winter, protect your plant from the cold by wrapping it with burlap during the coldest months.
Question: I live in Corpus Christi, Texas, and have a 'Pineapple' orange tree. It's producing fruit now. When should I fertilize the tree?
Answer: Fertilize citrus in your area in late January or early February with a balanced fertilizer such as 13-13-13. The amount depends on the age of your tree. Apply one pound of fertilizer (about 2 cups) per year of age up to 12 years old. You can apply all the fertilizer in January, or split the application, appling half now and half in May.
Simply sprinkle the granular fertilizer outside the drip line of the tree. To determine the drip line stand next to your tree so that one shoulder just touches the outer branches of the tree. Using your opposite hand, spread the fertilizer evenly in a 1-foot-wide band around the outer branches of the tree. Adding compost around the tree annually also will help keep it healthy.
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
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