The dead wood can go whenever you see fit, Stef

Each week, Susan Richards of New North Greenhouses answers your gardening questions. Have questions about your gardening needs? Please email her at [email protected]

Ron:  The vines around my front window got severe damage this winter. I don't know what they are called but they have always made it through the winter, even staying mostly green with a small amount of branches dying . I started to prune the dead branches but it doesn't leave much. Please advise me on how to save this beautiful shrub.

That plant is Sarcoxie Euonymus. The severe winter damaged it. Broadleaf evergreens such as this one really need that protective layer of snow as insulation on extremely cold winters. Your only option is to cut all the dead wood back and see if any new growth starts.

KC: Our red maple has never grown much over the years, but always appeared to be healthy until this Spring. There are few leaves and we are unsure what the problem is. We would love to be able to save it, if possible. Thanks for any advice.

Once again, most likely a result of the sever winter. Try adding fertilizer to give the tree a fighting chance. If its planted in a garden, choose a good quality tree and shrub food to broadcast around from the drip line to within 18" from the trunk. Work the fertilizer into the soil and water well.

If the tree is planted in a lawn, use fertilizer spikes or poke 1" diameter holes into the ground about 4" into the ground. Fill the holes with fertilizer and water well.

Stef: I have a large "hedgelike" span of lilac bushes running along the front of my property for about 30-40 feet. It's approximately 7 feet tall by about 5 feet deep.  Very rarely do they everproduce lilac flowers. This year there was only one small section that flowered.  There are a lot of dead branches that didn't even produce leaves this year intermingled with the ones that do have leaves. Is it safe for me to cull out the dead branches at anytime? 

The harsh winter strikes again! Dead wood can be pruned any time you see it. As to how to get the rest of the hedge to bloom: if you haven't been pruning at the wrong time of year, try pruning right after the flowers fade. This might stimulate flower producing buds to set on the ends of the newest growth.

Lilacs should only be pruned immediately after flowers fade. If you prune in fall or spring, you are removing the big fat buds at the ends of the branches that will produce flower buds.