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What to plant if you want privacy

In this week's Gardening Tips, Susan Richards answers questions about fruit trees, shrub pruning and creating a beautiful buffer between your yard and the rest of the world
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Each week, Susan Richards of New North Greenhouses answers your gardening questions. Have questions about your gardening needs? Please email her at [email protected]

Sam: In the spring of 2016 I planted two pear trees. Last year there was lots of fruit on the Golden Spice pear tree but it was tiny, about the size of my thumb. I want pears I can eat. What is wrong with the tree?

I had quite a discussion with my grower today, as I wasn't sure how to answer that question. I learned that with that particular pear, it's very typical to get very small fruit the first year. I was assured that with this variety, full sized fruit comes with maturity. You should see pears of an edible size this year.

When planting any fruit tree, it's actually better to remove the developing fruit the first year so all the tree's energy goes into establishing strong roots, rather than trying to produce fruit. Then year subsequent season if we don't get regular rain, be sure to water your fruit trees thoroughly for two weeks immediately after the flower petals drop. Fruit starts to develop right after pollination. If the trees are stressed by drought, there will be poor fruit formation. The fruit you are so anxious to harvest will be undersized, poor quality and may even drop prematurely.

Rita: Is now the right time to prune my spirea shrubs? How far back so I cut them?

Spirea are summer bloomers that flower on new growth. They can be trimmed twice each season: once in early spring before new growth begins and again immediately after the flowers fade.

The general pruning rule is to remove one-third to one-half of the previous year's growth, being sure to shape the plant so that it's wider at the bottom than top.

The reason for the outward taper to the plant is so that sunlight reaches all the foliage. If you prune a shrub or hedge so that it's wider at the top than the bottom, lower foliage is very shaded and slowly dies out. You end up with a bare bottom on the plant!

Deb: I need privacy at the end of my property that butts up to a busy street. We have a fence and a cedar hedge in front of the fence but because our property slopes down toward the road, The fence and cedars aren't tall enough to provide a buffer zone. What else can I do?

If you just need the privacy during the growing season when you spend most time in the yard, consider planting a group of deciduous trees that will have a big enough canopy to interrupt the line of sight from your back patio area to the street.

If a tree with an eventual canopy 20' - 25' tall will work, look at the tree form of Ivory Silk Lilac or Amur Maple. If you need taller trees than that, consider maple and linden.


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