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Pruning mystifies people. "When do I do it? How do I do it? Will I kill the shrub if I prune it wrong?" No need to feel bewildered. Most of the time plants are forgiving. It's hard to kill some of them, even if you try. 

Tall, overgrown deciduous shrubs, like that old caragana in the back yard, can be rejuvenated by proper pruning. Don't just cut the top off if you want a natural form. Remove old canes as close to the ground as possible. New shoots will develop from the base of the plant and provide a more natural form. 

Prune severely overgrown shrubs in the very early spring before growth begins. However, many spring-flowering shrubs that flower with or before purple lilac (mock orange, spirea, lilac and some flowering plums) should be pruned right after their flowers fade.

Bring overgrown shrubs back into shape gradually. Remove a third of the old canes each year for three years and fertilize and water sufficiently to promote vigorous new growth from the plant's base. Once the old growth has been cut out, prune out the oldest third of the canes each year to keep the bush vigorous. By the way, you don't need to treat the wounds with pruning paint. That idea has pretty much gone by the wayside. 

See Doctor Bob's Northern Gardening Tips
with Robert Gough, PhD, Montana State University Extension Horticulture Specialist

Pruning Made Easy
by Edwin F. Steffek
Henry Holt & Co., 1958 Hardcover, Very Good condition with no dustjacket. Illustrations by the author. Indexed. 120 pages.

Many ocommon houseplants are indigenous to the tropics. Well-loved plants such as the Weeping Fig from India, African Violets from Africa and Philodendron from South America are easily grown indoors. 

Click here for details on the light, moisture, temperature, humidity, nutrients and maintenance requirements for tropical houseplants. (The New York Botanical Garden)

Some people go to great lengths to get the hottest peppers around. So what can you do to turn up the heat in hot peppers? 

Perhaps the best way to get the most pungent fruit is to plant the hottest cultivars you can get your hands on, assuming that they'll ripen in your area. There is another route, but I caution you to try it only on a small plot. 

Spanish researchers reported that peppers of the cultivar "Padron" were significantly hotter when the plants were drought stressed. It stands to reason. Drought stressed grape vines produce more flavorful wines, and many other fruit, when shy on water, develop more intense flavors. 

The trick here is not to go too far. If you withhold a little too much water, plants will not yield well. If you withhold a lot too much water, they die. Peppers are no exception. 

The Spanish research did not report yields, but it's likely that the water stressed pepper plants had lower yields than plants that received sufficient irrigation. So if you skimp on water in hopes of heating up your peppers, best limit the experiment at first and pay attention to yield decreases. 

Source: Robert Gough, MSU Extension

It's tough to predict plant growth based on the calendar because temperatures can vary greatly from year to year. Instead, growing degree days, which are based on actual temperatures, are a simple and accurateway to predict when a certain plant stage will occur. 

For details on how to make use of growing degree days, click here.

The cranberries for your next holiday celebration might be growing right outside your window, says Bob Gough, Montana State University Extension horticulture specialist. While the traditional American cranberry would be hard to cultivate in Montana's soils and dry conditions, two species of highbush cranberry (in Latin, Viburnum) can be found both in the wild and in ornamental landscapes. The wild berries may  be a little harder to find, but it is quite common to find highbush cranberry in hedges and other plantings. 

One species, Viburnum trilobum, is found throughout North America and grows in the wild in some parts of Montana. The other, Viburnum  opulus--native to North Africa, Europe and northern Asia--was introduced  into this country during colonial times. According to Gough, Maine lumberjacks ate these sour berries sweetened with maple syrup, and people in Norway and Sweden used honey to mellow the berry's tartness. 

Don't be surprised if you find a highbush cranberry growing in 
your back yard, or along your favorite hiking trail. In the wild they are usually found near water. Both species have adapted to the wild. V. trilobum is preferred for eating (the fruit of V. opulus is really sour) but they're both edible. 

You can pick highbush cranberry and make a sauce out of it just as you would the traditional American cranberry. The berries are best when picked before they are frozen, either just before or immediately after the first frost. 

But "make darn sure that you've identified the bush correctly," 
says Gough. 

If there is any question as to the plant's true identity, Gough 
recommends bringing a sample of the shrub to your local MSU Extension agent, who can either identify it or send it on to MSU plant specialists for identification. 

Highbush cranberries are actually no relation at all to the 
cranberries that begin to appear on grocery store shelves when Thanksgiving rolls around. The cranberries that cooks crush to make relish and kids string for holiday garlands are actually more closely related to our huckleberries. 

According to "Food and Feed Crops of the United States," the US produces 200,000 tons of American cranberries annually, mostly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. One of the nation's oldest continuously producing bogs, in Rhode Island, has been operating since the 1750s.

• Spiced Cranberry Sauce