Hi guys, Two questions for you experts to chew on today. The first has to do with my ne'er-do-well Abies pindrow I bought last year. It managed to survive my overly-aggressive rootball movements when I planted it, but we recorded three days in early December of 8.5F, 5.8F, and 9.3F with lows in the 20's F on either side of that short stretch. A California lilac cultivar "El Dorado" does NOT look happy already, but I'm most curious if you think the A.pindrow will make it? Time will tell, I know. The second has to do with the growing number of comments I'm seeing in magazines about how to correctly prune C.sanguinea "Midwinter Fire" and related cultivars. I have several of these that are all finally old enough to be pruned and until recently the only advice came from Roger Gossler via his catalogue and book describing how he just levels the entire shrub to the ground each year around Feb-Mar. The newer magazines seem to say that this can hinder the longterm health of Midwinter Fire and might even kill it outright and they suggest, instead, to cut only the oldest 1/3rd of the branches to the ground yearly. What do you say?
The dogwoods need to be fully established and in good vigor before you can mow them off year after year without producing a stunting effect. That is why cutting out 1/3 instead is advised.
