With some plants, pruning is optional. This is not true of many fruit trees. Not only must you prune them for fruit production, but you also must prune them in just the right way. People often fear that they are cutting off too many branches, when, in reality, they probably are not doing enough pruning. Proper pruning stimulates fruit trees to bear fruit. Learn why, when, and how to prune fruit trees. Why You Need to Prune Fruit Trees There are three main reasons for pruning fruit trees, in addition to stimulating fruit production: For pest and disease prevention: For example, a basic rule of pruning is called "the 3 D's": Always remove dead, diseased, and damaged limbs whenever you find them to promote plant health. To let the sunshine in: Fruit production is superior when the inside of the canopy is opened up, so that sunlight comes in from all angles. For access: You will need to reach into all areas of the tree both to care for it and to harvest its fruit. Excessive vegetation will make access more difficult When to Prune a Fruit Tree The best time to prune most fruit trees is during their dormant period. Specifically, late winter to early spring is optimal because the coldest period of winter is over (making it easier for the pruning cuts to heal), yet new growth has not emerged yet. There are some exceptions, but the time not to prune (unless it is just to remove dead wood) is in fall, which encourages tender new growth that will only die when winter comes. Pruning Supplies Even if you do not need all of these supplies right away, the serious fruit tree grower should invest in the following pruning tools: Pruners: This is the tool that you will use the most. All small branches to be cut (and there will be many of them) should be cut with pruners. Loppers: Loppers are for the next step up. If you see that a branch is too thick to cut easily with your pruners, switch to loppers. Pruning saw: This tool is for cutting the largest of branches. How to Prune a Fruit Tree You should prune off about 1/5 of your fruit tree each year. Much of what you prune off will be for the sake of pest/disease prevention and opening up the center of the tree. In the early years of your fruit tree after planting, put considerable thought into training your tree to assume a desirable shape. A few main limbs will eventually form the framework of the tree. These are called the "scaffold" limbs. The smaller branches stemming off of the scaffold limbs are called "lateral" branches. Sometimes, the tree will also have a central "leader," which is the main vertical branch coming up out of the trunk. But other times, you may opt for "open center training," where there's no central leader. "Modified central leader training" is a compromise between the two.1 The following are the general rules for pruning fruit trees: Clean and sharpen your pruning tools properly: Pruning tools can pick up and hold onto diseases if not cleaned properly. Before beginning, wipe down the blades of your pruners with Isopropyl alcohol. Also sharpen the blades so that they make a clean cut rather than ripping the wood. Remove dead, diseased, and damaged branches whenever you see them: For example, if a whole branch is dead, prune it off at the branch collar (the raised tissue where the branch meets the trunk). If just the tip of a branch is diseased, first cut off the visibly diseased part. Then count three nodes down the branch and make another cut at a 45-degree angle (to make sure you have cleared the diseased portion). Remove suckers and water sprouts: Both are vertical growths and should be pruned off, but they are different. Suckers come up at ground level. Water sprouts spike up off of branches. Remove clusters: Besides the 3 D's rule, there is a CAC rule in pruning fruit trees, where the letters stand for clusters, acute, and crossing. Here is what that means. We'll begin by removing clusters (or "whorls"). These are little branches that encircle a part of the bigger branch they come out of. They are considered unproductive and will only cast shade where you do not want it. Remove acute-angled branches: The "acute" here refers to the angle of a branch as it comes out of the trunk or another branch. Specifically, a branch that is too vertical is said to form an acute (sharp) angle, which is undesirable. Pay particular attention to the scaffold branches. They should point up at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees. Any lesser or greater angle than that is considered unsustainable. Remove crossing and inward-facing branches: Crossing branches will rub against each other, possibly opening up wounds that would invite diseases. Since we want to open up the inside of the canopy to let light in, an obvious type of branch to remove is one that crosses over another. For the same reason, remove inward-facing branches. Remove low branches and downward-facing branches: As your tree grows, begin removing the lowest branches. At maturity, you will not want any branches less than 4 feet above the ground. Always remove downward-facing branches as well. Both will get too much shade to bear fruit. Assess the overall shape of the tree: Stand back and size up the overall shape. Ideally, the branches at the top should be shorter than those at the bottom, so that the latter are not deprived of sunlight. Special Cases When you first plant a fruit tree, there will probably be way too much above-ground growth for the young root system to support. Rather than removing 1/5 of the vegetation, you will probably need to remove 1/3. Left alone, it would die anyway, so take the opportunity to shape the tree according to the tips above. Prune a sweet cherry tree in August instead of in late winter or early spring. At this time it is less susceptible to bacterial infection.

If you’ve tried growing spinach but struggle to get this leafy green to do well when temperatures soar, why not try lesser-known orach (also known as mountain spinach) instead? This fast-growing, hardy, ornamental annual is more resistant to heat and drought while packing a similar nutritious punch. It's a forgiving plant that grows in most soils, but it needs a full sun position and prefers an evenly moist, rich medium to produce the healthiest harvest. Orach Care Here are the main care requirements for growing beginner-friendly orach: Position in full sun. Plant in a well-draining, moist soil to prevent bolting. Fertilize regularly or amend soil with organic matter. Prune tall plants to produce the most flavorsome leaves. Light While orach is a hardy and forgiving plant, one thing that’s essential for good growth is a full sun position. Soil Orach grows well in most soils, provided they are well-draining. However, it prefers loamy soils that are organically rich and with an element of moisture-retentiveness. This plant tolerates a wide range of pH levels and is ideal for highly alkaline soils, which some species struggle with. Orach is also known for being tolerant of high levels of salinity. Water While orach is a reasonably drought-tolerant plant, insufficient water typically results in bolting. This premature seed production means the leaf harvest might not be usable. It's best to water freely in dry conditions to keep the soil evenly moist without letting the roots stand in water. Adding a layer of moisture-retaining mulch can be helpful during periods of drought. Temperature and Humidity Orach is adaptable to a wide range of temperatures. One of its biggest advantages is its heat tolerance. It does best in temperate climates, with temperatures between 40°F to 75°F. However, you can still enjoy a bountiful, tasty harvest during a heatwave, provided you keep the soil moist. Light freezes aren't a problem for orach, but when they are sustained, the plant will die. Orach is also good for exposed sites, as strong winds don't phase it. Fertilizer Fast-growing orach loves rich, fertile soils, so consider amending the soil with organic matter such as leaf mold compost or manure. A couple of times during the growing season, you can also offer an additional nutrient boost by feeding an NPK fertilizer formula that is high in nitrogen. This ensures the focus is on foliage growth. Types of Orach Tall-growing, leafy orach is often grown for its ornamental value as well as its nutritious leaves, and this is especially true of the ‘Fire Red’ cultivar. The red shade on the leaves remains even after cooking, making it an attractive addition to decorative dishes. There are also white (pale green) and green (dark green) color variations. Pruning Orach can grow to 6 feet tall. However, keeping it low by clipping helps produce tender leaves that aren't too bitter. Pruning and ample water also help reduce the chance of bolting during hot, dry periods. Propagating Orach It's easiest to propagate fast-growing orach by directly sowing the seeds in your garden anytime from March to August. If you want a successive supply of leaves through the growing season, sow at four-week intervals across this time. Follow these steps to encourage germination: Space rows of seeds around 20 to 30 inches apart after the danger of frost has passed. You don't need to start this hardy species indoors. Sow seeds so they are just lightly covered with soil (less than half an inch deep). Space individual seeds around 1 to 2 inches apart. Keep the soil evenly moist. Once they germinate, thin seedlings to around 6 to 10 inches apart. Tender, flavorful leaves should be ready to harvest between 40 and 60 days after sowing the seeds. Trim off individual leaves with garden scissors once they reach a size where you like the taste. Alternatively, harvest the whole plant once it is around 4 to 6 inches tall. Common Pests and Plant Diseases Hardy orach is typically disease- and pest-free. However, it might become host to a couple of rare bugs. These include the beet cyst eelworm (Heterodera schachtii) and the tortoise beetle (Cassida nebulosa).1 Removing the orach and rotating the crops for a couple of years with non-susceptible plant species is often the best way to eliminate eelworms. Tortoise beetles can be removed by hand before infestations get out of control. Aphids can also sometimes be a problem. Occasionally, the plant can also suffer from Wisconsin tobacco disease (Pseudomonas syringae pv. mellea) or bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae).1 While rare, both these bacterial pathogens can be tricky to diagnose and treat. Again, sometimes it's best to dispose of infected plants and rotate with non-susceptible plant species. Common Problems with Orach Orach is a plant that’s easy to grow in your vegetable garden or cottage garden flower beds. But even hardy species won’t thrive if you don’t offer the conditions they prefer. Below are some early warning signs you need to make some changes if you want to benefit from a bountiful harvest. Yellowing Leaves If your plant’s leaves are turning yellow, you must do some detective work. This commonly relates to insufficient light, over- or underwatering, or pest problems. You might need to reposition your orach plant into a sunnier spot or adjust your watering schedule to ensure evenly moist, not soggy soil. Stunted Growth If these tall, erect, and fast-growing plants don’t seem to be developing as you would expect, they could be infected with a pathogenic nematode, like the beet cyst eelworm. Selecting potatoes as a companion plant can also result in stunted growth. Companion Plants Generally, orach does well with companion plants also suited to spinach or amaranth. Below are a couple of suggestions of what to plant alongside this species. Sweet Alyssum Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a beautiful flower that attracts hoverflies. These beneficial insects eat aphids, helping to control the populations which can sometimes be a problem for orach.2 Legumes Peas and beans provide a beneficial nitrogen boost to soils. This is ideal for helping to promote the growth of leafy plants like orach.

Dozens of pepper varieties can be grown in the home garden. Once you find your favorites, you may never have to purchase seeds again—turns out, you can save pepper seeds easily to plant next year. Follow our simple steps on how to save pepper seeds for a huge haul of future pepper plants. Which Peppers Can You Save Seeds From? Saving pepper seeds requires a bit of planning to get the best and most viable seeds for next season's planting. If you are growing hybrid peppers (F1 is printed after the name on the seed packet), the seeds will not produce the same pepper next year. When saving pepper seeds, open-pollinated, will produce new plants of the same variety. When Should You Collect Pepper Seeds? Seeds should only be collected from mature peppers. Unripe fruit does not produce viable seeds. The peppers should be mature but not overly ripe, diseased, or beginning to mold. Seeds can be collected from freshly picked peppers or from peppers that have been allowed to dry for several months off the vine. How to Remove Seeds from Peppers To remove the seeds, cut open the pepper and gently rub or shake the seeds from the center of the fruit. You can use a fine mesh or paper towel to catch the seeds. How to Dry Pepper Seeds Dried Peppers If the seeds have been removed from peppers that have been allowed to dry off the vine for three to four months, they may not require any additional drying. If they feel slightly damp, spread the seeds on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 100 degrees F. for two hours. Fresh Peppers If you have saved seeds from a fresh pepper, the flesh should be rinsed away from the seeds. You can do this by placing the seeds in a bowl of cool water and gently swishing them around with your hands. The loose pepper flesh and immature seeds will float the top and can be skimmed off. You can also place the seeds in a fine mesh colander and rinse them under water. After rinsing, allow the seeds to dry on a paper towel or a mesh screen in a cool location until the seeds are dry enough to break when pressed with a fingernail. To speed drying, spread the seeds on a clean baking tray and dry at 100 degrees F. for about six hours. Where to Store Pepper Seeds When the seeds are dry, they can be stored in small glass jars, paper bags, or any moisture-proof container. Always label the container with the date and the type of pepper. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry location or a freezer. If they are stored in an area that is too warm or moist, the seeds may begin to germinate or mold and become no longer viable. How to Know If Pepper Seeds Are Still Good Pepper seeds will produce the best results if planted the next year but can be viable for up to five years. You can do one of these tests to predict if the seeds are still good. Germination test: Place 10 to 15 seeds with plenty of space between each seed on several layers of damp paper towels. Fold the towels and place them in a sealable plastic bag. Put the bag in a warm spot for two weeks. Remove the towels from the bag and count how many seeds have sprouted to get a percentage of viable seeds for planting. Floater test: Place the seeds in a bowl of water and remove any that float. Floating seeds are less viable than the dense seeds that have developed a seed embryo. Plant immediately or allow to dry thoroughly if storing longer.