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Home » pruning

Tips on Pruning Deciduous Plants

Updated : August 17, 2015

6 Comments

A deciduous plant is a plant that loses it’s leaves during the winter. The opposite of an evergreen. Today I have for you an article, some photos, and a video about pruning deciduous shrubs. Basically you are going to learn why it’s so important to prune on a regular basis, and exactly how much you… Click here to read more…

Summer Pruning Tips

Updated : August 17, 2015

6 Comments

This is my strategy for pruning trees and shrubs around my house during the summer: If they look like they need pruning, then by all means prune them! Yeah, you might cut off a few flower buds if you prune at the wrong time, but it’s small price to pay to have nice looking plants… Click here to read more…

Growing Plants in Containers (Pots), Controlling Weeds.

Updated : August 13, 2015

17 Comments

Growing plants in containers is a fairly easy as long as you have a Really Good Potting Mix and you have a means of controlling weeds in your nursery containers.  In this version of “Mondays with Mike” I am going to show you what to put under your containers to keep the weeds down and… Click here to read more…

This is the Way that Crazy People Prune Plants.

Updated : September 8, 2020

70 Comments

What happens when crazy people prune plants.

. . . and guess who the crazy person is? Me.  Mike McGroarty. This is what I did that appears to be so crazy, but this is a great lesson in pruning as well as a lesson in Plant Propagation. I bought this one plant last summer and planted it in the yard.  My only… Click here to read more…

Pruning Small Plants as You Grow them to Make them Nice and Full, not Lanky.

Updated : June 25, 2019

57 Comments

Mike McGroarty and Two Donkeys Teach You about Pruning Small Plants. This video is really important about pruning small plants as they need it. In this video I am really late getting these plants pruned, I would have been much better off to have pruned most of them at least four weeks ago. That’s how… Click here to read more…

Spring Pruning Tips. Should I Prune Now?

Updated : April 5, 2019

112 Comments

Pruning, pruning, pruning, pruning! When to prune?  How to prune?  When to prune this?  When to prune that? People seem so confused by it all. So in as few words as possible I am going to give you my take on pruning. Hey!  Do You Have an Extra Square Foot in Yard?Just One Square Foot? … Click here to read more…

Hydrangea Pruning Made Easy

Updated : June 18, 2019

216 Comments

Hydrangea pruning!  When is the best time?  When is the correct time? I promise to make this easy once and for all. You can grow and sell plants just like this and people will go crazy over them.  Getting started is easy.  Start right now! Hydrangeas are confusing, to say the least, but in this article,… Click here to read more…

What are we doing to our trees?

Updated : June 7, 2019

8 Comments

Mike McGroarty

What are we doing to our trees?  They treat us well, provide us with shade, fruit, and beauty. Why are we so mean to them? I’d like to take a moment and call out Arborist Blair Glenn for the work that he has been doing to educate America about the proper care and pruning of trees. If you… Click here to read more…

Pruning Rose of Sharon

Updated : August 18, 2015

66 Comments

  Pruning trees and shrubs, like this Rose of Sharon, tends to be an intimidating process for many people, but it doesn’t need to be. Knowing when to prune trees and shrubs can take some of the guesswork and concern out of this garden chore. Observing a few simple pruning tips will also make the… Click here to read more…

Pruning Rhododendrons

Updated : December 4, 2014

57 Comments

Here is a video of me pruning rhododendrons

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$180.00 per Square Foot? Is it really possible?

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Mike's Big Perennial Bed.

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Finnegan keeping the sun off his head.

An Old Guy, Two Donkeys, a Puppy and a Hammock. What could possibly go wrong?

Posted On July 17, 2022 By Mike

This upside down donkey is a hoot!

An Upside Down Donkey and Cute Puppy.

Posted On July 14, 2022 By Mike

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

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Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Complete Guides

Growing, Rooting and Propagating Dappled Willow in Tree Form from Cuttings.

Growing Seeds, Winter Sowing, in Milk Jugs and Kitty Litter Jugs.

The Correct Way to Pot Rooted Cuttings, Nursery Stock Liners and other Plants.

Training Arborvitae and other Conical Evergreens to Grow with a Single Leader.

How to Propagate, Root Cuttings, of Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

Recent Posts

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Wow! I planted four of these 'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm in the perennial garden at the nursery last summer and look at them now. They are in bloom right now, end of June here in northern, Ohio and every person that sees them asks about them. This beauty … Read Full Article

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

This beautiful Bee Balm is part of the 'Sugar Buzz' series. I planted these in my perennial bed last summer and this year they are beautiful and blooming like crazy! They grow from 16" to 24" tall, are hardy from zone 4 through zone 8. They love full sun … Read Full Article

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

'Blue Angel'hosta is by far one of my favorite blue hostas. A big hosta like this in a perennial bed covers a lot of area and that keeps a ton of weeds at bay! These giant heart shaped leaves are very slug resistant. We have this plant in full sun. With … Read Full Article

Big Daddy Hosta.

‘Big Daddy’ Hosta

'Big Daddy' hosta is one of my favorite big hostas, mostly because it's big, it's blue and it has very interested leaves that are a bit dimpled. Big Daddy hosta gets about 24" tall and 36" wide. It's hardy in zones 3 through 9, the flowers are blends of … Read Full Article

'Humpback Whale' hosta.

‘Humpback Whale’ Hosta.

We sold out of 'Humpback Whale' hosta pretty early this year. Humpback Whale is pretty impressive hosta and this one really hasn't matured yet because they can get three feet high and 7 feet wide. I've also seen photos of them that show them to be a lot … Read Full Article

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