Prepare for fall and winter weather now before it is too late. Open up spaces in dense trees. Allow the wind to pass through — a full tree with no gaps in it acts like a sail on a mast. A strong wind may capsize it, especially if the ground is wet. Remove dead and weak branches.

Make sure young trees are well staked. Tie them loosely, so they can move back and forth in the wind without being toppled. Trees need to flex in wind in order to develop strong trunks. When using wire for tying, run it through a section of old hose so it doesn't damage bark. Check all staked trees now to make sure no wires are restrictive. Once trees have become well rooted, remove the stakes and wires, so bark doesn't grow over them.

Prune top-heavy shrubs:
Cut back top-heavy shrubs, such as acacia. Where it is necessary, remove whole branches to allow the wind to pass through. Head back young shrubs to force branching and strengthen their trunks.

Prune cane berry plants:
Prune selected cane berry plants, including blackberry, boysenberry, loganberry, and spring-bearing raspberry. Cut the old canes down to the ground, leaving new ones that grew this year. On fall-bearing raspberry plants (which only grow well in the mountains) cut off the top of the cane that has borne fruit. Leave the bottom of the cane to fruit in spring.

A good rule of thumb that applies in almost all cases is: Prune flowering plants that bloom once a year after they bloom, not before they bloom, or you'll prevent them from flowering. Refer to a pruning manual for additional directions by plant type; The Sunset Pruning Handbook is particularly helpful.

• an upright deciduous shrub
• 5' to 8' tall and 4' to 6' wide
• multi-stemmed and suckering; can form colonies
• sometimes with little foliage at the base of plants in shady locations
• dense foliage in exposed locations
• rounded to oval shape

Flexrake ByPass Pruners are used when pruning green and growing wood. The scissors-like action seals plant fibers as the blade passes by the hook. The bypass blade allows for precise, clean and close cuts without harming the plant. Flexrake ByPass Pruners are available in the Garden Center.

By Tamara Galbraith

After several weeks of drought conditions, we had a nice rain here in my part of the U.S. last night. So how did I celebrate? By pulling weeds.

Sure, most gardeners would rather go into the ring with Mike Tyson than spend a breezy Saturday morning stooped over their landscape, but to be honest, there is no better time to pull weeds, so it's best to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. The simple reason is that weeds pull out of the ground so much easier when the ground is wet.

The benefit of hand-pulling weeds is two-fold. It's better for you, since it's good exercise, and it's better for the environment, as you're not dousing pesky weeds with even peskier chemicals.

As for actual pulling technique? Well, it depends on the weed. Generally, you should grab the plant close to the ground and give a small tug or twist. You can usually feel if the whole thing is going to come out or not. The key is getting the weed to come totally out without disturbing too much surrounding soil and/or plant roots.

Some weeds with a long taproot - like thistles and dandelions - are best coaxed from the ground with a tool, like a weeder, a hori hori knife or even a screwdriver. If the taproot breaks off in the ground, though, be prepared. The weed will return as sure as another Rocky sequel.