APPLES AND PEARS NEED A PRUNE
Fruit bushes have carried giant crops this yr. They’ve additionally suffered from the intense summer season warmth and drought.
Now it’s time to prune apple and pear bushes educated as espaliers or cordons.
Summer time shoots ought to have been shortened in August. In the event that they weren’t, do it when the leaves have fallen. Lengthy shoots which have grown this yr must be shortened. Depart stumps with three or extra dormant buds. You’ll see these simply above every leaf or leaf-scar.
Subsequent, cope with congested fruiting spurs. These with too many buds must be thinned. Snip off a number of of the brief, twiggy growths from every spur. Depart two or on the most three shoots per spur. These will carry subsequent yr’s blossom.
Though fruit bushes have carried giant crops this yr they’ve suffered from warmth. Nigel Colborn says that now could be the time to prune your apple and pear bushes
Free-standing bushes could not want pruning. But when the branches have change into crowded or are rising throughout one another, pruning is required. Take away crossing branches, slicing at their bases.
Overcrowded tree canopies will profit from being thinned out. That can create a extra open progress the place air can flow into.
Uncrowded branches will carry extra spring blossom and also will preserve your bushes wanting engaging. Fruit will probably be higher and crops will probably be heavier, too.
Plums might also want pruning however by no means do this in autumn. Pruning between now and spring drastically will increase the chance of bushes catching silver-leaf illnesses. Midsummer is the optimum time for pruning plums, damsons and bullaces.
JACK FROST HAS COME TO CALL
Autumn’s first frost has struck and so now it is time to verify your non-hardy treasures are protected
Autumn’s first frost struck this week , pictured. Although mild and innocent, it was a pointy reminder that I nonetheless had tender pot crops exterior. All of your non-hardy treasures will want safety.
QUESTION
For light color, you would attempt Athyrium niponicum
Q I’d prefer to develop ferns in my small entrance backyard. My neighbour says they wouldn’t develop as a result of our soil is limey. Is that true?
Mrs M. Johnson, Gloucester
A Not true. There are many beautiful ferns which thrive in alkaline soils. When selecting, favour varieties which don’t want completely damp soil Amongst these, our native softshield fern, Polystichum setiferum appears beautiful all yr. Additionally hart’s-tongue, Asplenium scolopendrium which has complete, undivided leaves.
For light color, you would attempt Athyrium niponicum, the Japanese painted fern.
A. niponicum Ursula’s Pink is among the finest varieties — although the ‘purple’ is fairly subdued.
The fronds are silvery inexperienced, with a darker stripe down the centre.
Rugged crops comparable to pelargoniums, begonias and cannas have to be saved totally frost-free.
Smaller crops comparable to lobelias, verbenas and trailing plectranthus may be propagated from cuttings. Select a wholesome plant or two and pot them up for the greenhouse. From February, these will yield cuttings that may be planted out in Might.
PREPARE YOUR MOWER FOR THE WINTER
Lawnmowers will probably be put to relaxation for the approaching months. This can be a good time to wash yours down and ensure it stays in good working order prepared for subsequent spring. Petrol-driven mowers shouldn’t be left with petrol of their tanks. As a result of it comprises ethanol, trendy automobile petrol turns into stale throughout winter.
That causes beginning difficulties when your mower has been idle for months. Put money into a can of particular 4 stroke or 2 stroke engine petrol. Fuels comparable to Stihl Moto 4 Plus or Aspen 2 or 4 don’t include ethanol. These will keep contemporary in your tank all winter.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: TAGETES PATULA. ‘POTS OF GOLD’
Regardless of the drought, this plant has outperformed every little thing. A big clump of tall Tagetes patula continues to be blooming on my terrace. The crops, grown from house collected seed have been set out in late Might.
Rising 50cm to 60cm tall, my crops are a mongrel mob. Flowers may be orange, yellow or deep mahogany, many with charmingly striped petals. My seed combine was descended from T. patula Pots of Gold, a mix of tall tagetes, accessible from (thompson-morgan. com).
Tagetes are finest grown from seed sown in a greenhouse in March. In gentle areas, you can too sow seed outdoor in Might for a brilliant present from late summer season.
