I have just taken my coffee down to the compost corner to contemplate what I would write about this month. I expect you have all heard of PAT dogs – Pets as Therapy – but I think someone should invent GAT – Gardening as Therapy. I was in a bad mood because some other things had not gone according to plan, but as I sat in the lovely sun I thought I would just cut back my ornamental black elder so I could get past. Then I saw the salvias underneath looked a bit straggly so I trimmed them back, and then I thought it would be a shame to waste all that cutting material so I took some cuttings. Hey presto! I had spent a restorative hour in the garden, lifted my mood, achieved something useful and decided what to write about. I only went in then because the dogs were suspiciously quiet; thankfully they were asleep on the sofa and not eating it.
Salvias are jolly useful plants, their slightly woody, open airy structure bearing many flowers over a long period. Some may survive the winter but as a back-up plan why not take some cuttings. It is so easy. Pull some non-flowering side shoots off the main stem with a heel i.e. a length of fibre from the main stem. A piece about the length of your little finger is ideal. Nip out the growing tip, strip off most of the leaves along the stem and trim any snaggy ends of the heel. Have your compost ready so the plant material is not lying around drying out. Books advocate different cutting composts but most people have to hand a bag of multi- purpose compost; this is fine but mix in 50% grit or Perlite or Vermiculite. Grit is heavy to lift so Vermiculite and Perlite are much more convenient. Get big bags online – it's much cheaper.
Use a stick to make holes for your cuttings – pushing them into the soil will damage them – and place them around the perimeter of your pot. Plant them quite deep, almost to the leaves you left on the top. You can dip the ends in hormone rooting compound, but use the tiniest amount as an excess will act like a weed killer. Water the pot thoroughly but gently and place in a cool spot, cold frame, porch or against the house wall. Protect from slugs. With any luck you will have some new plants to pot on next year. Have a look at an online video if you are unsure.
This technique works for many plants, such as penstemons, lavender, hydrangeas and shrubs. Try it on anything, it won’t cost you anything and it might work. Incidentally, don’t cut back penstemons or hydrangeas until the danger of frost is over next spring.
I am often asked about pruning. People get really anxious about it. Firstly, you won’t kill a plant by pruning – my Mother used to say treat your roses like your worst enemy! Timid pruning does far more harm. Most plants benefit from an open structure to let in light and air and this will help the health of the plant. Shrubs that have lots of shoots going straight up e.g. viburnam, and mock orange need to have some old wood taken out every year to keep new growth coming. I know I am always going on about this, but cut it out to the ground. Dog woods should be cut to the ground – stooled – in spring for lovely, new, coloured wood.
Multi-stemmed trees can have all the side growth along the lower branches taken off close to the branch and so open up the view through the shrub, make it visually pleasing and sculptural and free up space underneath for lower storey plants like bulbs, pulmonaria, heuchera, hardy cyclamen – the list is endless.
If you have fruit trees apply a band or spray to stop the winter moth climbing up and laying eggs. My crab apple tree, which is of the apple family, was absolutely decimated this summer with disgusting grey ‘stuff’ that covered the garden furniture and made the tree look horrible. Treat the stake as well.
Dare I mention the ‘C’ word? It is arriving at garden centres everywhere. As a consequence there may be bargain plants to be had. Go to the sale plant corner and see what treasure you can find. Herbaceous perennials may not look much now but they can still go in, even be split, and will give a good show next year. If they are half price you can have twice as many!
A final note, if you do not belong to the Royal Horticultural Society why not consider joining. The £40 per year is worth it for the monthly magazine alone, as it has far more real information than the popular gardening periodicals. You can also go to the shows on members days and some partner gardens are free to enter.
Happy pruning and tidying!
Salvias are jolly useful plants, their slightly woody, open airy structure bearing many flowers over a long period. Some may survive the winter but as a back-up plan why not take some cuttings. It is so easy. Pull some non-flowering side shoots off the main stem with a heel i.e. a length of fibre from the main stem. A piece about the length of your little finger is ideal. Nip out the growing tip, strip off most of the leaves along the stem and trim any snaggy ends of the heel. Have your compost ready so the plant material is not lying around drying out. Books advocate different cutting composts but most people have to hand a bag of multi- purpose compost; this is fine but mix in 50% grit or Perlite or Vermiculite. Grit is heavy to lift so Vermiculite and Perlite are much more convenient. Get big bags online – it's much cheaper.
Use a stick to make holes for your cuttings – pushing them into the soil will damage them – and place them around the perimeter of your pot. Plant them quite deep, almost to the leaves you left on the top. You can dip the ends in hormone rooting compound, but use the tiniest amount as an excess will act like a weed killer. Water the pot thoroughly but gently and place in a cool spot, cold frame, porch or against the house wall. Protect from slugs. With any luck you will have some new plants to pot on next year. Have a look at an online video if you are unsure.
This technique works for many plants, such as penstemons, lavender, hydrangeas and shrubs. Try it on anything, it won’t cost you anything and it might work. Incidentally, don’t cut back penstemons or hydrangeas until the danger of frost is over next spring.
I am often asked about pruning. People get really anxious about it. Firstly, you won’t kill a plant by pruning – my Mother used to say treat your roses like your worst enemy! Timid pruning does far more harm. Most plants benefit from an open structure to let in light and air and this will help the health of the plant. Shrubs that have lots of shoots going straight up e.g. viburnam, and mock orange need to have some old wood taken out every year to keep new growth coming. I know I am always going on about this, but cut it out to the ground. Dog woods should be cut to the ground – stooled – in spring for lovely, new, coloured wood.
Multi-stemmed trees can have all the side growth along the lower branches taken off close to the branch and so open up the view through the shrub, make it visually pleasing and sculptural and free up space underneath for lower storey plants like bulbs, pulmonaria, heuchera, hardy cyclamen – the list is endless.
If you have fruit trees apply a band or spray to stop the winter moth climbing up and laying eggs. My crab apple tree, which is of the apple family, was absolutely decimated this summer with disgusting grey ‘stuff’ that covered the garden furniture and made the tree look horrible. Treat the stake as well.
Dare I mention the ‘C’ word? It is arriving at garden centres everywhere. As a consequence there may be bargain plants to be had. Go to the sale plant corner and see what treasure you can find. Herbaceous perennials may not look much now but they can still go in, even be split, and will give a good show next year. If they are half price you can have twice as many!
A final note, if you do not belong to the Royal Horticultural Society why not consider joining. The £40 per year is worth it for the monthly magazine alone, as it has far more real information than the popular gardening periodicals. You can also go to the shows on members days and some partner gardens are free to enter.
Happy pruning and tidying!