Late Autumn/Winter Clippings

Cut stems back to 8”/20cm, turn clumps upside down to drain in a garage or cool greenhouse.   After 3 weeks, store in trays of sand or leaf mould in a cool, dry place e.g. garage or under greenhouse staging.

However, of my 3 dahlia plants abandoned to their fate in a border last year, two survived the snow and our coldest winter for years to bloom joyfully again this summer and autumn.   A blanket of leaf mould or garden compost would be a welcome early Christmas present for them.

Cut long stems growing from the basic framework of the plant back to 2 buds.   This must be completed by mid-January when the sap will start rising again.

(excluding all stone fruit) can be pruned from now until early March or leaf-break.   Aim for a goblet-shaped tree of 4-5 main branches with an open centre to allow maximum sunlight to ripen fruiting wood and good air circulation to help prevent disease.

One or two complete branches can be removed from a neglected or overcrowded tree.   Some excessive and strongly growing “water” or upright shoots resulting from previous pruning can be removed.   Remaining water shoots should be trained as horizontally as possible to take the place of unproductive branches, which may be pruned out in later years.

Trained fruit, such as espaliers, should only be pruned in summer – come on my course on 31^st July 2010 to learn the simple techniques of maintaining these beautiful and productive trees.

of roses, vines, blackcurrants, coloured-stemmed Cornus (dogwood), Buddleja, Lavatera.

Cuttings should be pencil thick, straight, trimmed below a bud at the base, above a bud at the top and roughly the length of your secateurs.   The top cuts should be slanted to remind you not to plant them upside down!

Either put in tall pots of well drained, moist compost, with two-thirds of the stems submerged (5-6 per pot), or outside in well prepared, well drained soil in trenches with 1”/2.5cm of sand in the base.

If large numbers of cuttings are needed, they can be tied in bundles of 10 and plunged into sand.   Rooted cuttings should be ready for planting by next summer or autumn.  Although slower to root, hardwood cuttings are usually the most reliable of all.

Mild weather will encourage leaf growth which will then be cut back by cold, thus weakening the plant.   You may also cut out next year’s flowering wood.

If you wish, tall plants can be reduced by one-third to reduce wind-rock, but then clean and sharpen your secateurs and put them away out of temptation’s reach!

have left you any berries, pick stems of holly or evergreen Cotoneaster and put in a deep bucket of water in a cool dark place to use as Christmas decorations.