Growing
Preparing Peonies For Winter? 'Take Care Of One Key Job' Says Kate Blacker
IN THIS GUIDE Preparing Herbaceous & Intersectional Peonies Preparing Tree Peonies Protecting From Late Frosts Peonies are perennials which can be a great choice for many UK gardens. They come in a wide range of flower colours and can vary quite a lot in other things, like size and foliage, too. Even though peonies do require care, when it comes to how to look after peonies in the winter, you will find that they are relatively undemanding. Although peonies can differ in their hardiness, almost all are fully capable of making it through the winter months in our climate entirely unscathed. They usually die back over winter, entering full dormancy, before they spring back into full life in the spring. Read on to learn a little more about getting your peonies ready for winter and protecting emerging foliage and flower buds from late frosts. Preparing Herbaceous & Intersectional Peonies In order to keep herbaceous and intersectional peonies in good health, it is important to take care of one key job before winter well and truly arrives. “In the autumn, we advise taking away any of the dead stems, as this is where botrytis can overwinter and cause damage to the new spring growth,” explains Kate Blacker, a peony grower and owner of Little Budds Peony Farm. These peonies should be pruned back to the ground as soon as the foliage dies back in autumn. As Kate says, this is a good idea because the dead foliage can harbour fungi and other micro-organisms which can increase the chances of disease taking hold the following year. “If botrytis has been a problem, try a thick mulch layer of woodchips,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “This has the effect of reducing the splashback from soil which helps to spread fungal spores. It is also great for moisture retention and the slow breakdown of organic matter and nutrients.” Peony wilt is another problem which can occur if you do not chop back and remove all the dead foliage and dispose of it carefully before winter arrives. Preparing Tree Peonies Tree peonies typically do not need much pruning at all. These shrubs should, however, be checked over in winter for dead or damaged branches and these should be cut back to a healthy bud. Some tree peonies have vigorous, upright stems. To control the size of these once they are mature, it can be a good idea to consider removing some of the oldest stems at ground level in the autumn. Protecting From Late Frosts While most peonies are fully hardy when dormant over the winter months, some tree peonies may have tender young growth of leaves and buds in spring which can be damaged by late frosts. If a late frost threatens, you may protect this new growth with a covering of horticultural fleece.
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Support Your Peonies To Prevent Breakage To The Stems And Damage In Winds
IN THIS GUIDE Do Peonies Need Support? Support Options To Consider 1) Staking 2) Plant Support Hoops 3) Fluted Cage Peony Supports Peonies come in a range of different sizes and colours. Many have tall stems and large flower heads, so you may be wondering whether or not you need to install supports for the peonies you have chosen. Do Peonies Need Support? Many peonies will benefit from some kind of support, to prevent breakage to the stems and damage in winds or heavy rains. Herbaceous peonies usually require some kind of support, while intersectional and shrub-like tree peonies can often manage without it. Supports may not always be essential, and you may be able to get away without them if you are growing shorter cultivars or are growing them in a particularly sheltered spot. However, using supports of some kind for herbaceous peonies can potentially help you avoid disappointment later in the growing season, and prolong the duration for which you can enjoy the beautiful peony blooms. Support Options To Consider There are plenty of different options when it comes to choosing support for your peonies. Remember, you do not necessarily have to rush out and buy something new for this gardening job. The most sustainable and eco-friendly solutions are those using natural or reclaimed materials, which you may already have lying around. Below are some of the support types which can work well for peonies in many gardens. 1) Staking The traditional way to support peonies is simply to use a stake to support each stem. Stakes might be made from a range of different materials, from bamboo to natural branches from your garden, to reclaimed lengths of wood, metal or other materials. The problem with staking is that you may need rather a lot of them to support all the stems in larger clumps, or where a large number of peonies are grown. You might also consider creating rings or lines of stakes around a clump, or several peony clumps, with natural twine or other strings between them. 2) Plant Support Hoops Another way to support peonies is with plant support hoops, which completely encircle a peony clump and provide it with some support. Grid-type hoop supports can be better than open hoops because they provide support not just for the whole clump, but for individual stems. You can make your own hoop supports from reclaimed materials such as old fencing, or purchase one of the many more decorative and attractive options on the market. 3) Fluted Cage Peony Supports One popular type of encircling support structure for peonies are cage supports which are not cylindrical in shape, but taper from the base out to a wider circumference at the top. These fluted supports allow peony clumps to develop and sit more naturally, catering to their growth and form. These can look very attractive when placed around peonies in mixed beds and borders in a cottage garden or other similar styles of space. “The key with plant supports is to ensure that they do not distract from the flowers themselves,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “When first installed, they will be noticeable and if they are attractive, all the better, but ideally the plant should grow into the structure and be barely noticeable by flowering time. “Natural materials like stakes and string or materials like corten steel tend are my go-to materials for unobtrusive but effective supports.” With some imagination and ingenuity, you can find plenty of solutions to protect your peonies which not only stop them from falling over but also look great in your garden.
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Cut Back Peonies At Around 4 Inches To Prevent Botrytis, Says Expert Koen Hurtekant
IN THIS GUIDE Pruning Herbaceous & Intersectional Peonies 1) Wait For Foliage To Die Back 2) Cut Off Stems And Dead Foliage 3) Get Rid of All Plant Debris Pruning Tree Peonies Peonies are varied and popular garden plants which can really add a lot of interest and drama to your garden. However, to make the most of these plants, you need to care for them correctly. With herbaceous and intersectional peonies, it is a good idea to remove all stems and foliage to ground level as soon as the foliage has died back in the autumn. This can reduce the chances of peony wilt disease and help to ensure that your peony can grow back strongly the following spring. The process of pruning peonies of these types is very simple: Wait for the foliage to die back in autumn. Cut off all the stems and dead foliage at ground level. Get rid of all plant debris, removing it from the site. We discuss this in more detail in the rest of the article. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Secateurs or pruning shears When To Prune October-November Pruning Herbaceous & Intersectional Peonies Pruning of these peonies takes place in the autumn after any bud removal and deadheading have taken place throughout the season. It is usually best to wait until after the first few touches of frost when the foliage is dying back naturally. However, you may sometimes cut back earlier if your plant shows signs of disease. 1) Wait For Foliage To Die Back It is usually important to wait for the foliage on your peony to die back naturally before you cut it back to the ground. If you cut it back too early, the plant will not have been able to store enough energy through photosynthesis to grow and flower well the following year. 2) Cut Off Stems And Dead Foliage “In autumn, cut the foliage from your peonies at around 4 inches above the soil level,” says Koen Hurtekart, founder of The Peony Society. “Research has found that this results in lower numbers of botrytis infections amongst peony plants.” To do this, take a clean, sharp pair of secateurs or some gardening shears and cut off all the dead/dying plant material as close to the ground as possible. This is a good idea because the material may harbour invisible fungal spores and diseases which could affect the plant the following year. “Mulching around the plant after cutting back can help to reduce the spread of fungal spores from rain splash,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “Wood chip is particularly effective for this but be careful not to bury the crown.” “Never pull the old stems out, as you might also pull out the new buds which grow alongside them,” warns Koen. 3) Get Rid of All Plant Debris Even where the material does not look infected, it is best to be assiduous in removing all the dead material from the area around the plant to reduce the risk of any diseases like peony wilt taking hold. It is best not to compost this material as invisible fungal spores might spread through your composting system to other parts of your garden. “Don’t hoe around the peony as you will destroy the feeder roots,” explains Kate Blacker, the owner of Little Budds Peony Farm. Pruning Tree Peonies Note that these pruning guidelines apply to herbaceous and intersectional peony types. Tree peonies have different care guidelines. With tree peonies, you will typically only need to do minor pruning – deadheading blooms and removing any dead, damaged or diseased branches.
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Propagate Larkspurs From Basal Cuttings When You See Fresh Shoots (In Early Spring)
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Prepare The Pot & Soil 2) Obtain The Cutting 3) Trim The Cutting 4) Prepare The Cutting 5) Plant And Water 6) Cover The Pot 7) Move To A Suitable Location 8) Keep The Soil Moist References Delphiniums bring a few special charms to beds and borders. These plants are stately and elegant in form, they feature lobed palmate foliage as if cut out by scissors, and for a glorious month or two in summer produce spikes or racemes richly laden with delightful cup-shaped flowers. Depending on the hue and shade, they impart grace, radiance, or drama to your garden. Usually grown from seed or acquired as potted plants, it is not difficult to propagate these plants from cuttings. Specifically, they can be propagated from basal cuttings in spring. This method is great if you are enamoured with a particular plant and would like to ‘duplicate’ it. You can propagate Larkspurs from basal cuttings by following these steps when you see fresh shoots at the base of the plant in March or April. We explain the process in 8 simple steps below. Difficulty Medium Equipment Required Gardening gloves, a sharp knife, scissors, a propagator or a clear plastic bag, a rooting hormone or raw honey and cinnamon powder When To Take Cuttings March-April (depending on your location in the UK) 1) Prepare The Pot & Soil Take a small 9cm terra-cotta (but not ceramic or plastic) pot which has drainage holes. Prepare a soil of multi-purpose compost and perlite, grit or sharp sand in a 2:1 ratio. Fill the pot about two-thirds of the way, leaving the rest of the soil aside. Make a shallow pencil-sized hole where you will insert the cutting. 2) Obtain The Cutting At the base of the plant, choose a strong shoot that is 7-9cm in height and about the diameter of a pencil, and is forming and unfolding leaves. Remove 1cm or so of soil below this shoot. The sub-soil greyish-brown tissue-like portion of the shoot will become visible. Cut through this part of the shoot with a gardening knife or secateurs with a single clean cut. 3) Trim The Cutting Remove the lower leaves from their attachment to the shoot and retain 2-3 fresh leaves toward the top of the cutting. Also, cut off any side shoots. Most of the cutting should be bare and only the top quarter should have young leaves. 4) Prepare The Cutting Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone, otherwise use the time-honoured technique of dipping in honey and cinnamon.1 Dip the cutting to about a quarter of its length in cinnamon powder, then dip in raw honey, and dip once again in the cinnamon. “I have never used cinnamon and honey for rooting cuttings, but there are studies that support it over not using any rooting aids,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. “I do use rooting hormone and most trials support that it is more effective than other solutions.”2 5) Plant And Water Insert the cutting into the pot you have prepared. Fill the pot with the prepared soil such that 25-30% of the cutting is in the soil. Pat down the soil but do not tightly pack it. Water in moderation so that the soil becomes moist all through. 6) Cover The Pot If you have a propagator, put the pot in it, otherwise cover the pot with a clear plastic bag in which you have made several small perforations. Tie the opening of the bag to the rim of the pot and ensure that the bag does not cling to the cutting. The perforated plastic bag will conserve moisture but will allow the cutting to breathe. 7) Move To A Suitable Location Place the propagator or the pot in a cool place where it gets indirect or filtered sunlight for a prolonged period. Do not put under direct sunlight. Though the ambient temperature should not be warm, the soil temperature should be. If the cutting is in a propagator, turn on bottom heat at 20-24°C. If it is in a pot, put the pot on a heating pad. 8) Keep The Soil Moist Keep watering the cutting sparingly but frequently so that the soil stays moist throughout. When you water the plant, remove the plastic bag and put it back on after 10-15 minutes. Cuttings will root in 15-30 days. Shortly after the cutting has rooted, the pot should be removed from the propagator or the plastic bag should be removed from over the young plant. After the plant has grown, harden it and pot on. References 1. Study the effect of honey and cinnamon on stimulating rooting process for some plants and compare them with the rooting hormone. (2021, February 9). Journal of Pure & Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.51984/jopas.v20i1.990 2. Khalid, W., & Ahmed, A. (2024). Study of some Natural Substances in Rooting of two Fig Varieties. International Journal of Agricultural and Statistical Sciences, 18(1), 183–188.
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Each Of These 8 Award-Winning Shrubs Has Fragrant Foliage For Garden Aromas
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Lavender 2) Alpine Mint Bush 3) Elder ‘Eva’ 4) Bay Tree 5) Sage ‘Berggarten’ 6) Lilac ‘Palibin’ 7) Tarentum Myrtle 8) White Alder ‘Ruby Spice’ References We love flowers for their enchanting smells – ones that waft through the air and into our nostrils, reminding us of the gentle and elegant beauty of nature. While some flowers are bred especially for their scents, there are almost countless nice-smelling blooms available to even the most amateur gardener, making fragrant flowers open and enjoyable to all. But what about leaves? This part of the plant receives less attention for its aroma, and with good reason: they’re rarely much to write home about if they’re noticeable at all. This is the assumption we’d like to challenge with this article. Some gardeners already invest time choosing shrubs with particularly fragrant leaves, and we’d like to induct you into this hallowed club with a few recommendations of our own. Each of the shrubs recommended here is in receipt of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Gardening Merit (AGM), marking them as not only especially beautiful, but also especially well suited to growing in British gardens. 1) Lavender BOTANICAL NAME: Lavandula HARDINESS RATING: H5 FOLIAGE TYPE: Evergreen FLOWERS: Purple FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun EXPOSURE: Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Chalk, loam or sand; Any pH SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 1-1.5m spread What list of fragrant plants would be complete without lavender? This is one of my favourite plants: the smell is just instantly soothing, and running a sprig between your finger and thumb lets you carry it with you for a little while. You can also crush up a sprig to release a little of the oil, then rub it on your temples for even longer-lasting relaxation. Lavender is hardy and versatile, with a handful of varieties available to choose from. It grows well in the ground or in pots and will attract bees and other pollinators to your garden – a great way to generate a bit of buzz. 2) Alpine Mint Bush BOTANICAL NAME: Prostanthera cuneata HARDINESS RATING: H4 FOLIAGE TYPE: Evergreen FLOWERS: Purple and white FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun EXPOSURE: Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Any soil type; Any pH SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread If you like the scent purple lavender provides, Prostanthera cuneata is another one to consider. This shrub sports tiny rich green leaves with a notable minty aroma, surrounded in summer by purple and white flowers. As an evergreen shrub, this will stay green all year round, but you may need to move it indoors when the weather starts to cool down. Originally hailing from Australia, this plant has become a welcome addition to British gardens – it’s definitely worth getting to know.1 3) Elder ‘Eva’ BOTANICAL NAME: Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’ HARDINESS RATING: H6 FOLIAGE TYPE: Deciduous FLOWERS: Pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Part Shade EXPOSURE: Exposed / Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Any soil type; Any pH SIZE: 2.5-4m in height, 2.5-4m spread Elderflower and elderberry are two of the most delicious flavours on nature’s platter. If you’ve ever tried elderflower presse or a glass of elderberry wine, you’ll know exactly what we mean. The smell is great, too. Elder ‘Eva’ is a variety with compelling dark purple leaves, on top of which sit thick bouquets of light pink flowers in the summer months. These flowers carry the pleasing scent of elder – something that will make your garden an undeniably pleasant place to be. Like the two previous shrubs, this one prefers full sun or partial shade: this is a common property shared by shrubs with fragrant foliage, as the aromatic oils found in their leaves are released most readily when warmed.2 4) Bay Tree BOTANICAL NAME: Laurus nobilis HARDINESS RATING: H5 FOLIAGE TYPE: Evergreen FLOWERS: Green and yellow FLOWERING SEASON(S): Spring SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Part Shade EXPOSURE: Exposed / Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Any soil type; Any pH SIZE: 8-12m in height, over 8m spread If you enjoy cooking you’re probably familiar with bay. They produce pungent leaves that lend their distinctive flavour to curries and broths in many varied cuisines. It turns out that a supermarket shelf isn’t the only place you can get bay, too: growing a bay tree in your garden brings the combined benefit of having an aromatic shrub to enjoy, and having an endless supply of bay for your culinary antics. Green and yellow flowers in spring give way to dark fruit in autumn, but the evergreen leaves are the main point of interest for gardeners and chefs alike. This shrub likes full sun or partial shade and will do well in the ground or in pots. “Bay is a great plant for aromatic foliage,” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “It’s a great shrub to prune as the scent envelopes you, especially on a warm day. It’s great for cooking as well as being a structurally well-shaped shrub.” 5) Sage ‘Berggarten’ BOTANICAL NAME: Salvia officinalis ‘Berggarten’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FOLIAGE TYPE: Evergreen FLOWERS: Blue FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun EXPOSURE: Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Chalk, loam or sand; Any pH SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread Moving onto another familiar kitchen leaf, we now turn to sage. However, the sage on this list is probably not the variety you’re most accustomed to. This variety has the distinctive grey-green leaves and the sage aroma we know and love, but much broader leaves and fewer flower spikes put the foliage front and centre. Sage ‘Berggarten’ will do best in full sun, and will make a fine addition to any garden. 6) Lilac ‘Palibin’ BOTANICAL NAME: Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FOLIAGE TYPE: Deciduous FLOWERS: Purple and pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): Spring / Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun EXPOSURE: Exposed / Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Any soil type; Alkaline / neutral pH SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 1-1.5m spread Lilacs are common guests in our gardens thanks to their attractive blooms, and ‘Palibin’ is noted for its pleasing aroma, too. Upright clusters of small lilac-coloured flowers punctuate a dense packing of dark green leaves. With a season of floral interest spanning over spring and summer, this shrub is a pleasure to behold. It’s also very hardy, making it great for British gardens. Grow in full sun for the best results. 7) Tarentum Myrtle BOTANICAL NAME: Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina HARDINESS RATING: H4 FOLIAGE TYPE: Evergreen FLOWERS: Pink and white FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer SUNLIGHT: Full Sun EXPOSURE: Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Any soil type; Any pH SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 1-1.5m spread This plant has an interesting and illustrious history, being associated with goddesses of love and femininity like Aphrodite and Venus.3 The entire plant is fragrant, making it a great addition to this list. Tarentum myrtle doesn’t have to engulf your entire garden, either, despite what you may already think you know about this plant. Grow in full sun for the best results, and get ready for a delightful pink-white bloom to pepper the dark evergreen foliage in the summer months. 8) White Alder ‘Ruby Spice’ BOTANICAL NAME: Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ HARDINESS RATING: H5 FOLIAGE TYPE: Deciduous FLOWERS: Pink FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn SUNLIGHT: Part Shade EXPOSURE: Sheltered SOIL PREFERENCE: Loam or sand; Acidic pH SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 1-1.5m spread Some flowers demand attention. When you see them for the first time it’s impossible not to stop and take a closer look: to appreciate the delicate interplays of colour, shape and form. For me, C. alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ is a perfect example of this. The cylindrical formations of captivating white plants with bold pink rims and extended tendrils practically define beauty. This floral bloom spans late summer and early autumn, complementing the earlier seasons of interest of some other shrubs in this list, and their fragrance is rather pleasant as well. This article is a small sample of fragrant shrubs you can introduce to your garden to expand its ability to delight the senses. Some of the aromas will waft gently around your garden with the flow of the air, whilst others will need that tactile engagement to release their scents. We hope the list has given you some ideas for starting points. As always, there are plenty of other options: over time you’ll build an understanding of the right fragrant plants for your outdoor space. References 1. Prostanthera cuneata. (n.d.). Growing Native Plants. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2005/prostanthera-cuneata.html 2. Dhifi, W., Bellili, S., Jazi, S., Bahloul, N., & Mnif, W. (2016). Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review. Medicines, 3(4), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025 3. Legends of Myrtle. (n.d.). Romans & Art. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.romeandart.eu/en/art-legends-myrtle.html
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Prune Gooseberry Bushes Like This To Produce A Much Bigger Crop Overall
IN THIS GUIDE Formative Pruning Pruning In Bush Form Pruning In Standard Form Fan-Training Pruning As Cordons Gooseberries are incredibly easy plants to grow and can offer an abundance of fruits which can be used in a wide range of different ways. I find them one of the most valuable and abundant fruit bushes to grow in my forest garden as they fruit well, even in dappled shade. Gooseberries really don’t require a huge amount of work. You don’t necessarily have to spend time on their care and pruning is certainly not essential, but learning how to prune gooseberries properly can be a very good idea. “I find that pruning gooseberries helps to produce a much bigger crop overall, with much bigger berries than leaving bushes unpruned,” says Colin Skelly, a Horticultural Consultant. “It is also much easier to get in amongst the spiny branches to harvest if there is space between them.” Correct pruning is of threefold importance: First, gooseberry bushes can get overgrown in a haphazard and even tangled-up way and, therefore, can look very unkempt. Second, such overgrown and unkempt bushes are much more susceptible to diseases like powdery mildew and pests like aphids. And third, they produce a smaller crop than they would if they were correctly pruned. Read on for more information about pruning gooseberries in their first year, and on an ongoing basis to create different forms. Formative Pruning Gooseberry plants can be purchased while young or propagated from existing plants. They can be grown more naturally in bush form, or trained into a range of space-saving or decorative shapes. Grafted or budded plants can also be purchased which give gooseberries a standard form, with a tree-like main stem below the bushy area. If you purchase a young gooseberry plant that has not been trained already in a specific way, then in the first year after planting you should undertake formative pruning to achieve the desired shape down the line. If you wish to grow gooseberries in a natural bush form, then in the first part of spring the year after you have planted your gooseberry, you should prune to create a well-balanced and open framework of branches. Choose 5 main branches to retain as the main framework and cut all other growth off at the base. Prune the stems you have selected to form the main framework back to around 15-20cm in length. These stems should ideally lean out from one another, leaving an open centre to the plant, which will allow light to penetrate the centre of the plant and also make harvesting a little easier. If you wish to train a gooseberry as a cordon plant or have purchased a young cordon gooseberry plant with one main growing stem and short side shoots, this can be a great space-saving idea. With this type, in the first year you should remove around a quarter or the main stem, cutting it off just above one of the buds. Next, cut off any side shoots that are within 15cm of the surface of the soil on the lowest portion of the stem. Finally, prune all the side shoots to leave just 1-2 buds. Pruning In Bush Form From the plant’s second year onwards, a bush gooseberry should ideally be pruned between Mid-June and July. Look for the current season’s fresh young growth and on all of this except that required to increase the length of the main framework branches, cut back to around 5 leaves. Pruning in this way won’t remove any fruit because fruit forms mainly on older wood rather than the growth of the current season. Then, in winter, carry out maintenance pruning to get rid of any dead, damaged or diseased material and any low-lying stems. It is also a good idea to shorten the tips of the branches by 25%, cutting to a suitable outward-facing bud, and to prune all side shoots to leave 1-3 buds on short spurs. While you can simply leave gooseberries to grow as they will, this will result in a tangled mess and can make harvesting a challenge. Pruning In Standard Form If you purchase a gooseberry that already has been created in a standard form, this will typically have a bare ‘trunk’ at the base and be like a bush on top. These types need to be staked for support. If you choose this type, then pruning the bushy section at the top will be the same as pruning a bush gooseberry. Fan-Training If you wish to fan-train a gooseberry or have purchased a plant in a fan form, pruning and training will go hand in hand. Gooseberries can be fan trained in late winter or early spring before the buds break. This involves placing the young plant against a wall or fence and training the stems by tying them into a support framework of wires against this structure. Select two branches to form the main arms then erect two canes at 45° angles and tie the chosen branches to these canes. Reduce each of these main branches to an upwards-facing bud. As side shoots grow, select which ones you will keep and tie them into support structures. Remove any shoots growing outwards or towards the wall or fence. The following spring, cut back these side shoot branches by 33%, cutting to an upward-facing bud if possible. Prune established fan-trained gooseberries in mid-summer and again in the winter to maintain their form. In summer, cut back new shoots to leave 5-6 leaves. In winter, cut these shoots back again to two buds to form short fruit-bearing spurs. Pruning As Cordons From the second year onwards, plants grown as cordons should also be pruned between June and mid-July and then again in winter during dormancy. During the summer pruning, aim to cut back new side shoots back 5 leaves and as the main stem grows, tie it into its support. Once the leaves have fallen, in the late autumn or winter, prune back each of these side shoots, leaving 1-2 buds on each one. Also, prune the main growing tip by around one-third. As soon as the cordon grows beyond its supports, or to a height that can no longer easily be harvested from, in summer, prune the growing tip to around 5 leaves from the previous year’s growth. Then, cut back once more in the winter months. Remember, you do not necessarily have to follow these pruning instructions, but doing so and undertaking regular pruning on your gooseberry plants can ensure abundance and good health on the plants, make harvesting much easier, and allow you to train or shape your gooseberries as required or desired.
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How To Get Abundant Yields From Gooseberry Shrubs Grown In Pots (With Little Effort)
IN THIS GUIDE Can You Grow Gooseberries In Containers? Choosing Pots For Gooseberry Plants Choosing A Growing Medium Potting Up Gooseberries Potted Gooseberry Care Gooseberries are wonderful shrubs that are very easy to grow in a garden and can produce abundant yields with very little effort on your part. Gooseberries grow best in full sun or dappled shade, in moist yet free-draining soil. But they are very tolerant plants that can cope with a wide range of different soils and growing conditions. If you would like to grow gooseberries where you live but don’t have much space, or you rent your property, you might wonder whether you can grow gooseberries in containers. Can You Grow Gooseberries In Containers? The good news is that you can indeed grow gooseberries in containers. While this will typically take a little more work than growing them in the ground, they can easily be maintained to grow even in the smallest of spaces. Gooseberries can be kept in a bushy, natural form but they can also be trained and pruned to keep them within different forms. They can be fan-trained, for example, and placed against a wall or fence, or they can be grown as cordons. You can grow gooseberries in a range of shapes and forms in containers, but perhaps training as a cordon is the best option for container growing and small space gardeners. Bushes can be kept small, but typically need to be spaced 1-1.5m apart. Cordons, on the other hand, can be placed just 30-35cm or so apart. This will mean that gooseberries in containers will be able to be placed much closer together to make the most of whatever space is available. Remember, however, that cordon plants will require support, so whether growing in containers or in the ground, you will need a support system in place. Choosing Pots For Gooseberry Plants You can grow gooseberries in a range of different containers. Often, you can get away with planting a gooseberry in a 20L pot, but larger is generally better when it comes to gooseberries. When choosing a container, you should choose one that is as wide as possible. Since gooseberries are fairly shallow-rooted, depth is less important for these plants. A container at least 40-50cm across will be best. The container should have drainage holes at the base, to allow excess water to drain away freely. Gooseberries do like moist conditions but they also prefer the environment to be free-draining and can experience issues in waterlogged conditions. Choosing A Growing Medium When growing gooseberries in containers, you can plant them into any peat-free, soil-based, multi-purpose compost. I find that they do well in containers filled with a homemade mix of 1/3 clay-loam soil from my garden, 1/3 homemade compost and 1/3 leaf mould. “If you don’t have access to homemade ingredients, young plants can be potted into John Innes no. 2 compost and then into John Innes no.3 once established and transferred to a larger pot,” shares Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “This will ensure sufficient nutrients, moisture and drainage. “An annual top-up of compost would be beneficial and plants should periodically be re-potted every 3-5 years depending on the final pot size and pruning form.” You don’t have to worry too much about which growing medium you use, since these are tolerant plants that can grow well in a wide range of growing conditions. As long as the soil does not become waterlogged and is reasonably fertile, the gooseberries should do pretty well. Potting Up Gooseberries Gooseberries can be purchased as bare root plants during the winter months in the dormant period, or they can be purchased as potted plants in active growth. There are many different varieties that you might choose from. Place a little of your growing medium in the base of the container you have chosen, then position the plant in the pot. You can plant the gooseberry in its new container a little deeper than the soil mark on a bare-root plant, or a little deeper than it was in its previous pot. How Many Can You Plant Per Pot? Giving gooseberries space to spread is important, so as well as choosing as wide a container as you can, you should also avoid planting other plants within the same pot. Instead of planting other plants with your gooseberry in a container, mulch around the plant with organic matter upon planting. Afterwards, water your newly potted up gooseberry in well, and it should begin to reward you with abundant harvests over the coming years. Potted Gooseberry Care Sunlight Place containers with gooseberries in a sunny spot, or in dappled shade. Support Make sure you provide support for cordon or shaped forms of gooseberry. Watering & Feeding Remember that plants grown in containers typically require more watering than plants growing in the ground, so water well, especially during dry spells in summer. Aside from a mulch around the top of the container that should be replenished each spring, additional fertiliser will not typically be required. However, if the growth seems poor, you can feed your gooseberry with an organic liquid feed in spring/summer. Pruning Pruning gooseberries properly will typically be essential when growing in pots. How and when precisely you will prune will depend on the form of your plant and there are different pruning guidelines for bush form, fan and cordon plants. Pests & Diseases Remain vigilant for pests and diseases and work to maintain natural biodiversity and balance in your container garden to keep gooseberries healthy and productive. Net or cage fruits to protect from birds and other pests where necessary.
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Gooseberry Sawflies Can Cause Defoliation And A Lower Yield - Try These Organic Solutions
IN THIS GUIDE What Is Gooseberry Sawfly? Identifying Gooseberry Sawfly How To Deal With Sawflies References Gooseberries are generally relatively easy and low-maintenance plants to grow in your garden, and even a single plant can produce abundant yields of fruit that can be used in a range of different ways. One problem that can arise fairly commonly is gooseberry sawfly. Gooseberry sawflies will rarely kill gooseberry plants, but they can lead to unsightly areas of defoliation and can affect your yield if they are present in larger numbers. Sawfly populations can be relatively easily kept in check with an integrated pest management approach in an organic garden. Read on for a more in-depth discussion of the above. What Is Gooseberry Sawfly? There are three types of sawfly that eat the leaves of gooseberry bushes: The common gooseberry sawfly (Euura ribesii) The pale spotted gooseberry sawfly (Euura leucotrichus) The small gooseberry sawfly (Pristiphora appendiculata) All of these sawflies are members of the Symphyta suborder of the Hymenoptera insect family (to which bees, ants and wasps belong).1 They are three of around 500 sawfly species found in the British Isles.2 Sawflies are named for the egg-laying organ of the females, which looks somewhat like a saw.3 Using this appendage, the sawflies mentioned above will lay their eggs onto gooseberry plants. These eggs then hatch into caterpillar-like larvae. Identifying Gooseberry Sawfly The first thing you notice with the presence of sawfly might be their impact on the gooseberry plant, rather than the insects themselves. If you notice that entire branches of leaves have been stripped from the plant, then these sawfly larvae are likely to be the culprits. However, you may also be able to spot these insects, both in adult form and in their larval stages. The common gooseberry sawfly adults are yellow and black-winged insects. The females are 5-7mm long and are yellow with black heads and black marks on their thoraxes. Males look rather similar but have more black on them. This species has larvae that grow to around 2cm long and they are pale green, with many black spots and black heads. Pale spotted gooseberry sawfly larvae are slightly smaller in size and they also have pale green heads. This species has only one generation per year, and the larvae are present during May and June. The small gooseberry sawfly on the other hand, can have up to four generations from late April onwards. These larvae are pale green. How To Deal With Sawflies The first thing to understand is that the presence of gooseberry sawfly need not be considered a problem at all. Within a balanced garden ecosystem, these insects are an extremely valuable addition and won’t usually kill your plants, and, when their populations are kept in check, will not typically significantly reduce your yield. Even when these larvae eat every single leaf on a gooseberry, the plant can, remarkably, usually recover the following year. Though with such an extreme attack, your yield is almost certain to be significantly reduced. It is important to think of these insects not as pests, but as a welcome visitor in a wildlife-friendly garden – typically doing little more than making plants look a little unsightly after they have feasted on them. Sawflies are a good source of food for many garden birds, and for other predators like ground beetles. So encouraging these species in your garden can help you keep the sawfly numbers down and ensure that, while they are present, they are not present in such high numbers that you lose all the leaves on gooseberry bushes. In my organic forest garden, I do find that the odd branch here and there is defoliated by sawflies on my gooseberry bushes. However, I rarely see much more than the odd branch, since birds and other wildlife in the biodiverse space eat the larvae before their populations get out of control. In fact, defoliated branches tend to be those closest to the ground, hidden in other plants below, where birds cannot easily pick off the larvae before they cause any problems. “The first year I planted gooseberries on my allotment, sawfly decimated the foliage,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “I handpicked off the larvae I could find. The following year and subsequently there was far less damage. “I think this was in large part due to the garden ecosystem taking a while to develop complexity and more balance as the allotment was newly planted at that stage.” On the plants in clear view of birds (and us), I tend not to see significant defoliation. So, to tackle gooseberry sawfly where they are present in large numbers – increasing biodiversity is the most important strategy. Short term, you can also be vigilant and pick off sawflies by hand when you spot them and, if needed, nematode controls are available. However, in an organic garden, you can certainly live and let live to a degree and work with nature in your garden. References 1. Ants, Wasps, Bees and Sawflies: Order Hymenoptera. (n.d.). The Australian Museum. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/sawflies-wasps-bees-ants-hymenoptera/ 2. Sawflies. (n.d.). NatureSpot. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.naturespot.org.uk/gallery/sawflies 3. Sawflies. (n.d.-b). University of Minnesota. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/sawflies
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You Can Use Layering Or Hardwood Cuttings To Propagate Gooseberry Bushes
IN THIS GUIDE Gooseberry Propagation Methods 1) Layering 2) Hardwood Cuttings Gooseberries might not be everyone’s favourite fruit, but I love them. I use them unripe in jams and other preserves, and to make a tart lemon juice substitute for a range of recipes. I also enjoy the ripe fruit too in a range of ways in my kitchen. In my forest garden at home, I have several gooseberry bushes, all of which were propagated from one original plant. If you would like to propagate your own gooseberry bushes at home, the good news is that this is a very easy and straightforward gardening job. “As with most fruits, there are many different cultivars of gooseberry,” shares Colin Skelly, a Horticultural Consultant. “You can choose one or more depending on whether you want a cooking or dessert gooseberry, sweet or sour, early, mid or late-season, or a combination. “If you have a friend or neighbour with a favoured cultivar it is easy, as described here, to propagate from.” Gooseberries are an extremely easy plant to propagate and are therefore a great place to start if you are new to the process of propagating your own shrubs in your garden. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gloves, knife or secateurs Gooseberry Propagation Methods There are two main ways to make new plants from an existing gooseberry bush: By layering With hardwood cuttings Both of these jobs are undertaken between late September and early November. Let’s take a closer look at each of these simple and straightforward options. 1) Layering “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 Layering involves taking a stem from an existing gooseberry bush and bending it down so that a portion of this stem comes into contact with the soil, while the tip grows up and out of the soil. “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 By pegging or weighting down this stem, keeping it in contact with the soil, it can be encouraged to root while still attached to the parent plant and, gooseberries will root fairly reliably in this way. “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 Make sure a section of the stem is under the soil, gently cover it with a little more soil to hold it down and guide the tip of the stem to grow upwards out of the soil. “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 By autumn the following year, this stem that has been layered should have taken root and be well established. “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 The connection to the parent plant can be severed and the new gooseberry can be moved to a new location within your garden. “Propagation by layering”, by Gražvydas J, licenced under CC BY 3.0 2) Hardwood Cuttings The other equally easy way to propagate gooseberries is to take hardwood cuttings. As with layering, this is best undertaken sometime between September and early November. To take hardwood cuttings, select a healthy stem with soft growth at the tip and woodier growth at the base. Cut off this stem to obtain a cutting around 20cm in length, using a pair of clean, sharp secateurs. Gooseberry cuttings will root very easily and in my experience, you do not need to use a rooting hormone to get well-rooted healthy new plants. Simply remove the lower leaves from the cuttings, then push the end of the cutting into the soil in a nursery area or any fertile bed or growing area. Make sure that the stem descends at least 5cm or so into the soil. Gently firm down the soil around the cutting to make sure that it is held in place. Afterwards, simply water the cutting well and leave it alone until spring. In spring, you should see new growth as an indication that the cutting has taken and rooted well. If you plan to move your gooseberry to a new location, you can do this the following autumn.
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