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Thursday, 14 August 2008 |
Water at dawn or in the
evening when it is cooler
and plants benefit longer from
the moisture. Sometimes it is
worth spraying the entire plant,
called bassinage in French, so
that the leaves can absorb the
water too.
Mulch: carry on mulching
around the base of all
your plants (see last
month’s article).
Pinching out repeat-flowering
plants will encourage new
blooms and prolong the
flowering of shrubs such as
buddleias, valerians and lavateras.
Green pruning means
shortening this year’s shoots to
slow growth, economising on sap
and encouraging flowering next
year. It helps the sun get to the
leaves and fruit, which will grow
larger and ripen more quickly,
and allows air to circulate,
preventing the spread of mildew
and other fungal diseases.
Wisteria responds well to green
pruning and so do fruit trees.
For a natural effect: before
pulling them out, leave annuals
and biennials like poppies,
mallows, gauras and erigerons to
self-seed. You’ll have to keep a
wary eye out for the seedlings,
of course.
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