With any luck we will still have the odd mild day to spend in the garden this month, dodging the rain, frost and dare I say it snow. It’s really a time for a little relaxation and enjoying the company of others in celebrating the close of another year. In the garden it’s a time to recall our successes and to take note of things that didn’t go quite as expected. No year is the same and we should be optimistic about the opportunities a new year will bring, a chance to try new techniques and new plants.
At the end of the year, when all the leaves have fallen (and been cleaned up) we see the garden in a different way, almost a skeleton of the structure and framework upon which our spring and summer displays hang. It’s also easier to see the congested branches of overgrown trees and shrubs. Plants that drop their leaves are in fact taking a rest, growth stops and they remain dormant until next spring. This is a perfect time to tidy up and re-shape shrubs that are spreading too far or looking shabby.
I like a cup of tea before I start pruning, it gives me time to think and look carefully at the plant, taking note of thick old branches, dead wood, and stems going in the wrong direction. First job is to remove all the dead wood, cut back to where there is a healthy stem. If you scratch the surface of the stem with your fingernail you will see a green layer, this shows that the branch is alive. Then look at the shape and balance of the plant is it lop sided? or growing over the lawn? All the gardening books tell you to plant in a position that will give the shrub enough space to grow and reach its natural size. That’s fine if you have a large garden but many will grow in an area around 1 metre square if carefully pruned. Anything growing in the wrong direction or over the lawn/path should be cut back about 50cm from the lawn edge. This will give space for it to grow but not cause a problem next year. The final task is to thin the branches to maintain a good shape and mix of young and old branches. It’s a good idea to place a layer of mulch, old garden compost, well-rotted manure or leaf-mould. A handful of chicken manure pellets in spring as growth starts will help boost growth and encourage better flowering next year.
Continue cutting back perennials that have died down, especially if they have been battered by the wind and offer no value in the garden.
There is much written about how to look after established hedges but if you have a hedge that is only a year or two old, they need to be treated differently if they are to become well furnished with growth down to the base of the plant. Even with a hedge that you plan to be fairly loose and informal they need to be trimmed and trained to keep them neat and even in growth. Newly planted hedges need little pruning simply cut back the tips removing about 10cm to encourage them to branch and establish. In exposed areas its good practice to support the hedge with a series of tree stakes and ‘training’ wires. If you have chosen native trees or vigorous subjects such as privet or hawthorn then prune them hard during in their first winter, removing half of the previous season’s growth. This will encourage them to fill out. As a general rule lightly prune vigorous growth and hard prune spindly growth, this sounds wrong but spindly growth will remain spindly and cutting them back hard will encourage them to produce strong growth. It’s also a good idea to mulch the hedge and as for shrubs feed in spring, water in dry spells as this will help them establish well.
Take time out to gather together seed and plant catalogues and make a note of gaps in the garden.
Well next month we will be planning for next year in the flower and vegetable garden, and dealing with Christmas pot plants.
Gardening Q & A
‘Where Have All The Berries Gone’?
This month’s enquiry asks that often perplexing question, why has my plant not berried this year, in this case the question comes from Thomas and it is specifically about a Holly bush (Ilex). Thomas has had this holly for about twelve years in its first year it had lots of berries, last couple of years hardly any, last year none and this year the odd few, doesn’t think its birds eating them. He did trim it about four years ago just the height. There is a hedge next to it which has grown a lot could it need more space and light?
Well lots to consider here, but let’s start with the basics, whether you inherit a plant or plant it yourself the position, soil structure and seasons can all play a part in how well it establishes and grows. Plants that produce berries are no different to any other in that they need light, moisture and food.
If you are considering a Holly there are a few things you should know, firstly they are dioecious, which simply means that they bear male and female flowers on separate plants. What this means is that you need both a male and a female plant to produce a healthy crop of berries (on the female plant). If there is a holly tree in a neighbour’s garden or within ‘Insect’ flying distance and you have a female holly then in a good season you should see a good crop of berries. Has a neighbour removed a holly tree recently?
Feeding trees and shrubs is as important as it is for annual bedding, vegetables and containers. We often plant a shrub or tree and never think to feed it as it grows. It is good practice to mulch around trees and shrubs in spring and to apply a dressing of general fertiliser, about a handful per square metre every year.
Watering in dry spells is also very important as this will help keep the plant strong and healthy. Berries often drop prematurely if the plant is too dry.
If all the above are in place then it is more than likely that environmental factors are causing pollination problems, Poor light if a plant is in the shade can reduce the number of flowers it produces. So make sure your plant is not too shady, tree or shrub branches on neighbouring plants should be thinned if possible allowing more light in. Late spring frosts can damage flowers causing them to abort (fall off), significantly reducing the berry crop. If your shrub is not too big then covering with horticultural fleece can protect flowers, remove during mild spells to allow pollinating insects to do their job. Cold, wet and or windy weather can affect good pollination as insects and bees are not active during this type of weather. There is not a great deal you can do about the weather but if you look after your trees and shrubs with an annual feed and mulch, watering in dry spells then you have the best chance should the weather be favourable.
So how do you tell if your holly is female or male, well it isn’t as easy as you may think. No it’s not a case of the male flowers having just pollen and the female flowers just the pistil. The best way to check is to look at the flowers every day as they emerge in spring, gently brush the flower with your finger and if you have pollen on your finger then the chances are it is a male. If you know which one it is then you can either buy a male/female plant or if your garden is small buy one for your neighbour.
Looking at Thomas’s photograph, the Holly looks a little congested and I can see a dead twig too. It might help if you remove all the dead twigs and thin out some of the branches, taking out thin, spindly and badly placed branches, in all remove no more than 25% of the branches. Some of the leaves are curling quite severely this could indicate dryness at the root.
Season’s greetings and Happy gardening, Martin
For all your gardening questions email;
gardening@yorkshirereporter.co.uk,
we will try to include them in a future issue.
