The first
Most hedging plants have an upright growth habit so it is a good idea to encourage side shoots by trimming back their leaders - main shoot - and laterals - the secondary side shooting stems from the first year. In the first spring after planting a new hedge, cut back plants to about 40-45cm above ground level. Apply slow-release fertiliser all along the base of the plants, watering if no rain is forecast. Apply a thick layer of mulch (7.5cm) after watering, or when the ground is moist, keeping the material away from the main trunks of the plants as this could cause rotting. In late summer, cut back the shoots that are sticking out - the laterals.
When to prune
Generally overgrown deciduous hedges can be tackled in winter and evergreen ones in mid spring. When attempting drastic pruning, deal with one side of your hedge at a time, spreading the process over two seasons. You should also feed the hedge before pruning, as well as after, to encourage healthy new growth. Cut one side of the hedge back to within about 10cm of the main trunk of the plants all the way along. On the other side, cut back side shoots by about a third, shaping the hedge so that it tapers towards the top. Repeat this process the following season, reversing the side, which is cut hard back.
Photo: Luke from the convent in Buncrana tidying up the griselinia hedges.
STUCK FOR A GIFT ON VALENTINES DAY?
Forget paying a fortune for roses this Valentines day. Why not buy the one you love something that they can eat, is tasty and won’t put on the pounds….spuds! (It’s your responsibility if they get thrown back at you!)!)
I was down with Gareth Austin from the Lifestyle Garden centre in Newtowncunninghan this week. Gareth is a wealth of knowledge on gardening matters and in between his busy schedule getting ready for spring and his landscaping work, I managed to ask him about the best way to grow early spuds.
“Early potatoes are renowned for their taste They are full of flavour, and so easy to grow.” he explained. The yield is lower than maincrop varieties and the space needed for a good return is far less. Early varieties are also ready for lifting when potato prices are high, which is another great reason to grow them. There is no comparison in terms of flavour between freshly dug new potatoes and those, which are available in greengrocers. New potatoes lose their flavour very quickly after been dug, as they are not fully mature when lifting. They need to be lifted up and cooked straight away if possible”
Six weeks
Garden centres and the Co-op are stocking chitted spuds now for planting. I asked Gareth what was the best preparation for getting a bumper crop “Start chitting your potatoes about six weeks before you intend to plant them. Chitting simply means encouraging the seed potatoes to sprout before planting. Seed potatoes are ready for planting out when the shoots are 1.5-2.5cm (0.5-1in) long”. He continued. “From mid-March-April, dig a trench 7.5-13cm (3-5in) deep. Add a light sprinkling of fertiliser to your trench and begin planting. For the early spuds, plant them about 30cm (12in) apart with 40-50cm (16-20in) between the rows”.
Handle with care
Gareth concluded by advising us on how to handle delicate tubers. “Handle your chitted tubers with care, gently setting them into the trench with the shoots pointing upwards. Cover lightly with soil. As soon as the shoots appear, earth up each row by covering it with a ridge of soil so that the shoots are just buried. You need to do this at regular intervals. Your home-grown potatoes should be ready for lifting from June until September, depending on the varieties and the growing conditions”
Photo: Seaweed added to the ground now will help the new spuds to develop
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