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A Kinder Cut
20 August
2003
Spring has the reputation for being the busy
period for pruning but late summer sees the
secateurs working overtime.
 If
you haven’t already done so, now is the
time to carry out any necessary pruning of plums
and cherries, both eating and ornamental types.
Spores of fungus diseases that are deadly to
these trees
are dormant in summer. It is more tricky trying
to prune when the tree is in leaf and the fruit
beginning to swell but start by removing diseased
branches and those that are crossing.
Try to keep the centre of fruiting trees open
to allow the sun to penetrate. Still with fruit,
the summer fruiting raspberries have finished.
Remove all the canes which carried fruit and
thin out the new stems to leave about six per
foot run of the line. Tie in the new growths
as these will carry next year’s crop.
Always cut the canes as close to soil level
as possible. Stumps of old canes are likely
to spread disease.
If you want to propagate blackcurrant bushes
by hardwood cuttings in winter using the prunings
to make 12 inch long cuttings then prune them
in winter and use this season’s branches
to form 12 inch
long, hardwood cuttings. I prefer to cut the
old branches out at ground level as soon as
the crop has been picked. A good feed and regular
watering will encourage new, strong stems to
appear low down on
the plant.
Rambling roses can be pruned as soon as they
have finished flowering. Cut out the old, dark
coloured stems and tie in the strong new stems.
Curving them to form an arch against a wall
or timber trellis will encourage extra flowers.
 Climbing
roses should be pruned in early spring removing
old branches and reducing the length of new
shoots by 20-30 per cent.
Summer flowering shrubs such as weigela, philadelphus
and escallonia can be pruned removing the branches
which have lowered. Feeding, watering and mulching
will result in lots of new growths which
will flower next summer. Old, neglected specimens
of these shrubs can be severely pruned. Over
a few years they will recover with new growths
and flower as well as before. Where there is
a lot of prunings, hiring a shredder will provide
you with useful mulching material.
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