GND/the best time to prune

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Co-Despot posts: 266 (10/25/00 10:41:18 pm) 165.247.161.63 Reply | Edit | Del All

GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elec Telegraph

ISSUE 1975 Saturday 21 October 2000

Country gardener

Elspeth Thompson on the best time to prune

PRUNING has never been my strong point. Friends with whom I shared a house at university remember me one night in my nightie hacking down a buddleia with the bread-knife, and I have to confess that exasperation and impatience, rather than the welfare of the plant, are still too often my motives when wielding the secateurs.

A combination of last-minute poring over books, phone calls to friends or just doing what seems right at the time has served me pretty well - give or take the odd calamity. But now that I have no fewer than three grapevines to look after, it is time to take it all a bit more seriously. After all, when and where and how you prune a vine can have a dramatic effect on its fruiting the subsequent season.

The black grapevine in my London garden, bought as an eight-inch cutting three years ago, cropped well in its first year, covering the back of our house with heavy bunches of dusky fruit. This year, it hasn't performed so well, possibly due to the cool summer.

Here by the sea I have two indoor vines. One is in the greenhouse at the end of the garden, planted outside but with its main stem trained in through a hole at the base of the wall and up around the ceiling, where its foliage provides much-needed shade in summer.

The other, in the rickety conservatory just off the kitchen, must be something rather special. Its fruit, which hangs in elegant bunches from bamboo canes stretched across the corrugated plastic roof, is delicious. The ripest grapes turn a glorious chartreuse yellow and taste sweet, with a dusty, musky aftertaste that spreads across the roof of the mouth. From my limited knowledge of wine, I'd guess it is a muscat such as 'Royal Muscadine' or the much-prized 'Muscat of Alexandria'. If you're thinking of planting a grapevine - and now is a good time - the latter is said to be one of the best-flavoured varieties for growing inside.

I turned to my bookshelf for advice about pruning. The only title devoted to the subject was The Handy Book on Pruning, Grafting and Budding (two shillings in 1924 but picked up for a few pence at a jumble sale) and it did little to instill confidence. 'No operation is less speculative in its results than good pruning, or more quickly and certainly productive of good results,' it declared. 'On the other hand, unskilled pruning or neglect of pruning causes mischief that cannot be repaired.'

But gardening books can be contradictory. This one, along with several entries in other, more recent books, says to wait till the leaves have fallen and then prune the main stem by removing two-thirds of the summer's growth, while taking back the laterals, or side shoots, to one bud. Other books say to two buds. And some recommend 'resting' the branches over the winter by freeing them from their wires and laying them on the ground. This ensures that, when the sap rises in early spring, it runs right to the end of the stems, avoiding the common problem where only the lower growth sprouts. The stems can be tied back as soon as signs of life appear.

I decided to ask my landlord and neighbour about the vines. After all, he makes very good wine (from elderberries, runner beans and apples, as well as grapes) and planted these ones himself. 'Ah!' he exclaimed. 'I was told by a Spaniard who knew a thing or two about vines that you should never prune your own prize grapevine. You have to ask someone else to do it in your absence. Then, on your return, in the presence of the vine, you must berate the pruner for having cut off much too much.' Sounds strange, but it seems to have worked here. I'm letting him loose with it next week while I'm in London. The logic seems to be that the friend will be more ruthless than you - and that the vine won't 'blame' you for the dirty deed.

I, meanwhile, will be attacking the climbers that are taking over our London garden. It's the wrong time for the Clematis montana, which is the main culprit and should really be cut back after flowering in spring. But I can take refuge in the advice of Christopher Lloyd: 'The best time to prune is... when you remember.'

PA Engineer Registered User posts: 60 (10/25/00 11:48:32 pm) 209.114.161.93 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the post. Pruning is definitely not one of my favorite activities. 40 fruit trees and 14 grape vines and I am at a real loss. Somehow in back of my mind I know that even a half hearted rampage with the chainsaw would be better than the passive neglect of this last season. Oh well, better check the phone book for somebody to scream at.

sam mcgee Registered User posts: 12 (10/26/00 8:44:47 pm) 208.248.134.145 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pruning is actually very easy. For fruit trees, remove all broken branches, water sprouts (those really fat branches that grow straight up usually in a bad place), branches that cross or grow towards the center of the tree or rub against one another or are too close together. Remove branches with really acute or really broad crotch angles (they tend to split under the weight of fruit). Always make your cuts above an outward-facing bud, so the new growth grows away from the center of the tree. The rule of thumb is to keep the branches evenly spaced and uncrowded (to promote air circulation).

Grapes are more complicated because pruning varies a bit according to variety and training method. The thing to remember is that the best fruit is usually borne on new growth that comes from the previous year's growth.

Keep your pruner sharp and your other hand out of the way--I have lots of crescent-shaped scars on my other hand because I tend to not follow my own advice

Old Git Co-Despot posts: 289 (10/26/00 10:38:47 pm) 165.247.137.238 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But Sam, PA has FORTY to prune and TWELVE grape vines! Yes, by all means call in a pruner. It will also avoid your getting those crescent-shaped scars Sam and I share! Boy, those Fiskars pruners are amputation-quality!

Brooks Registered User posts: 74 (10/30/00 9:30:22 am) 204.167.72.87 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your more basic flowering shrubs, the general rule is to prune plants that flower on "new wood" just after they bloom and on "old wood" at the beginning of the year. "New wood" means growth of that year. The point being, if you get these rules backwards you'll never have any flowers.

PA, apparently I had a dream about you the other night. (Actually, I substituted a different forumite.) I had volunteered to help out with chores on this friend's farm. My friend (really you, apparently) announced we simply had to tackle the pruning. Well, ok, but I have to sharpen my pruners first. Fortunately, that took up the rest of the dream so I never worked up a sweat. IRL, I never get the pruning done cuz I never get around to sharpening the pruners. Isn't that what the winter is for??

DenaughtyDespot Despotty Mouth posts: 125 (10/30/00 12:38:07 pm) 208.63.245.86 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T'is a mixed blessing to live in the south where it doesn't matter a wit when you prune, or how in most cases.

The when is all the time, and how is usually with a machete. Hacking to make a path that spiders won't want to web through. I hate getting a web all over my face just walking about in the yard. And when the spider is on my face watch out! I've nearly sliced my ear off with the machete a few times!

My hibiscus out front bloom very late after growing long new branches, thus I am not cutting them short enough to get blooms before they block the window.

The bananas I used to cut when the leaves started to yellow and droop, but now I read that you should wait until they are brown, and avoid cutting them if at all possible. Fine with me, I hate getting squirted in the face with the juice from them anyway! LOL

Bouganvillea is a touching thing, though. I am most careful with this one because of the thorns. Each piece removed is put into the wheelbarrow, or trash can, and cut so it doesn't overhang or stick out. With the barrow, I place a couple longs strings across and hanging down to the ground. When I get enough cuttings, laying perpendicular to the string, I take the string and bundle it all together with a nice loop at the top for carrying. Much easier, and I don't have to worry about stepping on the thorns or having them go through my hands. As a habit I tend to go barefoot and do not use gloves.

Now, what is this about sharpening the pruners? Never done that, I just get a new pair, claiming the old ones are defective. I have about four pair now, in case someone decides to help. Not that anyone ever has!

SAR01 Roamer posts: 275 (11/2/00 11:53:22 pm) 209.143.35.112 Reply | Edit | Del

Re: GDN/The best time to prune -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I prune as long as I don't see any creepy crawlies...ugh!!!!!

I usually have lovely gardens in the spring...till I see the first snake, then I am done...they are on their own!



-- Anonymous, March 14, 2001


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