'Garden Column - November 2008'

Time to trim & tidy ornamental trees.

This month, check the canopies of ornamental trees in the garden for over crowding.
Branches may be inward growing and crossing.
These should be removed to stop future problems of disease being caused on the stems of your prize plant or plants.
Remember to remove any dead, damaged or diseased wood first before continuing to thin out the crown.
Wounds that are made over 25mm should be treated with a pruning compound such as Bayer Arbrex, Growing Success Prune & Seal or Vitax Medo.
If the canopy is too large for you to do the work then employ the help of a local tree surgeon.
It is also worth checking with the council in case any of the trees which need pruning have preservation orders on them - if they have you will have ask for permission from the local authority before carrying out the work.

Plant new vines inside out.

The time to plant new grape vines is now. Indoor and outdoor can be planted in November and at the garden centre we have a wide variety of indoor & outdoor vines.
Outdoor vines should be planted on a sunny, south to south west facing position against a wall or fence for easy training. Follow the same guides as espalier fruit trees and train on wires in tiers.
For Indoor Vines - take a pane out of the greenhouse and carefully cut a square out of it and then place the pane back in position.
Plant the grape outside and train the plant through the hole in the glass.
Once planted trim the vine half its height, feed with Vitax Pelleted Clematis Fertiliser and mulch with Wessex Clavering Horse Manure Compost and then as the vine grows in the spring train the plant up onto wires in the roof of your glasshouse.

Insulate.

If you haven't already insulated your greenhouse then now is the time to do it.
Insulate the whole greenhouse with bubble insulating material and the recommended insulating clips make hanging it a lot easier this day and age.
If you have a wooden greenhouse then still use the bubble insulation but instead of the clips use pins or staples to connect it to your constructions frame.
This will temporary double glazing will reduce your heating bill by at least 20-25 per cent.
If the crop you are over-wintering requires maximum light then only insulate the north side of your greenhouse. Don't forget to insulate cold-frames at the same time and if you possess a multi-tiered greenhouse then purchase one of the pre-constructed fleece covers to protect your prize specimens through the winter.

Take hardwood cuttings.

Taking hardwood cuttings is a cheap option especially if you wish to increase your stock on certain varieties of shrubs in the garden.
Hardwood cuttings root more slowly than softwood or semi-ripe cuttings which are often taken in spring and early summer.
The good thing about hardwood cuttings is that they don't need heat (thus saving you money on heating the greenhouse through the winter months.) and with them being planted into the open ground, watering won't be an onerous chore except in mild, dry spells.
To take hardwood cuttings you first need to choose stems which are not too old or woody.
The ideal thickness is about that of a pencil and the cutting needs to be around 15cm in length.
Make the base or rooting cut straight and the top cut at an angle just above a bud. This will make it easier on planting the cuttings outside in the garden.
Moisten the base of the cuttings in water. Once you have the amount of cuttings required - dig a slit trench with a spade a little shallower than the length of your cuttings.
Choose a position where the plants can be left undisturbed for a year. Sprinkle some gritty sand into the base of the trench especially if you have a poorly drained soil.
This will help to prevent water-logging around the cuttings.
Dip the straight end into some Doff Rooting Hormone Powder and then insert the cuttings spacing them 8-10cm apart and leave about 3-5cm of the cutting above the ground.
Firm the soil around the cuttings and then water and label.
Remember to water in dry weather.
After a year lift the rooted cuttings and plant into containers or into the site where you want for them to prosper.
Many shrubs and some varieties of tree can be propagated this way - plants like Cornus (Dogwood), Buddleja (Butterfly Bush), Ribes (Flowering Currant) and Salix (Willow) are just amongst the many.