On 09/08/2016 21:39, Chris wrote:
Is it possible to 'shock' a plant? I was told by some bloke in the pub
last night who had worked in the forestry industry back in the 1970s that
when they had a tree that wouldn't come into fruit, they'd give it a
clump with an axe and it would usually flower shortly following that. He
reckoned this was because the tree 'thought' it was about to die so it
had better get the hell on with reproducing itself without further delay.
Could there be any truth in this? I find it kind of hard to believe that
plants can be sentient!

Yes its true, and commonly used to get good crops from some trees, it
also serves as a warning not to get too excited when a tree that is
normally shy to fruit is suddenly loaded with seed - it normally dies
shortly there after here!

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea