We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Question 1 - I have cut right back to its base a tamarisk I planted
two years ago, because its main stem/trunk was leaning almost
horizontally, though all the fresh growth was vertical. I did this
because it is planted at the edge between an ornamental bed and my veg
patch, and it was encroaching on my veg patch.
Am I right to assume it will grow back - hopefully vertically this
time - or have I done permanent damage?

Question 2 - I clipped back my rosemary as well as most of my other
perennial herbs last autumn, because my herb bed was very overgrown.
However, it seems that in doing so, I have exposed the rosemary to the
elements (wind, etc), and perhaps also to canine (less likely feline)
visitors. I noticed that two of the main branches in the bush have
been partially broken at the base, and are now lying down. My bush
now looks terrible, with one major branch upstanding and two kind of
lying on the ground. Should I tidy it up in the hope it will grow
back to full bushiness from the one upstanding branch, or should I
just use it for cuttings and dig it up in due course?

Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

TIA, and happy beginning of summer! (Isn't it great??)

Cat(h)

"Cat(h)" wrote in message
...
We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Stiff limbs :-(

Yes :-(((

snip

Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

That's interesting, I wonder if it happens with other soft fruit bushes ...
it would be nice to increase the number ...

TIA, and happy beginning of summer! (Isn't it great??)

So far yes, hasn't been too hot. And my asparagus is rearing its beautiful
heads!

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| "Cat(h)" wrote in message
| ...
|
| Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
| some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
| had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
| layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
| main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

Yes.

| That's interesting, I wonder if it happens with other soft fruit bushes ...
| it would be nice to increase the number ...

Most straggling or semi-straggling shrubs will increase by layering,
and some other plants. In my experience, it is by far the best way
for the amateur to propagate most plants - when it works. You can
wait until the layer has a proper root system, and the new plant is
much better grown than ones from cuttings.

Commercial growers prefer cuttings, as you can produce more plants
at one time, but that is no justification for the books written for
amateurs parroting the merits of cuttings and ignoring layering.
Taking cuttings of most plants is tricky, and you have to sacrifice
the shoots needed for the cuttings; layering is almost always easy,
and you have lost little if it fails.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...


| That's interesting, I wonder if it happens with other soft fruit bushes
...
| it would be nice to increase the number ...

Most straggling or semi-straggling shrubs will increase by layering,
and some other plants. In my experience, it is by far the best way
for the amateur to propagate most plants - when it works. You can
wait until the layer has a proper root system, and the new plant is
much better grown than ones from cuttings.

Commercial growers prefer cuttings, as you can produce more plants
at one time, but that is no justification for the books written for
amateurs parroting the merits of cuttings and ignoring layering.
Taking cuttings of most plants is tricky, and you have to sacrifice
the shoots needed for the cuttings; layering is almost always easy,
and you have lost little if it fails.

Thanks for that, Nick, but my red, white and black currant bushes and our
gooseberry, don't straggle at all.

Perhaps I could bend a branch ...

Mary


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Most straggling or semi-straggling shrubs will increase by layering,
| and some other plants. ...
|
| Thanks for that, Nick, but my red, white and black currant bushes and our
| gooseberry, don't straggle at all.
|
| Perhaps I could bend a branch ...

Yes. Or try aerial layering - tricker than normal layering, but no
more so than cuttings.

Many or most upright shrubs (and many trees) will layer readily if
their young branches are in contact with soil - but, of course, it
rarely happens unless they fall over! Some are bendable, but others
are not.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Cat(h)" writes:
|
| Question 2 - I clipped back my rosemary as well as most of my other
| perennial herbs last autumn, because my herb bed was very overgrown.
| However, it seems that in doing so, I have exposed the rosemary to the
| elements (wind, etc), and perhaps also to canine (less likely feline)
| visitors. I noticed that two of the main branches in the bush have
| been partially broken at the base, and are now lying down. My bush
| now looks terrible, with one major branch upstanding and two kind of
| lying on the ground. Should I tidy it up in the hope it will grow
| back to full bushiness from the one upstanding branch, or should I
| just use it for cuttings and dig it up in due course?

I would layer them, and do the latter - rosemary is best propagated
by layering.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Mary Fisher
writes

"Cat(h)" wrote in message
...
We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Stiff limbs :-(

Yes :-(((

snip

Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

That's interesting, I wonder if it happens with other soft fruit bushes ...
it would be nice to increase the number ...

I think I've seen the same happen with blackcurrant.

TIA, and happy beginning of summer! (Isn't it great??)

So far yes, hasn't been too hot. And my asparagus is rearing its beautiful
heads!

Mary



--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Most straggling or semi-straggling shrubs will increase by layering,
| and some other plants. ...
|
| Thanks for that, Nick, but my red, white and black currant bushes and
our
| gooseberry, don't straggle at all.
|
| Perhaps I could bend a branch ...

Yes. Or try aerial layering - tricker than normal layering, but no
more so than cuttings.


I thought about that too. Just never knew that they would strike!

Thanks,

Mary

In article 45e0222f-59ff-4558-ba0e-
, says...
We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Question 1 - I have cut right back to its base a tamarisk I planted
two years ago, because its main stem/trunk was leaning almost
horizontally, though all the fresh growth was vertical. I did this
because it is planted at the edge between an ornamental bed and my veg
patch, and it was encroaching on my veg patch.
Am I right to assume it will grow back - hopefully vertically this
time - or have I done permanent damage?

Question 2 - I clipped back my rosemary as well as most of my other
perennial herbs last autumn, because my herb bed was very overgrown.
However, it seems that in doing so, I have exposed the rosemary to the
elements (wind, etc), and perhaps also to canine (less likely feline)
visitors. I noticed that two of the main branches in the bush have
been partially broken at the base, and are now lying down. My bush
now looks terrible, with one major branch upstanding and two kind of
lying on the ground. Should I tidy it up in the hope it will grow
back to full bushiness from the one upstanding branch, or should I
just use it for cuttings and dig it up in due course?

Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

TIA, and happy beginning of summer! (Isn't it great??)

Cat(h)


1, Yes it should grow back
2, Trimming the broken bits off should allow the plant to make some new
growth from lower down but rosemaries don't always regenerate well so so
new cuttings wouln't be a bad idea!
3, Yes a lot of fruit layers, once it has a decent root system it can be
re located. But always check your bushes and canes are healthy as they
can harbour various virus diseases if eldely and its often better to
start with new virus free stock.


--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 7 May, 08:30, Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article 45e0222f-59ff-4558-ba0e-
, says...

We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Question 1 - I have cut right back to its base a tamarisk I planted
two years ago, because its main stem/trunk was leaning almost
horizontally, though all the fresh growth was vertical. I did this
because it is planted at the edge between an ornamental bed and my veg
patch, and it was encroaching on my veg patch.
Am I right to assume it will grow back - hopefully vertically this
time - or have I done permanent damage?

Question 2 - I clipped back my rosemary as well as most of my other
perennial herbs last autumn, because my herb bed was very overgrown.
However, it seems that in doing so, I have exposed the rosemary to the
elements (wind, etc), and perhaps also to canine (less likely feline)
visitors. I noticed that two of the main branches in the bush have
been partially broken at the base, and are now lying down. My bush
now looks terrible, with one major branch upstanding and two kind of
lying on the ground. Should I tidy it up in the hope it will grow
back to full bushiness from the one upstanding branch, or should I
just use it for cuttings and dig it up in due course?

Question 3 - I was weeding around my fruit bushes, when I noticed that
some of the gooseberry bush branches which were touching the ground
had taken root there. I assume therefore that it can be propagated by
layering? Am I safe in cutting off one of those branches from the
main plant, and planting it on somewhere else?

TIA, and happy beginning of summer! (Isn't it great??)

Cat(h)

1, Yes it should grow back
2, Trimming the broken bits off should allow the plant to make some new
growth from lower down but rosemaries don't always regenerate well so so
new cuttings wouln't be a bad idea!
3, Yes a lot of fruit layers, once it has a decent root system it can be
re located. But always check your bushes and canes are healthy as they
can harbour various virus diseases if eldely and its often better to
start with new virus free stock.

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Another solution with rosemary is to dig it up and re-plant it deeper.

Jonathan

In article ,
Jonathan writes:
|
| Another solution with rosemary is to dig it up and re-plant it deeper.

Thus adding a new meaning to the word "layering" :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On May 7, 6:41*pm, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 6 May 2008 02:10:52 -0700 (PDT), "Cat(h)"
wrote:

We've had glorious weather this week end, so I have been my usual fair
weather gardener, and have worked like a trojan (if I say so myself,
judging from the scratches all over my arms and legs, and the stiff
limbs) weeding, digging, planting, mowing, clipping, etc.

Question 1 - I have cut right back to its base a tamarisk I planted
two years ago, because its main stem/trunk was leaning almost
horizontally, though all the fresh growth was vertical. *I did this
because it is planted at the edge between an ornamental bed and my veg
patch, and it was encroaching on my veg patch.
Am I right to assume it will grow back - hopefully vertically this
time - or have I done permanent damage?

Tamarisk will tolerate hard pruning, in fact some authorities
recommend it to stop them getting leggy and ragged, and to encourage
flowering. Whether what you've done comes into the category of 'hard
pruning', or 'assassination', time will tell, but you may be lucky,
especially if there was some younger wood left.


I think the category is "murderous pruning"... but I live in hope.
The damage was worth less to me than the disturbance in the cabbage
patch, hence the drastic measure.

Thank you Chris, and thank you to all here for answering all 3 of my
questions. I will do the layering thing with my rosemary, and might
end up with two or three bushes as a result! Brilliant.
As to the fruit trees, it is clearly down to shape. I'm not all that
bothered about increasing my stock of gooseberries, one or two extra
will do me. But I am really partial to blackcurrant, so if I could
get a few more of those, I'd be rightly chuffed!

Thanks again to all!

Cat(h)
--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net