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#16
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 10:00:08 +0100, Kay
wrote: I don't think it is daft. It may be a plant from a beloved relative, now deceased; it may be a plant you bought on a day you want to remember. Or it may be that you've cherished the plant from infancy and of course you don't want to be the cause of its demise. I don't think its daft either. Back in the early 1960's my father bought a 30ft. Alton greenhouse and planted a grape - 'Muscat of Alexandria' in it to grow along the sides and provide summer shade as well as fruit. Some years later when my parents moved to another house, I took cuttings which went into the new greenhouse. When mother decided to sell up after my father died, I took cuttings for planting against the south wall of her new home. Before she moved again, I took cuttings and brought it down here. Being a heat loving variety, it rarely performs that well in my very humid garden, but I would hate to lose it and will no doubt take cuttings when I decide to move. Sentimental? Yes certainly, but I make no apologies for that nor do i feel that it is daft. Dave Poole Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C. Growing season: March - November |
#17
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 10:00:08 +0100, Kay
wrote: I don't think it is daft. It may be a plant from a beloved relative, now deceased; it may be a plant you bought on a day you want to remember. At least half the plants in my garden are there for sentimental reasons of some sort. Pam in Bristol |
#18
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 10:00:08 +0100, Kay
wrote: I don't think it is daft. It may be a plant from a beloved relative, now deceased; it may be a plant you bought on a day you want to remember. At least half the plants in my garden are there for sentimental reasons of some sort. Pam in Bristol |
#19
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 10:58:15 +0100, Dave Poole
wrote: I don't think its daft either. Back in the early 1960's my father bought a 30ft. Alton greenhouse and planted a grape - 'Muscat of Alexandria' in it to grow along the sides and provide summer shade as well as fruit. Some years later when my parents moved to another house, I took cuttings which went into the new greenhouse. Dave, can you give a brief description of the way you took the cuttings, please? I have tried many times, different methods, but had no success. Pam in Bristol |
#20
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 10:58:15 +0100, Dave Poole
wrote: I don't think its daft either. Back in the early 1960's my father bought a 30ft. Alton greenhouse and planted a grape - 'Muscat of Alexandria' in it to grow along the sides and provide summer shade as well as fruit. Some years later when my parents moved to another house, I took cuttings which went into the new greenhouse. Dave, can you give a brief description of the way you took the cuttings, please? I have tried many times, different methods, but had no success. Pam in Bristol |
#21
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Pruning Lavender
I think that Roy has made a good point, there are a great many of us that hang on to old plants out of sentimental reasons, daft innit. Why not take cuttings from the old plant and then send it off to the great garden in the sky :-) I don't think it is daft. It may be a plant from a beloved relative, now deceased; it may be a plant you bought on a day you want to remember. When we moved from one side of Gloucestershire to the other it took a big van to move all my pots and plants, this was in the late winter and when Spring came I found that the previous owner had very similar taste in plants as I do and so I had quite a number all the same variety, they are all living happily together now :-) I should have put a smiley behind my daft innit comment kate |
#22
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Pruning Lavender
I think that Roy has made a good point, there are a great many of us that hang on to old plants out of sentimental reasons, daft innit. Why not take cuttings from the old plant and then send it off to the great garden in the sky :-) I don't think it is daft. It may be a plant from a beloved relative, now deceased; it may be a plant you bought on a day you want to remember. When we moved from one side of Gloucestershire to the other it took a big van to move all my pots and plants, this was in the late winter and when Spring came I found that the previous owner had very similar taste in plants as I do and so I had quite a number all the same variety, they are all living happily together now :-) I should have put a smiley behind my daft innit comment kate |
#23
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 11:39:57 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote: Dave, can you give a brief description of the way you took the cuttings, please? I have tried many times, different methods, but had no success. They are very easy Pam. Wait until winter when the current years growth has hardened and the leaves have fallen off, and take pencil-thick sections of stem about 4" long, each with at least one bud near to the top of the cutting. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove a 2" long sliver of bark below the bud so that the green cambium layer is exposed. Insert up to the bud, in pots of very gritty, loam based compost (50/50 JI No2 and horticultural sand/grit), firm well, water and place in a co;d frame or unheated greenhouse. If you live in the south, the pots can be stood outside in a sheltered place. As long as the compost is kept moist, cutting will commence growth by late spring and can be carefully separated and potted individually by late summer. A slightly alternative method is to take slightly long sections of the previous season's growth with a bud close to the base and a bud close to the top. Take a sliver of bark from opposite the lower bud and treat as above. This way you may get both buds commencing growth, but you are almost assured of good rooting. Personally, I rarely bother with hormone rooting powder, but you can use that as additional insurance. Aftercare consists of growing the young plants on in a good loam based compost - again JI No2 is good. During their first winter as rooted plants, cut the shoots back to the lowest, strongest buds since these will form the bases for the fruiting vines. At the second winter, cut back to the strongest 2 buds in order to promote thick strong canes, which will form part of the framework. They can be 'topped' at around 6 feet in late summer to encourage the formation of fruiting spurs. You can allow strong canes to remain depending upon how you want your vine to develop, but make sure that you prune out any thin shoots. As a broad rule of thumb, anything thinner than a pencil should be cut away. With older plants I usually remove anything thinner than finger thickness. The best time for major pruning is in winter whilst the vines are dormant. If you prune too late, the vines will bleed from the cut ends. Cuttings taken as described will be ready for planting out in their final growing position after 15 months and commence fruiting within 4-5 years. HTH Dave Poole Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C. Growing season: March - November |
#24
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 11:39:57 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote: Dave, can you give a brief description of the way you took the cuttings, please? I have tried many times, different methods, but had no success. They are very easy Pam. Wait until winter when the current years growth has hardened and the leaves have fallen off, and take pencil-thick sections of stem about 4" long, each with at least one bud near to the top of the cutting. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove a 2" long sliver of bark below the bud so that the green cambium layer is exposed. Insert up to the bud, in pots of very gritty, loam based compost (50/50 JI No2 and horticultural sand/grit), firm well, water and place in a co;d frame or unheated greenhouse. If you live in the south, the pots can be stood outside in a sheltered place. As long as the compost is kept moist, cutting will commence growth by late spring and can be carefully separated and potted individually by late summer. A slightly alternative method is to take slightly long sections of the previous season's growth with a bud close to the base and a bud close to the top. Take a sliver of bark from opposite the lower bud and treat as above. This way you may get both buds commencing growth, but you are almost assured of good rooting. Personally, I rarely bother with hormone rooting powder, but you can use that as additional insurance. Aftercare consists of growing the young plants on in a good loam based compost - again JI No2 is good. During their first winter as rooted plants, cut the shoots back to the lowest, strongest buds since these will form the bases for the fruiting vines. At the second winter, cut back to the strongest 2 buds in order to promote thick strong canes, which will form part of the framework. They can be 'topped' at around 6 feet in late summer to encourage the formation of fruiting spurs. You can allow strong canes to remain depending upon how you want your vine to develop, but make sure that you prune out any thin shoots. As a broad rule of thumb, anything thinner than a pencil should be cut away. With older plants I usually remove anything thinner than finger thickness. The best time for major pruning is in winter whilst the vines are dormant. If you prune too late, the vines will bleed from the cut ends. Cuttings taken as described will be ready for planting out in their final growing position after 15 months and commence fruiting within 4-5 years. HTH Dave Poole Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C. Growing season: March - November |
#25
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Pruning Lavender
On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 14:35:58 +0100, Dave Poole
wrote: On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 11:39:57 GMT, Pam Moore wrote: Dave, can you give a brief description of the way you took the cuttings, please? I have tried many times, different methods, but had no success. hanks Dave, very clear instructions. Will try. Pam in Bristol |
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