by Leslie Cox; Monday; March 6, 2017

Lately, a few people have been asking me how to prune their clematis and if they should be doing it now. My pat answer to both questions is always: “Well, that depends.”

I hate to be vague, but when it comes to clematis and pruning, you really do need to know which one you have. This is because clematis are divided into three different categories and one of those three categories is split into two. Each of these categories has different pruning methods and the pruning is done at different times.

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by Leslie Cox; Monday; February 13, 2017

When shrubs and trees are laden with snow…especially our typical moisture-laden snow the Pacific Northwest is famous for…it is prudent to knock it off the branches before too much has accumulated. This will hopefully minimize any damage to your plants.

But…and it is a big BUT…there is a right way and a wrong way to brush snow off shrubs and trees. Go about it wrong and you risk breaking branches the snow had only bent.

So…arm yourself with a broom…preferably a corn broom, which is stiff enough to be effective but soft enough to be fairly gentle on the plants.

Always sweep upward to knock the snow off. Never, ever use a downward motion! Doing so puts more pressure on bent branches already under weight-stress from their snow load. Adding more and you risk breaking the branch…or branches.

Now…if you have pushed the broom up under some branches and the snow won’t budge…then unfortunately it is frozen and there to stay until the temperatures warm up enough to start a thaw. Whatever you do…DO NOT shake the shrub or tree! You risk doing serious damage to the plant in its frozen state. Walk away…and pray for the plant…and a quick thaw!

One last note…by the end of the snow season, you may have to go out and buy yourself…or your spouse…a new corn broom. But really, it is a small price to pay if the broom has saved your plants from serious damage.

Materials:

• screened compost
• rectangular metal baking pans, or other suitable oven-proof container
• aluminium foil
• thermometer
• oven mitts
• cooling racks

Procedure:

1. Preheat your oven to 150 °F (65 °C).
2. Fill the baking pan, or pans, three quarters full, but no more than 10 cm (4 inches) high
3. Cover pan with aluminium foil, crimping firmly along all edges to ensure as tight a seal as possible.
4. Place in oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and check the temperature of the compost.
   1. If it has not reached a temperature of 65.5 °C (150 °F), replace the aluminium foil cover and place the pan back in the oven to continue cooking for another 10 – 15 minutes before checking the temperature again. Repeat this step until the compost has reached the correct temperature. When that temperature has been reached, replace the aluminium foil cover and place the pan back in the oven to continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
   2. If the compost has reached 65.5 °C (150 °F) after the initial 20 minute cooking time…replace the aluminium foil and put the pan back in the oven to continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
   3. If you are using a meat thermometer, you can place it in the compost…making very sure the tip is not touching the bottom of the metal pan…and carefully crimp the aluminium foil cover around it. Using a meat thermometer, you will not have to take the pan out of the oven repeatedly in order to check the temperature.
6. When the compost has had it full allotment of cooking time…the 30 minutes after it has reached 65.5 °C (150 °F)…remove the pans from the oven and set on racks to cool.
7. Once the pasteurized compost is fully cooled, you can use it to make up your potting soil mix.

Note: You can find the Potting Soil Recipes in “Garden Recipes” under “In the Garden” on the menu bar. You can also click on the quick link here.

Another note: Some people use their compost straight out of the bin when they are making up potting soil mix. We are “guilty” of this ourselves. However…and it is a big however…we hot compost in our bins…building the pile properly and keeping a close watch on the internal temperature of our compost to ensure it heats up to 65.5 °C (150 °F) and stays there. Hot composting is why we can have usable soil amendment in three months or less, depending on how many times we have turned the pile.

(For an optimum Compost Recipe, one which will hot process your compost, look in “Garden Recipes” under “In the Garden” on the menu bar. You can also click on the quick link here.)

There are some people who say they use “cold processed” compost in their potting soil mix and claim not to have had any problems. (Cold processed compost means the ingredients have just been piled into the bin without any intention of building up heat to kill the bad bacteria and fungi.)

Personally, I think they are dodging the bullet…like you potentially dodge flu bugs when you are in the grocery store or cooped up in the office. The fungi which cause “damping off” disease, for instance, can be present in the soil mix…so you are playing a game of Russian roulette. But that is just my opinion. It is ultimately your decision.

And yet another note: Pasteurizing soil in your oven could be a smelly project…one which could upset the cook in the family. If you prefer not to take any chances of introducing unwanted aromas into tonight’s serving of roast beef…you may want to consider building a solar oven, expressly for pasteurizing your compost.

There are any number of plans for a DYI solar oven project available on the Internet. Select one which fits your level of expertise, time allowance, and pocketbook. Unfortunately, I cannot personally recommend any, as I have not built a solar oven myself. But I know it can be done…so good luck!

Posted on February 2, 2017

by Leslie Cox; Tuesday; January 24, 2017

A Brief Introduction into Fruit Tree Forms

Fruit trees can be pruned into almost any shape. Based on tree placement, its growth habit and time constraints, you will have to select which pruning form best suits your purposes.

Bush: A widely used and productive form. Suitable for almost all fruit trees if adequate space permits. Framework branches fan out from a short 2.5 – 3 ft (75 – 90 cm) trunk. The leader is pruned to open the tree in the centre and allow for evenly-spaced multi-branching around the upper third of the trunk.

Spindle bush: This is a high-yielding form popular in commercial apple orchards. Main branches are low which gives the tree a wide-based cone-shape. Branches are trained horizontally and are supported by wires attached to a sturdy stake when heavy with fruit.

Pyramid: This form is used mainly for plums as maintenance pruning suits their fruiting habit. Tapering the branches to the top of the tree allows plenty of sun to reach the fruits on lower branches. A few small 6 – 8 ft (1.8 – 2.4 m) trees can be planted closely together in smaller gardens utilizing this pruning technique.

Dwarf pyramid: Suitable for modern dwarf cultivars of pears and apples. The small, compact form keeping trees to 5 or 6 ft (1.5 – 1.8 m) suits planting them in rows or blocks.

Fan: This heavy-bearing, decorative form is suitable for many fruit varieties, but especially plums, peaches and figs. The main stem should be short and the fan effect is achieved from branches, which are the ‘ribs’ of the fan, radiating from two low branches that are angled only slightly upward.

Espalier: Ideal for pear and apple varieties, but not stone fruits. Usually two- or three-tiered, this is a high-yielding form with a formal decorative impact. From the main trunk, the pairs of branches should be as opposite one another as possible and of equal length.

Palmette: A less rigid variation on the espalier form where the opposing tiers of branches are angled slightly upward, nicely disguising any slight lack of symmetry in the tree.

Standard: This form requires the most vigorous rootstock to support the clear trunk of 6 – 6.5 ft (1.8 – 2 m) in height. The crown is formed as for the bush form, but with a larger spread. Harvesting and maintenance is difficult is more difficult with this form. Not suitable for most gardens. More suited to a large orchard operation.

Half-standard: Smaller version of the standard form. Not really suited to fruiting varieties, but pleasing on an ornamental type of tree, if space allows.

Cordon: A suitable form for apples and pears as a number of cultivars can be grown in a small space. Grow against a wall or on post and wire.

Double or “U” cordon: Ideal form for soft fruits, such as redcurrants. Needs strong corrective pruning as it often grows strongest at the top of the two main arms. Easy to grow against a wall.

Multiple cordons: These forms have three, four, or more vertical arms. Requires intricate training and maintenance, but the effect is as decorative as the espalier form. Suitable for apples and pears, although the three-armed (triple) cordon is not suitable for certain heavier fruited and yield-bearing cultivars.

by Leslie Cox; Wednesday; January 11, 2017

Materials:

• seeds (preferably 10 – 20 for representative results, but as few as 5 can suffice)
• paper towels
• ziplock bags (alternatively, you can use saucers and clean plastic bags)
• an indelible pen
• a container large enough to hold the ziplock bags in an upright position.

Procedure:

1. Rip off one or two sheets of paper towel from the roll…depending on the size and number of seeds to be germinated.
2. Write the name of the seed and the date on the upper edge of the towel. Very important, especially if you are testing more than 3 or 4 seed varieties at the same time.
3. Wet the towels just enough so they are damp, but not soaking.
4. If you are using saucers and plastic bags…place the damp paper towel on the saucer.
5. Place the seeds on the damp paper towels, making sure they are not touching one another. In moist, semi-enclosed conditions, the seeds can develop fungal growth. Placed too close to one another, the fungus will spread given you are providing it with its favourite moist environment.
6. Fold the paper towel over the seeds to cover them and slip the saucer into a plastic bag. Be sure to leave the bag open to allow air in to reduce risk of fungal growth.
7. If you are not using saucers, roll up the damp paper towel with the seeds inside and place it in the ziplock bag with one end up. Do not close the bag.
8. Stand the ziplock bags upright in the container.
9. Place saucers or container in a warm place…on top of the fridge or the water heater.
10. Start checking your seeds for signs of germinating after 2 days.
11. Spritz the paper towels with water if they are starting to dry out.

Once you have determined as many seeds have sprouted as are going to…(I usually allow 10 – 14 days, but sometimes up to 21 days depending on the age of the seeds and variety)…count how many have germinated and divide that number by how many seeds you started with. Multiply the resulting number by 100 to get your germination percentage rate.

If you are a lab tech like me, you might find it helpful to make up a recording chart in Excel, or other similar spreadsheet program. I find these record sheets of seed test results to be useful for information purposes down the road.