Too wet for digging yesterday took down the last Bean sticks. I had tried a very late sowing of blue lake but the frost got them. If it had stayed mild like last year I would have got some they were in flower- never mind only "cost" me 10 seeds worth a risk.
We are slowly pruning all our plum and cherry trees in the garden- one more to go, but on the way around the garden we pruned a few lower dead branches of a weeping willow, a young oak tree and a weeping birch which wasn't really weeping as most of the branches were growing upwards rather than arching downwards. Plenty of sawn off woody bits to shred next week.
I thought you weren't meant to prune stone fruit at this time of year, danger from silver leaf infection & all that. Be handy to know if it's ok after all as one of my allotment cherry trees is getting too tall.
My husband swept up lots of leaves last night and put them in the garden wheelie bin.
I went out before the binmen came and transferred the leaves back out of the wheelie bin to bag up for leaf mould, I can use that. I'm not giving that to the council garden waste recyclers .
I have not heard before that it is the wrong time to prune stoned fruit trees Iain and I wonder when is the best time. Most of our trees are only dormant until Jan/Feb due to the milder weather. We are going to prune the apple trees in Dec/Jan which we always do and they have given us a record breaking crop this year. When do other's think is the right time for Cherries and Plums?
Hi GD2 , I have always understood that stone fruit should only be pruned in summer (anytime from May depending on where you are). The standard wisdom is that there is a risk of silver leaf infection if you prune in Autumn/Winter as the wound cuts don't heal over. If you have pruned your plums etc at this time before without trouble, then maybe it's ok for you or where you are. Top fruit like Apples & Pears can be pruned for structure in Autumn/ winter & for fruit in summer. Summer pruning is more difficult of course as all the leaves make it harder to se what you are doing. The RHS website has lots on all this.
We completed our fruit tree pruning with some trepidation Iain, although I only read your message once we had finished for the day. The cherry trees have never given us much in the way of fruit but the plums have been fairly successful, so we will see what happens next year .......
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Put some MDF in to shore up the compost heap, screwed into place.
First turn of the compost heap - a satisfying steam came out
Built a bird bath
Filmed the robin singing
Swept the patio
And cooked a roast
Too wet for digging yesterday took down the last Bean sticks. I had tried a very late sowing of blue lake but the frost got them. If it had stayed mild like last year I would have got some they were in flower- never mind only "cost" me 10 seeds worth a risk.
We are slowly pruning all our plum and cherry trees in the garden- one more to go, but on the way around the garden we pruned a few lower dead branches of a weeping willow, a young oak tree and a weeping birch which wasn't really weeping as most of the branches were growing upwards rather than arching downwards. Plenty of sawn off woody bits to shred next week.
I thought you weren't meant to prune stone fruit at this time of year, danger from silver leaf infection & all that. Be handy to know if it's ok after all as one of my allotment cherry trees is getting too tall.
My husband swept up lots of leaves last night and put them in the garden wheelie bin.
I went out before the binmen came and transferred the leaves back out of the wheelie bin to bag up for leaf mould, I can use that. I'm not giving that to the council garden waste recyclers .
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
Love the "photo-shopped" pictures on the T and M website
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
I have not heard before that it is the wrong time to prune stoned fruit trees Iain and I wonder when is the best time. Most of our trees are only dormant until Jan/Feb due to the milder weather. We are going to prune the apple trees in Dec/Jan which we always do and they have given us a record breaking crop this year. When do other's think is the right time for Cherries and Plums?
Hi GD2 , I have always understood that stone fruit should only be pruned in summer (anytime from May depending on where you are). The standard wisdom is that there is a risk of silver leaf infection if you prune in Autumn/Winter as the wound cuts don't heal over. If you have pruned your plums etc at this time before without trouble, then maybe it's ok for you or where you are. Top fruit like Apples & Pears can be pruned for structure in Autumn/ winter & for fruit in summer. Summer pruning is more difficult of course as all the leaves make it harder to se what you are doing. The RHS website has lots on all this.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=339
Volunteer day at Capel Manor today. Planting Moss in Japanese garden! and of course lots of leaf clearing.
We completed our fruit tree pruning with some trepidation Iain, although I only read your message once we had finished for the day. The cherry trees have never given us much in the way of fruit but the plums have been fairly successful, so we will see what happens next year .......