There is much work to be done gardens at this time, compost and pea straw spreading, trees to be dealt to with a chain saw. Because it is too late in the year to trim soft trees and shrubs huge over grown ivy and out of control evergreen climbers can be tidied up. Ivy is like wisteria if you are too kind to it, some of those twining soft leaders it puts out will grow into a thick woody tree trunk if left.
This is a great time of the year to really look at the garden while it is bare and sleeping, any new growth beneath the graft area on a tree can be removed. All large deciduous trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes, oaks any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted onto strong growing root stock different to the top graft. From time to time the root stock will push growth out and up and because it is strong growing it will always overtake the grafted wanted specimen. This must be cut out. I have seen a few mature trees left to grow this way and the result is not good, a prunus displaying beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side looks some what bazaar.
Thinning out of branches can be done now, if branches are crossing over each other or there are far too many in the centre of a tree don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out and let some light in. Prunus and crab apple trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together and encourage disease if not removed. Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this. But never prune like this on a dull damp day, this could spread silver leaf pick a bright sunny day.
Digging up and shifting things around like rhododendrons, azalea's and magnolias. Anything that you think has been struggling in the spot it was planted. This is the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty and replace with a younger version of the original or something different. You can change the whole look of a tired garden by doing this. If a huge gap is going to be left with the removal of a tree or shrub, fill the gap with a section of manuka screening placed behind the smaller replacement plant, it will give the plant protection and privacy and once the plant has reached the desired height and width the screening can be removed.
Lots of rogue trees and shrubs birds would have have introduced will have popped up everywhere, some which have grown in among shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias some become quite established before they are noticed then are stubborn to remove. It is best to remove them completely if you can because they just keep growing stronger each year and undermine the roots of the needed plant.
On the coast there are so many things that have self seeded and can be planted to grow on at this time of the year like hellebore, lupins, poppies, pansy, viola, forget- me- not and primula.
If you have pollyantha's and primulas that you left in the ground from last year they will have multiplied, and will be easy to break apart and plant out separately. Polly's love dried blood it l greens them up after transplanting. If you do get some dried blood sprinkle a little around camellia's and Daphne's if they do not look like they are thriving.
Plant sweet-pea's now to flower very early spring.
Lawns:
Winter lawns that have been performing poorly in spite of feeding and watering may be improved with a winter liming. Aim to achieve a PH of around 6 (mildly acid) which will encourage strong grass growth.
Vegetables:
In the vegetable garden where green leafy vegetables and onions will be growing next summer give a dressing of 250 grams per square metre of dolomite lime. If you follow a regular rotation this will ensure that most of the garden receives lime once in three years, permanent crops like rhubarb should be limed every three years as well. in gardens fed with compost rather than chemical fertilisers the PH tends to rise gradually eventually making regular liming unnecessary.
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