ACTIONPLAN
NIGEL COLBORN’S ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS WEEK
NOW is the time to prune wisteria again. Plants that have been welltrained on a wall should have had all whippy, immature stems shortened to about seven buds last August.
To improve flower size and quality — and to tidy up the plants further — shorten those stumps again, leaving two or three buds on each.
Winter is also a good time to remove unwanted growth. If your wisteria has been allowed to grow too freely, then it will need remedial pruning and training.
Cut away any unwanted branches, thin over-crowded growths and pull wayward stems out of gutters or from beneath roofing. Aim for a balanced plant with evenly spread mature stems, all growing within their allotted space. Don’t worry about cutting too much material away. The plant will regenerate next summer. Flowers will come wherever stems receive adequate sunlight.
CUT BACK BERRIES
JANUARY is a good time for cutting back late cropping raspberries. Varieties such as Autumn Bliss, Joan J and Polka can keep you supplied with luscious fruit well into October. But their culture is different from that of early or summer-fruiting raspberries.
If you grow both kinds, make sure you cut the right ones back. For raspberries which do not ripen before August, reduce all growth to ground level.
This year’s fruits will then develop on new shoots, which emerge from the ground during late winter and early spring.