The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Propagating the right answer
of seeds. The question was how to set about growing this plant from seed.
Having participated in these question sessions many times over the years, one develops a technique which is based on the fact that you have no preknowledge of the subject and some answers may need a little forethought.
The first nominee to answer the question makes a start, the others on the panel, given a few moments of thinking time, will usually come up with a more reasoned answer.
In this case, I was given first opportunity to offer advice – I have never sown Magnolia seeds in my life! However I expressed the view that the lady would have to have plenty patience if she wanted to see the new seedlings grow up to flower because some species might be 20 years old or more to reach that stage.
She would get much speedier results by vegetative propagation, and I had in mind the technique of layering. My colleagues then took up this line of thinking.
Firstly they dealt with layering a young branch by bending it down to be pinned in to the soil with a wire hook about 30cm from the tip, removing a leaf or two at that point wounding the stem at the joint, finishing the process by mounding some soil over the wounded part and staking the young shoot in an upright position beyond the wound.
This job is usually carried out as growth starts in the spring. Air layering was described as an alternative by George Anderson, my Beechgrove colleague, having shown the technique on Beechgrove, in that case the plant in question was a Fig tree.
Same technique: Select a young shoot and say 30cm from the tip, remove a leaf, cut a couple of slivers up through the joint, leaving them intact like a tongue, dust with hormone powder and pack all around with a handful of damp moss. Wrap quite tightly with polythene and wait.
On that occasion, George used a plastic globe, about the size of a tennis ball instead of a plastic wrap. It was filled with a propagating compost. The well rooted fig shoots were cut from the tree and potted up within six to eight weeks. The illustration is using the globe on an outdoor plant – Garrya elliptica.
The original question was then dealt with.
What about the seed sowing? Carefully remove the seeds from the pods and spread them on top of a seed box filled with freedraining compost, cover lightly and firm. Place in a cold frame to protect from excessive wetting (and vermin) and look forward to a veritable host of seedlings appearing in spring. These new plants might flower in 10-15 years’ time, depending on species.
Next question please? Is it too late to be taking hardwood cuttings?
That one takes me back to the early days of Beechgrove when George Barron and I had a public disagreement – at another GQT.
“IfIdon’tknow, I willfindthe answerfrom someonewho does”
When should gooseberry hardwood cuttings be taken asked the questioner?
My reply was along the lines of ‘ anytime after leaf fall, pencil thickness, 30cm long, with your finger nail, nick out the buds on the stem from the bottom up to 10cm from the top before planting 10cm deep’.
The reason being, you want the bush to develop with a 10cm clear stem above ground and removal of the buds discourages the development of suckers.
George Barron’s point on which he was quite adamant – the best time to take gooseberry hardwood cuttings is February – no argument!