From The Potting Shed - Gardening Tips For April

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[intexasatthe moment]

Mickmac- so that's what I did wrong last year !

Bugger ,bugger,bugger .

It was a long back breaking job getting the soil right ,and then i didn't level it !

[Dulwich Gardening]

Hi Karrie,

Many thanks for the tree query. To be honest, I've not heard about the technique of bashing a tree but will do some research and talk to some of my peers.

With both apple and pear trees a lack of blossom and fruit can be contributed to a number of factors including over fertilisation, which make the tree produce more wood than blossom, poor pruning, late frosts as the flowers are very sensitive and bad or no pollination. I'd give it more time to establish and then see how it fairs next year.

Shane

Dulwich Gardening Company

[woofmarkthedog]

Karrie

I worked my way through art school by working with an old tree surgeon doing all his high cutting. Your tree hitting technique got me thinking.

I remember Henry telling me about Walnut trees, so I looked it up & you're not far off, please see below

W**F

Walnuts are harvested by hitting the ends of the branches with a long pole. This not only knocks off the walnuts, but the tips of the branches as well. When the tips are knocked off, it encourages the growth of new spurs which will, in turn, produce new flowers. The wood of the tree is also harvested to make furniture.

(Taken from this gardening site)

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[Dulwich Gardening]

Hi Karrie,

Trees should be ideally be fertilised in late winter or early spring. Over fertilisation (feeding at the wrong time) may cause a flush of new growth that would be susceptible to damage by an early frost and also divert growth from more established branches.

And W**F, many thanks for the walnut tree information as well. I've been doing some research and as of yet can't find anything specific. However, I have read that when staking trees the trees should still be able to sway as this forces the roots to establish themself quicker.

I'll keep looking.

Shane

Dulwich Gardening Company

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[SteveT]

Karrie wrote:- I am not sure if earth would become rich in nutrients if left undisturbed for years, or vice versa.

Left undisturbed earth becomes very acid, so when I dug up the grass to make a flower bed I sprinkled liberal amounts of lime, which apparantly changes the ph of the soil and aids plant growth.