Amateur Gardening – 13 July 2019

38 AMATEUR GARDENING 13 JULY 2019

Q

When our blackcurrants have

finished fruiting, how far back

should I prune them?

Gordon Cox, via email

A

Pruning blackcurrants is best done

between November and February,

and there are a couple of ways you can

approach it.

Blackcurrants respond well to hard

pruning so for a complete renewal you

could cut each of the main branches

back to just a bud or two above ground

level, or the base of the branch

framework. It would then come back

with renewed vigour in spring.

However, blackcurrants fruit best on

two and three-year-old wood so you

would lose a year’s worth of fruit. If you

have three plants you could do this one

plant each year and you would still have

two that are producing fruit.

If you only have one or two bushes it

would be better to implement a three-

year renewal programme. This involves

Write to us:Ask John, Amateur Gardening magazine,

Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park,

Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7BF.

Email us:[email protected]

Q

Our oleander is doing well, but it

has grown rather tall. Should I cut

it back now?

Margaret Belstead, via email

A

The best time to prune oleanders is

September or October. If it is still a

young plant, take the tips off along each

shoot, to encourage it to throw out

branches lower down.

If it already has a number of main

branches, then the best way to do it is

to prune back by half their length any

Curious about caring for my oleander

When can I cut back blackcurrants?

Cosmos query

Q

Please could you identify this

variety of cosmos?

Chris Plant,

via email

A

Though I

cannot find

the exact variety

that you wish to

replicate, the

following forms

closely resemble it:

‘Razzmatazz’:Semi-double shaggy

petals. Height: 3ft (90cm).

Supplier: Unwins. ✆ 08444 573 8400.

 unwins.co.uk.

‘Red Stripe’:Red with white stripes.

Height: 20-24in (50-60cm).

Supplier: Suttons. ✆ 0333 043 0700.

 suttons.co.uk.

‘Sweet Kisses’: Another striped,

bicoloured variety. Height: 48in (120cm).

Supplier: Mr Fothergill’s. ✆ 0845 371

518.  mr-fothergills.co.uk.

Q

My photinia ‘Red Robin’ has grown

rather tall and leggy and needs

quite drastic pruning, but when should

I do this?

Jennifer Hazell, via email

A

The best time to prune photinia

‘Red Robin’ is in late spring when

growth is robust and pruning cuts heal

quickly. It is, however, not too late now.

Ideally, at this time of year, don’t

remove more than 12in (30cm) as

wounds need to heal and regenerate

before autumn arrives and early frosts

damage tender new leaves.

Make sure that your shears or

secateurs are really sharp and well set to

avoid tearing tissue, which may become

infected with disease spores.

Reducing a ‘Robin’

Oleanders should be reduced in size in the autumn

shoots that have flowered. Side shoots

from the main shoots should be cut back

to 4in (10cm).

However, although this is the

recommended way of pruning oleander,

they are fairly forgiving of hard pruning,

and if you are worried about the height

yours might reach before autumn, you

wont do it any harm by cutting it to a

manageable size now.

The only problem with doing this is

that you might remove any flowers that

are developing.

cutting a third of the main stems back

to one or two buds above ground level,

or above the joint with another major

branch, each year. If you do this every

year for three years, you would

effectively renew all the branches.

Prune photinias in late spring

Blackcurrant bushes

should be pruned while

dormant in winter

variety of cosmos?

closely resemble it:

There are several

attractively

petalled cosmos

Morguefi le