Fact Sheet Twenty Five
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THE GARDENERS DIARY
WEEK 25
20th March 2005
THE DIARY THE FLOWER GARDEN: Trim newly planted hedges for bushy growth.
Newly planted hedges such as Privet (Ligustrum) & Hawthorn (Crataegus) should be hard pruned down to 15-25cm.
This may seem drastic but these plants can sometimes grow straggly and to encourage bushiness it is wise to do this.
On naturally bushy plants like Beech (Fagus) and Hornbeam (Carpinus) which have also been planted recently, trim down by a third. Again this hard pruning will promote a thicker hedge in the long run.
IN THE GREENHOUSE: Training plants for increasing stocks.
Old stock plants of Fuchsia, Geraniums and other half-hardy bedding plants which were saved from last season will need attention as their growth can soon get long and straggly.
This growth should be pinched off but don't throw it in the bucket as it's ideal for increasing your stocks for the coming season.
Cuttings should be snipped off and then stripped of their bottom leaves leaving only the tips.
Then make a fresh cut at the base just below a leaf node. Dip the cutting into some hormone rooting powder or solution then place into a 50/50 mixture of moss peat and perlite.
Firm the potting mixture around the cutting with a dibber. Water in then cover and place onto a heated propagator removing the cover occasionally to allow some of the access condensation to evaporate.
Put 3-5 cuttings per 9cm pot depending on the size of your stock. Once you start to see signs of growth lightly tug to see if the cutting has rooted.
Pot on each plant into individual containers and grow on ready for planting out the end of May.
ON THE LAWN THIS WEEK: Start controlling lawn weeds.
With the mild weather, the lawn is growing but so are those troublesome weeds.
It is worth getting on top of the problem before the lawn season really takes off.
Try and use a liquid weed killer rather than a granular type. These get to work much quicker as the granular type need to be watered in if it doesn't rain within 2-3 days of application. Try and apply the solution on a still dry day.
You may find some lawn weeds harder to shift than others and these may need a second treatment before they finally give up the ghost.
Once the weeds have been killed off, remove the dead plant material and rake the area level. Apply a general purpose fertiliser and replace the patches either by re-seeding or by cutting out the patch and re-turfing.
DISEASE PROBLEM OF THE WEEK: Pear Scab on Photinia
Whilst clearing up in the garden if you possess a Photinia (Chinese Hawthorn) please have a close look at it.
If you notice what would be described as black spots and lots of the older foliage is falling off then you may have this disease.
The darkened splodges resemble what black spot looks like on roses but is actually a strain of pear scab.
Pear Scab has recently in the horticultural industry been a severe problem. It has attacked Hebe (Veronica), Crataegus (Quickthorn) and Pyracantha (Firethorn) in recent years but now seems to be attacking the Photinia family.
The only control is to remove all the damaged growth and trim the stems back by a third to some healthy buds or growth.
Then spray through the growing season with a fungicide that will treat scab at fortnightly intervals.
Listen to The Gardener's Diary with Luke Ashmead on BBC Three Counties Radio every Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm Contact The Gardener's Diary Here BBC Three Counties Radio 94.7, 98, 103.8, 95.5 and 104.5FM | 
