Trees

[Pford75]

Joce....found just the thing for your tree planting and gardening

http://www.twgaze.com/Diss-Auction-Rooms/Current-Catalogues/View-Catalogue?Event=595&pg=-1

Lot 474

 

[JoceAndChris]

"Cecily Cardew: When I see a spade I call it a spade.
Gwendolyn Fairfax: I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade."

Now there's a spade to make the most girly of Gwendolyns happy! I should like to perch it decoratively alongside a pristine pair of these: http://www.bradleysthetannery.co.uk/store.asp?storeAction=showDetail&stockID=105

in a garden room that looked like this:
http://www.amdega.co.uk/summerhouses/chelsea-pavillion.htm

and then sit back with some very fine Ceylon tea and watch my teams of gardeners hard at work.

 

[Penners]

sit back with some very fine Ceylon tea and watch my teams of gardeners hard at work.

The only trouble is that sooner or later you have to wake up - and discover that it was all a dream.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well I've been VERY hard at work and in the two weeks since this thread have completely transformed my garden: felling, pruning and planting. Many of things I thought were shrubs I've found are in fact saplings- such as laburnum and rowan - as they've burst into their characteristic blossom enabling identification. This means I can feel less guilty about felling the old, overgrown trees as I intend to keep a lot of these (and prevent them from turning into their parental giants)

Here's Penners Amelanchier in a prime spot on my patio- thanks Penners! (It's in the round hole in the crazy paving)

It's behind the blue container, you see it'll nicely screen that unattractive view of my workshop drainpipe:

I'm wondering if I'm brave enough to risk training it into a standard, I found this advice:



"Select Plants With Strong Central Leader Stems
A central leader is the strong center stem - what makes up the trunk of a tree. Even bushy shrubs can be trained to standard forms when you select a plant that has a larger central branch. The gardener will select that central leader to be the main support for the standard and will carefully prune away all the other branches.

Prune Your Shrub or Tree to Create The Standard
Plants that are grown as standards have to be trained to that form so the gardener will need to prune all of the lower branches and stems except the main, central leader. This heavy first pruning can be very stressful to an older shrub or plant so be sure to start with a young plant. Leave plenty of branches and leaves at the top of the central leader so the plant will be able to produce enough energy to support itself and grow in a healthy way.

Stake and Tie the Plant
In order to create the straight central trunk of the formal, standard form a gardener will need to now stake and tie the central leader to a firm support stick. This will encourage the central leader stem to grow straight and tall. If the standard plant is growing in the ground, rather than a container, a gardener may need to have two stakes. Once the standard has matured and the central stem is strong and woody the stake may no longer be needed."



Read more at Suite101: Growing Shrub Plants as Standards: Shrubs and Small Trees Grown Upright in the Garden or Containers http://shrubs.suite101.com/article.cfm/growing_shrub_plants_as_standards#ixzz0pneDdtg4


Has anyone done this? It would be awful if it just killed it as it was a special mail order - maybe I should leave well alone.

 

[Penners]

Yes, I've done it a few times. It certainly does require some courage to start the process, but I've found that the results have always made the leap of faith worthwhile.

I would, however, give the little chap a while to get himself settled before you start amputating. As your article says, it's quite stressful to the plant, and in my opinion it's better to let it get its feet into the ground properly, before you start cutting. Maybe leave it until next winter, when the plant is dormant.

It's perhaps also worth adding a refinement to the article's comments about staking the plant, once you've selected the leader that will become its trunk. That is, of course, important, but everything that I've read about staking says to do it fairly low down on the trunk. This allows the putative tree to bend in the wind, which strengthens the trunk. But be sure that the roots can't move in the ground.

I do hope you enjoy your Amelanchier. I love 'em.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That's lovely advice, many thanks! It's encouraging to read you've had success with this. I'll leave it until next winter as you say, as it's only just gone in. That'll also, hopefully, be enough time to see whether it likes this spot.

I'm sure that we'll all love this tree. I've already promised the fruit to Clara.

 

[Penners]

Who's Clara?

No - don't answer that! I have a terrible feeling that she's either a cat or a chicken.