Weekend Work: Time to prune wisterias
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Your support makes all the difference.What to do
Vigorous pruning is needed on wisterias. Choose the growths that you want to keep to fill extra space and if they have not started climbing round any support, help them on their way. Shorten all other growths by half, leaving about five or six pairs of leaves intact.
Trained apple and pear trees may need gradual summer pruning. Leave the leaders at the ends of all the main branches untouched. Shorten all new side shoots by a third.
Layer border carnations. Choose young side shoots that have not flowered and nick halfway through the joint at the base. Bend the side shoots down and peg them firmly into the ground with bent wire. Cover the split stem with fine damp soil and keep the plant well watered. Layers should have rooted by early September.
Cut out old raspberry canes as soon as fruit picking has finished. Tie in new canes, leaving no more than eight or 10 to each plant. Tidy strawberry beds, cutting off old leaves and removing straw. Weed the beds if necessary.
What to see
Garden paintings made between 1920-40 feature in a new exhibition of Stanley Spencer's paintings at Compton Verney, in Warwickshire. Stanley Spencer and the English Garden runs until 2 Oct, Tues-Sun (11am-5pm), £13. Call 01926 645541 or see comptonverney.org.uk
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