HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 17, 31 March 1950, Page 3

HOME GARDENS

(By J. S. Yeates, Massey Agricultural College)

PLANTING FRUIT TREES

•Supplies of cheap, subsidised apples during the war years led many people to think it was better to buy fruit than grow it for themselves. Now that our exports can be shipped away and we have to pay full prices, the value of a few fruit trees is becoming more obvious. A great many gardeners have no room to grow ordinary apple Jrees. For them help is in sight. The varieties they want can be grafted on to a dwarfing root-stock (Mailing No. 9) so that the trees, though cropping very well, do not grow taler than about "eight feet. These stocks are in the country but will not be ready for full scale marketing until 1951 or 1952.

Their use has several advantages. They commence bearing in about two years from planting, and do not grow high enough to catch the wind in most gardens. Being so small, the gardener can easily reach any part of the tree for pruning, spraying or' picking. Their small size is compensated for by the closer planting possible: They need a good fertile soil and the root system is rather weak, so that if there is any serious wind a stake to each tree is necessary.

One of the most popular ways of growing these dwarfs is in the form of a fence made up of trees planted two or three feet apart alongside a six-foot wire fence. The fence need have only two galvanised wires. The trees are planted not upright, but at an angle of 45 degrees pointing along the wires. A stake (bamboo is very good) is pushed in to the ground by each young tree and tied to the wires 1 1 the angle the tree is to grow. The main shoot of the young tree is tied to this stake, and branches are kept pruned back short, so that all fruit is carried close to the one main stem. Black Currants The black currant is chosen now for consideration because of a refor information on pruning this type of fruit. The easiest way to secure black currant plants is to grow them from cuttings taken in the autumn as soon as the leaves are dropping from the bushes. Make cuttings about 10 inches long from vigorous shoots of this season’s growth. Cut at top and bottom with a sharp knife, just above a bud and just below a bud respectively. Plant about six inches deep in good, welldrained soil. Do not cut any buds on black currant cuttings because thtse will produce branches and suckers, which are riot desirable. A year later the rooted cuttings (or bought plants) can be planted out. Black currants, to do well, need a moist, rich soil. Work in all the compost or animal manure that you can before plantirig them. Commercial growers space the plants six to eight feet apart to allow room for cultivators. In the home garden between four and six feet apart would be suitable when planting a whole bed of them. More after a few bushes will be planted in a single row. In that case the spacing can be from two leet to four feet apart according to the pruning method adopted. & When planting out, cut back all branches close to the ground level, leaving only about four buds on each, such as in hard pruning of rcses. •

Pruning Of Black Currants

The berries are produced on shoots which grow in the previous year. The aim in pruning is to cut out all wood which has borne fruit. This means usually cutting back many branches to the base of the bush, if their smaller branches have fruited. Leave untouched any new main branches which have grown in the past year but which have not fruited. Cut out any weak shoots or crowded growths. Fairly severe pruning of this sort will cause the growth of vigorous new shoots which will be left at next year’s pruning. Remember, by hard pruning, you encourage the new growth which you must have if you want a good crop. A lazy man’s way of doing the severe pruning without any trouble is to plant a row of the bushes two feet apart, as suggested above. At planting time they are all cut back hard to about four buds. In subsequent years alternative bushes are cut back in this way, so that any particular bush is cut right back every two years. This is a simple but effective method in which even the hedge clippers could be used for quick results.

Regular topdressing of complete fertiliser should be given annually. Blood and bone, with superphosphate and a little potash would be suitable. Cultivation should be very shallow, as the currant roots are to the surface. a