Gardening Techniques Part Three

Well! this 'so called' mini series might take me longer than I first thought. Third article coming up, and I have only got to letter 'F'. Never mind, with perseverance we are going to get there. So Here goes. No3.

Fallowing:
During the old days farmers used to fallow fields occasionally, leaving them bare for a whole season to permit bacteria to build up fertility and to allow the weather to improve the soil structure. This procedure has greatly declined in agriculture and has almost no place in gardening, although the vegetable plot is mainly bare in winter therefore it can be considered a very short term fallow.

Despite the absence of true fallowing, a special kind of fallow is widely used in the vegetable garden. Some types of soil-born troubles such as, club root and white rot can live in the ground for quite a few years. Following an attack, the land must be at the least part-fallowed - that is, no susceptible plant should be grown on it for the period laid out in textbooks.

Forcing:
Forcing is the technique of inducing growth, flowering or fruiting sooner than normal. To do this there must be a change in the environment, and mild heat is the most usual stimulant used, the factors which will force one plant on may fail miserably with another plant.

Spring bulbs are forced by keeping the planted bowls cool (40 degrees Fahrenheit) and in darkness for about Eight weeks before moving to warmer conditions 50 degrees F. and then 60 - 70 degrees F. Daffodil bulbs for extra-early flowering are primed by keeping in cold storage for several weeks in late summer.

Rhubarb, Seakale and Chicory are forced by being kept in the dark at a temperature rising from an initial 50 degrees F. to 60 degrees F. as growth progresses. Many other plants in pots can be forced at the same temperature, but require light conditions in a greenhouse or cold frame. Examples include Potatoes, Strawberries, French Beans, Roses, Spiraeas and Azaleas.

Forking:
A garden fork isn?t really a digging tool, although it can from time to time be easier to dig a heavy soil with a fork rather than a spade. Forking is actually a method of cultivation - lumps are broken down by hitting them with the tines of the fork and the surface roughly leveled by dragging the tines across the surface crust, and you must be careful not to damage surface roots.

The garden fork has several purposes, including moving compost, lifting Potatoes and aerating lawns.

Fumigating:
Fumigation is a method of destroying pests and/or disease organisms by means of a gas, vapour or smoke. It is almost always restricted to greenhouses, and the usual applicator nowadays is a firework-like cone. Doors and ventilators must be closed after lighting or much of the benefit will be lost.

This is the last of the letter 'F' in my A - Z in my mini series to aid the new gardeners of today, there is plenty more to come so keep in touch and up to date.

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Gardening Techniques Part 4

A graft is the union between two plants, the roots and lower stem of one plant (which is known as the 'stock' or 'root stock') uniting with the shoot of another plant (the scion), so they grow together as one. The principle role of grafting in horticulture is the propagation of trees and shrubs where one or more of the following difficulties prevent easier means of manufacturing planting material.

Varieties which root slowly or not at all from cuttings or by layering.
Varieties which do not seed.
Varieties which don?t breed true from seed.
Varieties that are unsatisfactory when grown on their very own roots.

A mystique has grown up about grafting, but the principle is very simple. The stock and the scion have to be related, as a general rule the chance of a successful union increases in direct proportion to the closeness of the relationship. Next, there must be physical close contact, it is a thin living layer below the bark which has to knit together. Timing is vital, the plants should be just starting to grow after their winter set, and the union, or joint, has to be protected. This involves binding with raffia, plastic tape or an elastic tie and then covering the whole area with grafting wax. It will prevent both drying out and infection from air-borne spores.

Although the principle is simple, a large amount of systems have evolved over the centuries, saddle grafting, rind grafting, approach grafting, splice grafting and so on. The most well-liked method is whip and tongue grafting. The stock and scion should be approximately the same thickness, remove the binding material once the graft has taken and new growth has appeared.

Cacti are the easiest group of plants to graft. All you need to do is cut the base of the scion in the form of a V. Cut a corresponding V at the top of your stock and push the two grafts together. Push a few pins or thorns through the union and leave the remainder to nature.

Commercial Roses are generally propagated by budding, a type of grafting which is done in midsummer as opposed to early spring. A bud or 'eye' of the selected variety is inserted into a T-shaped cut made in the stem of your rootstock, close to the ground for a bush or some distance up the stem for a standard.

Hardening off:
Plants raised indoors or in a greenhouse have tender tissues, suddenly moving them indoors in spring means a transition period to colder conditions and drying winds for which they aren?t prepared for. The results of this shock is either a severe check to growth or death of the specimen, depending on the tenderness of your variety.

To avoid this problem there must be a gradual acclimatisation to the harsher conditions to be faced outdoors, a process generally known as hardening off. Begin by increasing the ventilation during the day in the greenhouse, after which the plants should be moved to a cold frame. Keep the windows closed at night for several days, then slowly increase the ventilation until the plants are continuously exposed to the outside air for a few days before planting out.

Watch the plants during hardening off. If the leaves turn blue or blotchy and growth stops you will need to decelerate the process.

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