Gardening with Gael: Pruning: The spring trim

 

Spring, one of my favourite seasons, fills me with a sense of panic. Small weeds suddenly spring into life, there is feeding and mulching to do and some last minute pruning. Many people have asked me about their hibiscus: ‘My hibiscus which was SO lovely this year now looks miserable!’; ‘My hibiscus has suddenly gone yellow at the ends and doesn’t look at all well’; or ‘What’s wrong with my hibiscus?’

Hibiscus don’t like the cold. The leaves on the extremities tend to turn a little yellow and the ends of the branches look as if they are dying off. There is nothing wrong with the hibiscus, it just needs a good prune. Cut all the branches back by at least a third to an out-facing leaf or shoot. Very vigorous hibiscus such as the double pink Suva Queen can be pruned even harder. Any branches growing through the middle of the plant cut off completely, much the same way as you do with roses. Give them some lime and some organic compost, mulch and they’ll be fine for months.

Hydrangeas need to have been cut back by now but it is not too late. Cut back to a large swollen bud. I have a favourite lacetop that retains its dark purple colour every year. I have dug over a piece of ground next to the plant, in the shade and literally shoved in at least a dozen cuttings. Hydrangeas and geraniums take very easily, unlike my experimental luculias which were all a complete failure.

I have discovered I have a slight addiction to cutting paths and terraces into banks. There is a hillside at the Block along from the tea plantation where I planted deciduous trees for their autumn colour. It is quite hard to access these trees for their yearly feed and mulch and so at every opportunity I chip away forming paths that can be accessed by the wheelbarrow. Now that I have formed the paths I can see that bordering them with small hedges would be nice, hence the sudden hydrangea cuttings exercise. 

Any transplanting needs to be done now while there is still rain. I have dug out some roses which outgrew their possum free enclosure. Particularly thorny or rampant roses have had to leave the enclosure and be transplanted down here at the beach. 

Now is the time to spray roses with lime and sulphur to curtail any fungus diseases before the new shoots appear. I have had to spray a bit around the ground as well. Because I have taken about six roses out of my rose garden, I hope there is more room for air circulation and for me to physically get between them.

Tomorrow my friend Rosie and her friend Bridget, who is a gardener, are visiting. Last time Bridget came I proudly showed her my rose garden.
“I’m not sure about this one,” I said pointing to a pretty white rose that was growing rapidly all over one wall. “I don’t remember planting it but it has done really well.” 

Bridget got a strange look on her face. I could see she was struggling with whether or not to speak. 
“I think,” she said finally, “that your rose has died and this is the root stock!” 

We inspected the plant. Sure enough there were some signs of dead twigs above the graft but below it the root stock was flourishing. It was a good lesson in how a good root stock keeps the roses we buy vigorous. I was quite sad to dig it out.

Pruning hibiscus in spring will encourage new growth.