The books all tell us that we should cut down the canes of autumn fruiting raspberries (mine are "Autumn Bliss") well into the winter and I'm wondering if it necessary to leave it so late? Do the plants need that lateness (like daffodils do in order to store food in the bulbs) or is it OK to cut the canes down once fruiting is finished?I would like to cut my canes now (October) but am reluctant to do so without knowing why the common practice seems to be to leave them for another 2-3 months.
We have 25 yearold, vigorous, well kept, 200ft long escallonia (macrantha) hedge which is trying to recover from the winter. Its damage differs along its length and we're getting conflicting advice as to how to best look after it. 1. Where there is inner growth one says to do nothing, that the scrappy dead branches will act as protection next winter for the growing leaves inside. Another says to cut them away to let light in to encourage inner growth... What do you advise? AND 2. There are areas where there is no inner growth, just outer growth. What's best to do with that area of damage - if anything?
I have a well kept, healthy, 5ft high, 40yd long, 20yr old Portuguese Laurel hedge. Last autumn the leaves on one plant turned grey/silver, through the winter some branches died. That plant is now growing new silver/grey leaves. The leaves are olive greenish - like eleagnus ebbengei. But, the leaves on three more plants dotted through the row are now doing the same. 25 years ago I lost a viburnum tinus hedge to honey fungus, it was 65 yds away from the laurel hedge, the house is between the two sites. I have lost nothing since to honey fungus. If it IS silver leaf disease, what can I do a)to the olivegreenleaved plants to "cure" them and b)the green leaved plants to protect them? We look at this hedge every day through the kitchen window so its important to us!
I live in Sligo - I had a tree surgeon lined up to prune some trees in November after leaf fall - but then of course we had very cold weather so it has not yet been done. The trees are 22 years old - Birch Jacqmonteii, Beech and a Rowan. I'm wondering how long it takes the cuts to "heal".... how long a window do I have after pruning before I can afford to get frost? I am keen to get it done before sap starts to rise so don't want to leave it too late in the winter to get it done.