Gardening expert Ciar Byrne suggested some important tasks for your garden this week, including trimming unruly wisteria.
To ensure a beautiful display of lilac blooms in late spring to early summer, it’s best to prune wisteria twice a year. After it flowers in July to August, give it a summer trim to remove new growth, leaving about 30cm on each flowering stem.
Now is the time for winter pruning. Letting in lots of light and air early in the season will help this strong climber produce even more flowers. Use a pair of sharp, clean secateurs to first remove any dead and crossing stems.
If you pruned in the summer, cut this back further to between two and three buds to make sure emerging flowers aren’t hidden by leaves. Wisteria can grow tall, so remember to be safe when using ladders to reach higher branches.
A great way to grow it against a sunny wall is to train it along horizontal wires. Covering a pergola or arch with wisteria can create a stunning seasonal display.
Or you can grow it up through a small tree, just make sure to plant your wisteria at least one metre away from the base of the trunk.
It’s also time to fix any damage to your shed. Rain and wind can damage garden buildings. Use this quiet time to check sheds and make any needed repairs. It’s important they are kept waterproof for storing tools.
Plant of the week
Garrya Elliptica (silk tassel bush)
The silk tassel bush is a great plant for winter. It can grow up to three metres tall, and likes a warm, sheltered spot. It’s often grown against walls that face the sun.
In January and February, it grows long catkins that give the plant its name. While male catkins are impressive, pollinated females produce small purple berries.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said the silk tassel bush grows best in “well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade”.
And while the plant is generally free from pests, in rare cases, the plant could develop leaf spot and honey fungus, which would need to be seen to immediately.
Grow a spiderette
These are the babies that hang off mature spider plants (chlorophytum comosum), Ciar Byrne wrote for the Daily Mail.
“Look for one that already has roots – these look like tiny nodules – then cut it off just above the join,” she said.
“Place in a cup of water and leave out of direct sunlight for three to four weeks before potting your new plant.”
The RHS said these are one of the easiest houseplants to grow, which means that they’re the perfect little gift for family and friends.
Spider plants thrive in bright position indoors, with indirect or dappled light, but they will also tolerate low light levels and continue to grow.
