#pruning — Public Fediverse posts

Winter injury showing in Kansas roses this spring https://www.allforgardening.com/1929988/winter-injury-showing-in-kansas-roses-this-spring/ ##kansas #CropManagement #ExtensionServices #FreezeDamage #gardening #GardeningKansas #horticulture #KansasStateUniversityExtension #MatthewMcKernan #PlantCare #pruning #roses #WeatherImpacts #WinterInjury

Winter injury showing in Kansas roses this spring https://www.allforgardening.com/1929988/winter-injury-showing-in-kansas-roses-this-spring/ ##kansas #CropManagement #ExtensionServices #FreezeDamage #gardening #GardeningKansas #horticulture #KansasStateUniversityExtension #MatthewMcKernan #PlantCare #pruning #roses #WeatherImpacts #WinterInjury

Garden Gossip: Cheyenne has many winners | Outdoors https://www.allforgardening.com/1928650/garden-gossip-cheyenne-has-many-winners-outdoors/ #agriculture #arboretum #archaeplastida #botany #Cherry #ecology #garden #gardening #GardeningWyoming #girdling #habitat #hedge #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #landscape #organisms #PlantAgriculture #PlantLifeForms #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #PrunusVirginiana #shrub #tree #trees #Vegetable #wyoming

Garden Gossip: Cheyenne has many winners | Outdoors https://www.allforgardening.com/1928650/garden-gossip-cheyenne-has-many-winners-outdoors/ #agriculture #arboretum #archaeplastida #botany #Cherry #ecology #garden #gardening #GardeningWyoming #girdling #habitat #hedge #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #landscape #organisms #PlantAgriculture #PlantLifeForms #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #PrunusVirginiana #shrub #tree #trees #Vegetable #wyoming

Tie up, mark up and net up

The above exhortation may seem like the motto of a bondage convention, but no, it’s just August in the garden. The heat is phenomenal and all my plant are suffering heat exhaustion, I am rushing around trying to keep everything alive without selling my soul to the water company. My already exorbitant water bill is so high that I go out to meet the postman and hide the bills from Cruella (my wife).

12th August 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

• Net and dry figs
• Tie up flopping plants
• Mark blooms for next year’s seed
• Pot up some spider plants

Net and dry figs. I absolutely love figs, but unfortunately so does every bird on the Costa Blanca so it is necessary to net them. The key to netting figs is to get the timing right. If you leave it too long and the fruit gets too ripe, the birds will happily strip the tree in a couple of days.

I have two fig trees, one of which I have espalied up the wall of my outside kitchen. As an experiment this year I decided not to net the big tree, but instead pick fruit daily to minimise bird predations. When netting figs or any soft fruit it is important that you use small mesh netting as if you use anything larger you are likely to find perplexed birds hanging upside down in your nets every morning. The photos below shows the correct size net and my espalied fig all netted up.

Fortunately I just got netting in time as the birds had already been at the big tree and a bit of the espalied as can be seen from the photos below. I gave these spoiled fruits to the chickens but they got chicken diarrhea and Cruella accused me of poisoning her girls.

Drying figs. If you have heavily cropping fig trees you will never be able to eat them all fresh without upsetting your stomache. So your choices are give them away to friends or dry them for use later. As I love figs, not a fig leaves our premises, all the surplus are dried.

Drying figs in the sun is very simple. First get yourself some mesh trays to place your figs on. Then cut all your figs in half and place them on your trays cut side up (you never need to turn them over). Then place your trays on a table in the sun covered by a mesh protector (otherwise the birds will get them). It should take about two days in this weather to fully dry your figs. Once dry put them in a container in your freezer and use them when you wish.

A very important stage in the drying process is to place the bottom of the legs of your drying table in water otherwise ants will quickly find your lovely figs. The water barrier is very effective, I just cut down some milk or orange juice cartons to make my water barrier. The photos below show the full process in action.

Tie up flopping plants. By now all your annuals should more or less be in bloom or very close to doing so. To keep your plants looking their best and healthy you will need to begin the process of staking up floppy plants.

I have been selecting seeds from my Marigolds for over 10 years and now have plants that easily grow over a metre tall. This height means they can get a bit floppy and need staking. When staking always make sure that you tie your string around the stake and then make a figure of eight with the string around the plant stem. In this way you will stop the stem being chafed by the stake in the wind; and if possible use a twine not a smooth string. The photos below show my almost daily staking activity.

Mark blooms for next year’s seed. Growing next years flowers from your own gathered seed is immensely rewarding and will mark you out as a gardener rather than a plant shopper. And it couldn’t be easier I will show you the start of the process now and I will return to collecting seeds later in the year.

The first step is to mark up those flowers heads that you think are the prettiest, best shaped and from strong looking plants. Once you have decided on your selected blooms then place a strip of masking tape just under the flower. This will serve the purpose of showing you that it was a lovely flower even after it has gone old and shrivelled. The other purpose of the masking tape is to stop you deadheading the spent blooms. The photos below show the start of the process in my garden.

Pot up some Spider plants. Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are an old favourite and are often found hanging neglected in bathrooms etc. But they are an excellent plant for cleaning the air in your home. They became famous after a NASA study found they could remove certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde, from sealed test chambers. Now I am not saying they make a huge difference, but in a bedroom etc they are easy to grow and are fun.

You can easily take cuttings from spider plants as they throw off hundreds of their little pups. Just snip some off and settle them into well drained compost and leave them in bright but sheltered space for a couple of weeks till they root. Once you see growth you can move them into your chosen position. See photos below.

Tie up, mark up and net up

The above exhortation may seem like the motto of a bondage convention, but no, it’s just August in the garden. The heat is phenomenal and all my plant are suffering heat exhaustion, I am rushing around trying to keep everything alive without selling my soul to the water company. My already exorbitant water bill is so high that I go out to meet the postman and hide the bills from Cruella (my wife).

12th August 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

• Net and dry figs
• Tie up flopping plants
• Mark blooms for next year’s seed
• Pot up some spider plants

Net and dry figs. I absolutely love figs, but unfortunately so does every bird on the Costa Blanca so it is necessary to net them. The key to netting figs is to get the timing right. If you leave it too long and the fruit gets too ripe, the birds will happily strip the tree in a couple of days.

I have two fig trees, one of which I have espalied up the wall of my outside kitchen. As an experiment this year I decided not to net the big tree, but instead pick fruit daily to minimise bird predations. When netting figs or any soft fruit it is important that you use small mesh netting as if you use anything larger you are likely to find perplexed birds hanging upside down in your nets every morning. The photos below shows the correct size net and my espalied fig all netted up.

Fortunately I just got netting in time as the birds had already been at the big tree and a bit of the espalied as can be seen from the photos below. I gave these spoiled fruits to the chickens but they got chicken diarrhea and Cruella accused me of poisoning her girls.

Drying figs. If you have heavily cropping fig trees you will never be able to eat them all fresh without upsetting your stomache. So your choices are give them away to friends or dry them for use later. As I love figs, not a fig leaves our premises, all the surplus are dried.

Drying figs in the sun is very simple. First get yourself some mesh trays to place your figs on. Then cut all your figs in half and place them on your trays cut side up (you never need to turn them over). Then place your trays on a table in the sun covered by a mesh protector (otherwise the birds will get them). It should take about two days in this weather to fully dry your figs. Once dry put them in a container in your freezer and use them when you wish.

A very important stage in the drying process is to place the bottom of the legs of your drying table in water otherwise ants will quickly find your lovely figs. The water barrier is very effective, I just cut down some milk or orange juice cartons to make my water barrier. The photos below show the full process in action.

Tie up flopping plants. By now all your annuals should more or less be in bloom or very close to doing so. To keep your plants looking their best and healthy you will need to begin the process of staking up floppy plants.

I have been selecting seeds from my Marigolds for over 10 years and now have plants that easily grow over a metre tall. This height means they can get a bit floppy and need staking. When staking always make sure that you tie your string around the stake and then make a figure of eight with the string around the plant stem. In this way you will stop the stem being chafed by the stake in the wind; and if possible use a twine not a smooth string. The photos below show my almost daily staking activity.

Mark blooms for next year’s seed. Growing next years flowers from your own gathered seed is immensely rewarding and will mark you out as a gardener rather than a plant shopper. And it couldn’t be easier I will show you the start of the process now and I will return to collecting seeds later in the year.

The first step is to mark up those flowers heads that you think are the prettiest, best shaped and from strong looking plants. Once you have decided on your selected blooms then place a strip of masking tape just under the flower. This will serve the purpose of showing you that it was a lovely flower even after it has gone old and shrivelled. The other purpose of the masking tape is to stop you deadheading the spent blooms. The photos below show the start of the process in my garden.

Pot up some Spider plants. Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are an old favourite and are often found hanging neglected in bathrooms etc. But they are an excellent plant for cleaning the air in your home. They became famous after a NASA study found they could remove certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde, from sealed test chambers. Now I am not saying they make a huge difference, but in a bedroom etc they are easy to grow and are fun.

You can easily take cuttings from spider plants as they throw off hundreds of their little pups. Just snip some off and settle them into well drained compost and leave them in bright but sheltered space for a couple of weeks till they root. Once you see growth you can move them into your chosen position. See photos below.

Garden Gossip: Weed or wanted plant: it depends on your angle | Outdoors https://www.allforgardening.com/1928530/garden-gossip-weed-or-wanted-plant-it-depends-on-your-angle-outdoors/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #asclepias #botany #flower #garden #gardening #GardeningWyoming #habitat #heterotheca #HeterothecaVillosa #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #organisms #plant #PlantAgriculture #PlantLifeForms #plants #PlantsAndHumans #PrimarySector #pruning #ranch #seed #shrub #soil #thistle #tree #Vegetable #weed #wyoming

Garden Gossip: Weed or wanted plant: it depends on your angle | Outdoors https://www.allforgardening.com/1928530/garden-gossip-weed-or-wanted-plant-it-depends-on-your-angle-outdoors/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #asclepias #botany #flower #garden #gardening #GardeningWyoming #habitat #heterotheca #HeterothecaVillosa #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #organisms #plant #PlantAgriculture #PlantLifeForms #plants #PlantsAndHumans #PrimarySector #pruning #ranch #seed #shrub #soil #thistle #tree #Vegetable #weed #wyoming

Monty Don shares plants to prune in August https://www.allforgardening.com/1924479/monty-don-shares-plants-to-prune-in-august/ #AugustGardeningJobs #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #HowToPrepareGardenForAutumn #HowToPrepareGardenForSeptember #lavender #MontyDon #MontyDonGardeningJobsForAugust #PlantsToPruneInAugust #pruning #WhatToPruneInAugust

Monty Don shares plants to prune in August https://www.allforgardening.com/1924479/monty-don-shares-plants-to-prune-in-august/ #AugustGardeningJobs #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #HowToPrepareGardenForAutumn #HowToPrepareGardenForSeptember #lavender #MontyDon #MontyDonGardeningJobsForAugust #PlantsToPruneInAugust #pruning #WhatToPruneInAugust

Fun pruning fact: Petrol pole saws can be significantly longer than electric ones, because with electric ones the motor is at the top and with petrol ones at the bottom, transferring power up the pole with a shaft.

Even a small electric motor on a long arm is too heavy to make them much longer than 3m (even then they get really hard to lift and position, I tried).

I've not found any electric ones with the motor at the bottom.

#PoleSaw #Tools #Pruning #Homestead #Forestry

Fun pruning fact: Petrol pole saws can be significantly longer than electric ones, because with electric ones the motor is at the top and with petrol ones at the bottom, transferring power up the pole with a shaft.

Even a small electric motor on a long arm is too heavy to make them much longer than 3m (even then they get really hard to lift and position, I tried).

I've not found any electric ones with the motor at the bottom.

#PoleSaw #Tools #Pruning #Homestead #Forestry

Lavender will never be leggy or woody if you follow Monty Don’s pruning tip now https://www.allforgardening.com/1917687/lavender-will-never-be-leggy-or-woody-if-you-follow-monty-dons-pruning-tip-now/ #garden #gardening #GardeningIreland #GardeningTips #lavender #LavenderPruning #MontyDon #plants #pruning #WoodyPlantsPrevention

Lavender will never be leggy or woody if you follow Monty Don’s pruning tip now https://www.allforgardening.com/1917687/lavender-will-never-be-leggy-or-woody-if-you-follow-monty-dons-pruning-tip-now/ #garden #gardening #GardeningIreland #GardeningTips #lavender #LavenderPruning #MontyDon #plants #pruning #WoodyPlantsPrevention

Community gardening

https://quokk.au/c/mop/p/1083996/community-gardening

Keep your Japanese maple healthy with simple soil fix https://www.allforgardening.com/1913535/keep-your-japanese-maple-healthy-with-simple-soil-fix/ #AcerTree #AnnualPlants #autumn #fertiliser #flowers #garden #gardening #JapaneseMaples #plants #pruning #SummerGardens

Keep your Japanese maple healthy with simple soil fix https://www.allforgardening.com/1913535/keep-your-japanese-maple-healthy-with-simple-soil-fix/ #AcerTree #AnnualPlants #autumn #fertiliser #flowers #garden #gardening #JapaneseMaples #plants #pruning #SummerGardens

Gardeners urged to do one quick job before Monday https://www.allforgardening.com/1907777/gardeners-urged-to-do-one-quick-job-before-monday/ #autumn #Food(section) #garden #gardening #GrapeVines #LateSummerGardeningTasks #pruning #RoyalHorticulturalSociety #vegetables

Gardeners urged to do one quick job before Monday https://www.allforgardening.com/1907777/gardeners-urged-to-do-one-quick-job-before-monday/ #autumn #Food(section) #garden #gardening #GrapeVines #LateSummerGardeningTasks #pruning #RoyalHorticulturalSociety #vegetables

I grow my thumb nails long and the chickens get air conditioning

It’s hot, so very hot most plants in the Costa Blanca are turning light green, not because they need iron, but because they are suffering from heat stress. I am spending so much time wandering round the garden dealing with various disasters that I have barely had time to write blog posts.

This is a catch up post dealing with some of the jobs you should now be doing in your garden. Hopefully your gardening is more peaceful than mine, I have had to deal with chicken related demands and the Idiot Son has been here for his birthday. Anyway, this is some of what I have been up to:

27th July 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

• Dealing with Sunflowers
• Deadheading and debudding
• Trimming Dame de Noche
• Harvesting Chillis
• Repairing irrigation
• The chickens get air conditioning

Dealing with Sunflowers. At this time of year I run an annual Sunflower Challenge in my village to see who can grow the tallest sunflower. The competition helps raise funds for our Church annual Kids Club which is run during August.

As part of my ensuring nobody cheats I grow some test plants and this year they have been great fun. The sunflowers are enjoying the heat but they have grown so quickly I will probably have to bring the measuring date forward. The photos below show some of the fun of growing sunflowers, and it’s not too late to stick a few seeds in.

Deadheading and debudding. Away from the frippery of sunflowers, there is serious work to be done in your flowerbeds. Although we are not yet at peak deadheading, you should make sure to be deadheading Petunias and Rain Lilly’s on a daily basis. If you fail to deadhead the plant will just stop flowering. Removing spent flowers stimulates the plant into producing more flowers.

In addition to deadheading you need to begin a programme of debudding to stimulate profuse flower growth. Debudding involves pinching out the central flowers on some plants to encourage side growth. In the main I do this on Marigolds and Cosmos. The photos below show debudding in progress.

An essential aid to deadheading and debudding at this time of the year is to grow your thumbnails long. In this way you can stroll around the garden deadheading by pinching spent flowers between your thumbnail and forefinger without having to run to your shed to get your secateurs (not roses obviously). The photos below show below shows my human secateurs.

Finally, on the deadheading front. Watch out for fully green growth on your variegated leaf plants. Left alone fully green growth will eventually takeover and remove the variegation from your plants. I keep a keen eye out for any green growth on a nice variegated weeping ficus that I cloud prune each year. The photos below show a sneaky green growth on the back of the plant. You must take these off and the best way is to remove them by tugging then you remove the branch heel which will hinder regrowth.

Trimming Dame de Noche. This has been a terrible year for my Dame de Noche. This night scenting Jasmine would normally had its first flush of flowers by now and filled the evening air with its exotic scent. Unfortunately, it has looked pathetic, flowered meagrely and released absolutely no scent.

I have now cut it back by one third which normally ensures a late flowering and scent through September and October. I am not very hopeful, but no matter what your Dame de Noche looks like cut it back by a third now and you should be ok. The photos below show my poor plant before and after its trim. I may even give it some general purpose food, something that I have never done before.

Harvesting Chillis. Regular readers of this blog will remember that I completely cut back my Chilli plants, root pruned them and planted them in small pots to over winter. I then replanted them in larger pots with fresh compost, and lo and behold they have rewarded me with an abundance of Chillis.

Chillis are very easy to grow once you get the hang of it, and they reward you with abundant fruit. The key to harvesting chillis is twofold. Firstly make sure that the fruits are a deep uniform colour before harvesting. Secondly, when you harvest always leave a small portion of stem attached to the fruit to ensure nothing can enter the harvested chilli.

Repairing irrigation. This is one of those jobs that is essential in the current heat I have hundreds of drip irrigation nodes in my garden which you just assume will last for ever, but they don’t. The sun exacts a terrible toll on irrigation pipes and nodes here in the Costa Blanca. Although I tend to keep an eye out for bursts and leaks, sometimes I am just too busy.

It wasn’t until Cruella (my wife) remarked to me one day “why are all the plants dying” that I began to urgently address the problem. My main flower beds irrigation nodes were corroded and their were pipe bursts under gravelled areas. It is good practice to replace all your irrigation nodes every two to three years. Use a different colour node to the old one so that you can see which is the new and which the old. In addition keep a reasonable supply of pipe joints for all occasions.

The photos below show some of my efforts in repairing my irrigation; I lost about half a stone and dehydrated whilst doing this.

The chickens get air conditioning. The idiot son has been here for his annual holiday, or Chicken Fest as Cruella (my wife) calls it. In the main this consists of Cruella giving him Chickenese language classes and advanced chicken handling techniques including putting the chickens to bed at night. The photos below give you the idea.

All was going well as far was I was concerned as I blithely carried on gardening and left them to get on with it. I was in the middle of cutting back the Dame de Noche when there was a loud scream and Cruella (my wife) came hurtling across the garden carrying Elsa one of her girls who she claimed had passed out in the heat. I offered to hose her down (and the chicken) which she did not appreciate, but instead demanded air conditioning in the chicken coop. I refused.

Since then there have been daily chicken protests on the Naya with Elsa flopping around in performative faints whilst the others chant away in Chickenese. When I asked Cruella what they were chanting she said it’s “I can’t breathe” which she said is the slogan of her Chickens Lives Matter movement.

Eventually I rigged up a cost effective solution to not having air conditioning. I was quite pleased with this, but then again I am currently forced to sleep in the shed. The photos below show the protests and my solution.

I grow my thumb nails long and the chickens get air conditioning

It’s hot, so very hot most plants in the Costa Blanca are turning light green, not because they need iron, but because they are suffering from heat stress. I am spending so much time wandering round the garden dealing with various disasters that I have barely had time to write blog posts.

This is a catch up post dealing with some of the jobs you should now be doing in your garden. Hopefully your gardening is more peaceful than mine, I have had to deal with chicken related demands and the Idiot Son has been here for his birthday. Anyway, this is some of what I have been up to:

27th July 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

• Dealing with Sunflowers
• Deadheading and debudding
• Trimming Dame de Noche
• Harvesting Chillis
• Repairing irrigation
• The chickens get air conditioning

Dealing with Sunflowers. At this time of year I run an annual Sunflower Challenge in my village to see who can grow the tallest sunflower. The competition helps raise funds for our Church annual Kids Club which is run during August.

As part of my ensuring nobody cheats I grow some test plants and this year they have been great fun. The sunflowers are enjoying the heat but they have grown so quickly I will probably have to bring the measuring date forward. The photos below show some of the fun of growing sunflowers, and it’s not too late to stick a few seeds in.

Deadheading and debudding. Away from the frippery of sunflowers, there is serious work to be done in your flowerbeds. Although we are not yet at peak deadheading, you should make sure to be deadheading Petunias and Rain Lilly’s on a daily basis. If you fail to deadhead the plant will just stop flowering. Removing spent flowers stimulates the plant into producing more flowers.

In addition to deadheading you need to begin a programme of debudding to stimulate profuse flower growth. Debudding involves pinching out the central flowers on some plants to encourage side growth. In the main I do this on Marigolds and Cosmos. The photos below show debudding in progress.

An essential aid to deadheading and debudding at this time of the year is to grow your thumbnails long. In this way you can stroll around the garden deadheading by pinching spent flowers between your thumbnail and forefinger without having to run to your shed to get your secateurs (not roses obviously). The photos below show below shows my human secateurs.

Finally, on the deadheading front. Watch out for fully green growth on your variegated leaf plants. Left alone fully green growth will eventually takeover and remove the variegation from your plants. I keep a keen eye out for any green growth on a nice variegated weeping ficus that I cloud prune each year. The photos below show a sneaky green growth on the back of the plant. You must take these off and the best way is to remove them by tugging then you remove the branch heel which will hinder regrowth.

Trimming Dame de Noche. This has been a terrible year for my Dame de Noche. This night scenting Jasmine would normally had its first flush of flowers by now and filled the evening air with its exotic scent. Unfortunately, it has looked pathetic, flowered meagrely and released absolutely no scent.

I have now cut it back by one third which normally ensures a late flowering and scent through September and October. I am not very hopeful, but no matter what your Dame de Noche looks like cut it back by a third now and you should be ok. The photos below show my poor plant before and after its trim. I may even give it some general purpose food, something that I have never done before.

Harvesting Chillis. Regular readers of this blog will remember that I completely cut back my Chilli plants, root pruned them and planted them in small pots to over winter. I then replanted them in larger pots with fresh compost, and lo and behold they have rewarded me with an abundance of Chillis.

Chillis are very easy to grow once you get the hang of it, and they reward you with abundant fruit. The key to harvesting chillis is twofold. Firstly make sure that the fruits are a deep uniform colour before harvesting. Secondly, when you harvest always leave a small portion of stem attached to the fruit to ensure nothing can enter the harvested chilli.

Repairing irrigation. This is one of those jobs that is essential in the current heat I have hundreds of drip irrigation nodes in my garden which you just assume will last for ever, but they don’t. The sun exacts a terrible toll on irrigation pipes and nodes here in the Costa Blanca. Although I tend to keep an eye out for bursts and leaks, sometimes I am just too busy.

It wasn’t until Cruella (my wife) remarked to me one day “why are all the plants dying” that I began to urgently address the problem. My main flower beds irrigation nodes were corroded and their were pipe bursts under gravelled areas. It is good practice to replace all your irrigation nodes every two to three years. Use a different colour node to the old one so that you can see which is the new and which the old. In addition keep a reasonable supply of pipe joints for all occasions.

The photos below show some of my efforts in repairing my irrigation; I lost about half a stone and dehydrated whilst doing this.

The chickens get air conditioning. The idiot son has been here for his annual holiday, or Chicken Fest as Cruella (my wife) calls it. In the main this consists of Cruella giving him Chickenese language classes and advanced chicken handling techniques including putting the chickens to bed at night. The photos below give you the idea.

All was going well as far was I was concerned as I blithely carried on gardening and left them to get on with it. I was in the middle of cutting back the Dame de Noche when there was a loud scream and Cruella (my wife) came hurtling across the garden carrying Elsa one of her girls who she claimed had passed out in the heat. I offered to hose her down (and the chicken) which she did not appreciate, but instead demanded air conditioning in the chicken coop. I refused.

Since then there have been daily chicken protests on the Naya with Elsa flopping around in performative faints whilst the others chant away in Chickenese. When I asked Cruella what they were chanting she said it’s “I can’t breathe” which she said is the slogan of her Chickens Lives Matter movement.

Eventually I rigged up a cost effective solution to not having air conditioning. I was quite pleased with this, but then again I am currently forced to sleep in the shed. The photos below show the protests and my solution.

How to stop lavender going leggy and woody https://www.allforgardening.com/1897365/how-to-stop-lavender-going-leggy-and-woody/ #flowers #garden #gardening #GardeningAdvice #GardeningHacks #HowToStopLeggyLavender #lavender #LavenderHacks #LavenderPruning #LeggyLavender #plants #pruning #PruningHacks #tiktok #WoodyLavender

How to stop lavender going leggy and woody https://www.allforgardening.com/1897365/how-to-stop-lavender-going-leggy-and-woody/ #flowers #garden #gardening #GardeningAdvice #GardeningHacks #HowToStopLeggyLavender #lavender #LavenderHacks #LavenderPruning #LeggyLavender #plants #pruning #PruningHacks #tiktok #WoodyLavender

Fruiting trees are beautiful — and don’t have to take up a lot of space https://www.allforgardening.com/1889257/fruiting-trees-are-beautiful-and-dont-have-to-take-up-a-lot-of-space/ #496575100 #agriculture #autumn #backgrounds #branch #farm #food #FormalGarden #freshness #fruit #garden #gardening #GardeningCanada #GreenColor #growth #hanging #leaf #nature #NoPeople #orchard #organic #pear #plant #pruning #season #summer #tree #trellis #VegetableGarden #VegetarianFood #WallBuildingFeature #WoodMaterial #WPResize

Fruiting trees are beautiful — and don’t have to take up a lot of space https://www.allforgardening.com/1889257/fruiting-trees-are-beautiful-and-dont-have-to-take-up-a-lot-of-space/ #496575100 #agriculture #autumn #backgrounds #branch #farm #food #FormalGarden #freshness #fruit #garden #gardening #GardeningCanada #GreenColor #growth #hanging #leaf #nature #NoPeople #orchard #organic #pear #plant #pruning #season #summer #tree #trellis #VegetableGarden #VegetarianFood #WallBuildingFeature #WoodMaterial #WPResize

Monty Don shares the ‘best’ time to prune lavender to avoid a ‘woody’ and ‘leggy’ plant https://www.allforgardening.com/1880247/monty-don-shares-the-best-time-to-prune-lavender-to-avoid-a-woody-and-leggy-plant/ #flowers #garden #gardener #gardening #GardeningTips #lavender #MontyDon #plants #pruning #PruningLavender #WoodyPlants

Monty Don shares the ‘best’ time to prune lavender to avoid a ‘woody’ and ‘leggy’ plant https://www.allforgardening.com/1880247/monty-don-shares-the-best-time-to-prune-lavender-to-avoid-a-woody-and-leggy-plant/ #flowers #garden #gardener #gardening #GardeningTips #lavender #MontyDon #plants #pruning #PruningLavender #WoodyPlants

Warning issued to anyone with cherry tree in garden this July https://www.allforgardening.com/1876283/warning-issued-to-anyone-with-cherry-tree-in-garden-this-july/ #fruit #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #JacksonsNurseries #pruning #PruningAdvice #SilverLeafDisease #StoneFruitTrees

Warning issued to anyone with cherry tree in garden this July https://www.allforgardening.com/1876283/warning-issued-to-anyone-with-cherry-tree-in-garden-this-july/ #fruit #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #JacksonsNurseries #pruning #PruningAdvice #SilverLeafDisease #StoneFruitTrees

"In pruning my books I learned some important lessons about editing for the advanced collector, the kind who derives joy from too many kinds of books to use the Kondo Method effectively."

https://lithub.com/how-and-why-to-cull-your-book-collection/

#books #library #bookshelves #pruning #downsizing #collections

"In pruning my books I learned some important lessons about editing for the advanced collector, the kind who derives joy from too many kinds of books to use the Kondo Method effectively."

https://lithub.com/how-and-why-to-cull-your-book-collection/

#books #library #bookshelves #pruning #downsizing #collections

Garden tips for July | Master Gardener | Lifestyles https://www.allforgardening.com/1861126/garden-tips-for-july-master-gardener-lifestyles/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #CynodonDactylon #garden #gardening #grass #horticulture #insect #irrigation #Kingdoms(biology) #lawn #moisture #OrnamentalGrass #OrnamentalPlant #Pest(organism) #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #seed #seedling #soil #water #weed

Garden tips for July | Master Gardener | Lifestyles https://www.allforgardening.com/1861126/garden-tips-for-july-master-gardener-lifestyles/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #CynodonDactylon #garden #gardening #grass #horticulture #insect #irrigation #Kingdoms(biology) #lawn #moisture #OrnamentalGrass #OrnamentalPlant #Pest(organism) #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #seed #seedling #soil #water #weed

Pruning RAG context down to what the answer actually needs

https://www.kapa.ai/blog/how-we-prune-rag-context

Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48809354

#HackerNews #Pruning #RAG #context #AI #RAG #context #optimization #information #retrieval #machine #learning

Pruning RAG context down to what the answer actually needs

https://www.kapa.ai/blog/how-we-prune-rag-context

Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48809354

#HackerNews #Pruning #RAG #context #AI #RAG #context #optimization #information #retrieval #machine #learning

STIHL GTA 30 Cordless Pruner Review https://www.allforgardening.com/1856546/stihl-gta-30-cordless-pruner-review/ #garden #gardening #pruning #WhatToBuy

STIHL GTA 30 Cordless Pruner Review https://www.allforgardening.com/1856546/stihl-gta-30-cordless-pruner-review/ #garden #gardening #pruning #WhatToBuy

THE GARDEN GATE: It’s the month of ‘UGHH!’ | Sherrie Ottinger https://www.allforgardening.com/1850308/the-garden-gate-its-the-month-of-ughh-sherrie-ottinger/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #garden #gardening #grass #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #KitchenGarden #lawn #leaf #Mower #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #rain #soil #Vegetable #wasp #water #weed

THE GARDEN GATE: It’s the month of ‘UGHH!’ | Sherrie Ottinger https://www.allforgardening.com/1850308/the-garden-gate-its-the-month-of-ughh-sherrie-ottinger/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #garden #gardening #grass #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #KitchenGarden #lawn #leaf #Mower #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #rain #soil #Vegetable #wasp #water #weed

Monty Don tells gardeners the exact time to prune their hedges for key https://www.allforgardening.com/1848498/monty-don-tells-gardeners-the-exact-time-to-prune-their-hedges-for-key/ #BBCGardenersWorld #birds #garden #GardenersWorld #gardening #hedge #HedgePruning #HedgeTrimmer #hedges #MontyDon #NestingBirds #pruning #uk #wildlife

Monty Don tells gardeners the exact time to prune their hedges for key https://www.allforgardening.com/1848498/monty-don-tells-gardeners-the-exact-time-to-prune-their-hedges-for-key/ #BBCGardenersWorld #birds #garden #GardenersWorld #gardening #hedge #HedgePruning #HedgeTrimmer #hedges #MontyDon #NestingBirds #pruning #uk #wildlife

I suffer the great grape disaster and the chickens get a foot spa

Cruella (my wife) is still away at our English house over mothering our idiot son. I meanwhile am gardening all day till I pass out with the heat. When I come round I drag myself under a bush and rest for an hour or so and then get back at it till I gets dark; I am thinking of buying a head torch!

Anyway the real problem is that I have suffered a terrible attack of brown spot on my grape vines and I have only one bunch of grapes. When I phoned up sobbing to tell Cruella (my wife) about the grapes, all she said was “are my girls too hot in this heat”. I am thinking of consulting divorce lawyers, but I’m afraid she would find out. On with the gardening.

27th June 2026. Things I have been doing lately in the garden

• Dealing with brown spot on grapes
• Lightly trimming hedges
• Pruning back a fig for netting
• Some rockery planting
• Mulching my lawn
• The chicken foot spa

Dealing with brown spot on grapes. It has been a wonderful year for grape vine growth. The heavy spring rains have ensured that grape foliage growth has been profuse. The photos below show the heavy early growth.

This lovely spring foliage has been my downfall. At first glance all looks well and this meant I concentrated on other areas of the garden. Normally I would check the vines and begin to dress them (cut back excess foliage to expose the grape bunches to air and light). But because they looked so well I left them too long.

The lush foliage meant a lack of penetration by air and light leading to ideal conditions for all sorts of mildew and pathogens to get a grip. By the time I began to look at the vines it was too late. Brown Spot had attacked the vines harming leaf development and inhibiting fruit production. These two vines gave us 20 or more big bunches of grapes last year, but this time just one!

The photos below show the extent of the devastation on the leaves. The discolouration and the spotting on the stems shows the pathogen at work. The only solution is to cut the vine back, let in air and light and take off all the affected leaves and destroy them.

The photo below shows all I have left, a single bunch of bagged up grapes. Sometimes I don’t know why I bother.

Lightly trimming hedges. By now all your hedges will be growing like “Topsy” falling and cascading over paths and lawns.so now is the time to give them a light trim. I am not talking about the big winter cutback type of trim, nor am I recommending that you destroy poor little late nesting birds. Instead, just feather the edges of your hedges to keep them in shape and to stop them overshadowing lawns, paths and flower beds.

The photos below show some of my hedges before and after their trim. Remember, if in doubt take off less.

Pruning back a fig for netting. Most fig trees in Spanish gardens are huge behemoths with unreachable fruit that eventually end the year in a messy sticky bird feast. Now if you don’t mind the birds getting your figs, then just skip this section. However, if you like figs – and I do – then you need to net your tree.

You won’t need to net it yet, do it just before the figs get ripe. The trouble is if your tree is too big, then you will need a Cherry Picker to get up there with your net. Instead, I recommend you carefully prune back excess growth and bring the tree within manageable netting potential.

The photos below show one of my fig trees with just this years growth which is enormous thanks to those early spring rains.

To bring this back into netting range is a two day pruning strategy. Cutting fig branches is a dangerous practice this time of year as when you cut the branch it quickly oozes corrosive sap that will badly burn your skin. Don’t rush out there and hack at your fig. Instead wear trousers and a long sleeved top, use eye protection and where possible use long handled lopers.

Day one cut back the bottom branches of the tree making sure you work upwards from the bottom so no sap is dropping on you. The photos below shows day one. Do not touch the fallen branches leave them to fully dry in the sun overnight.

Day two is the same process but this time you are working on the top of the tree. Again, make sure you work from the lower branches to the top. It is important that you do not attempt to touch or pick up the fallen branches leave them again for another full day. Once the cuttings are fully dry -day 3- you can safely gather them up and compost them. The photos below show the end of day 2 with the tree cut back and the big clean up starting.

Some rockery planting. Some year back I created a water feature using large rocks which I then in turn tried to plant into. My planting was obviously a failure as the soil would just fall through the rocks leaving the plants stranded without soil. To overcome this I instead tried to conceal plants in pots between the rocks, but this just looked silly.

However, the other day whilst rooting around in my shed I had a brainwave that will revolutionise rockery planting. I found some old shade netting which will soon become the future of rockeries – patent pending. The photos below shows the new wonder material.

My big idea is this, by cutting this into set lengths I could push it into spaces I had created in between rocks, thereby creating pockets which I could then fill with soil and plant into. I could then trim the material tight to the space and the plants would eventually grow over to give a completely naturalistic rockery -ta dah!

I telephoned Cruella (my wife) to inform her of my invention and how it would make me a fortune; she just called me pathetic and slammed the phone down. Well we will see who has the last laugh – I am thinking of calling my yacht “Cruella’s Folly”. The photos below show the development of the rockery revolution.

Mulching my lawn. I know not many of you have lawns in Spain, and if you do you know what an expensive indulgence it is. But for the idiots like me it’s time to stop cutting your lawn and instead begin mulch mowing over July and August.

Mulch mowing involves using the mulching attachment to your mower and thereby just mowing off the top centimetre or two of your grass and not collecting it in your mowers collecting bag. The mulching process cuts the grass into small pieces and scatters them on the top of your lawn allowing the nitrogen to seep back into the soil and nourish new growth.

When you mulch mow water the night before and let the ground dry before mowing. If you water afterwards you are in danger of creating a soggy mat on your lawn. The photo below shows my mower after a successful mulch.

The chicken foot spa. As I mentioned earlier Cruella (my wife) phoned me up screaming that her girls must be overheating in this weather and what was I doing about it. She claimed that because of their feathers the only way they could lose heat was through their feet and because I hadn’t bothered she had found the solution on Amazon. It turns out she had found a specialist luxury foot spa retailing at £800 that would be just right for her girls.

The proposed luxury foot spa had various functions including:

• soothing waves
• light spray that gently sprinkled on your feet
• vibrate that massaged your tired feet
• music mode that played soothing classical music
• light mode that changed the water to different colours in the evening

Given that I had spent all the money she had left me on the bees and some new gardening tools I had to improvise. The photo below shows the not so luxurious compromise. I am hoping that the weather will have changed by the time she comes back and I can tell her someone stole the foot spa.

Native plants can survive the worst of times | Garden Checklist | Lifestyles https://www.allforgardening.com/1840910/native-plants-can-survive-the-worst-of-times-garden-checklist-lifestyles/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #garden #gardening #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #NativeSpecies #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #Vegetable

Native plants can survive the worst of times | Garden Checklist | Lifestyles https://www.allforgardening.com/1840910/native-plants-can-survive-the-worst-of-times-garden-checklist-lifestyles/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #garden #gardening #horticulture #Kingdoms(biology) #NativeSpecies #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #Vegetable

Here’s when Charleston, Dominion Energy will cut down trees https://www.allforgardening.com/1836803/heres-when-charleston-dominion-energy-will-cut-down-trees/ #charleston #CharlestonNews #DominionEnergy #garden #gardening #information #LookUp #PalmettoTrees #pruning #ScNews #Schedule #TreeRemoval

Here’s when Charleston, Dominion Energy will cut down trees https://www.allforgardening.com/1836803/heres-when-charleston-dominion-energy-will-cut-down-trees/ #charleston #CharlestonNews #DominionEnergy #garden #gardening #information #LookUp #PalmettoTrees #pruning #ScNews #Schedule #TreeRemoval

Hobby gardeners: You must prune fruit trees very carefully so the tree can heal.

Commercial fruit producers: We strapped 10 table saws to a tractor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HiyX6u6-Ic

Tutti frutti distrutti!

#Machinery #Tractor #Orchard #Fruit #Garden #Pruning

Hobby gardeners: You must prune fruit trees very carefully so the tree can heal.

Commercial fruit producers: We strapped 10 table saws to a tractor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HiyX6u6-Ic

Tutti frutti distrutti!

#Machinery #Tractor #Orchard #Fruit #Garden #Pruning

Water your garden before dawn | Garden Checklist | https://www.allforgardening.com/1835523/water-your-garden-before-dawn-garden-checklist/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #BranchesOfBotany #citrus #EdiblePlants #fertilizer #fruit #FruitTree #garden #gardening #horticulture #irrigation #Kingdoms(biology) #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #Tomato #tree #VeganCuisine #Vegetable

Water your garden before dawn | Garden Checklist | https://www.allforgardening.com/1835523/water-your-garden-before-dawn-garden-checklist/ #agriculture #archaeplastida #botany #BranchesOfBotany #citrus #EdiblePlants #fertilizer #fruit #FruitTree #garden #gardening #horticulture #irrigation #Kingdoms(biology) #plant #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #pruning #Tomato #tree #VeganCuisine #Vegetable

Neighbour’s tree hanging over your garden? Expert explains your rights https://www.allforgardening.com/1825654/neighbours-tree-hanging-over-your-garden-expert-explains-your-rights/ #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #HomeownerRights #LegalExpert #NeighbourRights #Neighbour'sTree #OverhangingBranches #PROPERTY #PropertyBoundaries #PropertyDispute #PropertyExpert #pruning #TreeDisputes

Neighbour’s tree hanging over your garden? Expert explains your rights https://www.allforgardening.com/1825654/neighbours-tree-hanging-over-your-garden-expert-explains-your-rights/ #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #HomeownerRights #LegalExpert #NeighbourRights #Neighbour'sTree #OverhangingBranches #PROPERTY #PropertyBoundaries #PropertyDispute #PropertyExpert #pruning #TreeDisputes

Lawyer explains responsibility when neighbour’s tree overhangs garden https://www.allforgardening.com/1823300/lawyer-explains-responsibility-when-neighbours-tree-overhangs-garden/ #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #LegalGuidance #NeighbourDisputes #Neighbours #OverhangingBranches #PROPERTY #PropertyRights #pruning

Lawyer explains responsibility when neighbour’s tree overhangs garden https://www.allforgardening.com/1823300/lawyer-explains-responsibility-when-neighbours-tree-overhangs-garden/ #garden #gardening #GardeningUk #LegalGuidance #NeighbourDisputes #Neighbours #OverhangingBranches #PROPERTY #PropertyRights #pruning

Gardeners urged to avoid key mistake now to help flowers grow more blo https://www.allforgardening.com/1820693/gardeners-urged-to-avoid-key-mistake-now-to-help-flowers-grow-more-blo/ #deadheading #DeadheadingFlowers #FlowerTips #flowers #garden #gardening #GardeningAdvice #GardeningHacks #GardeningTips #GrowingFlowers #HowToEncourageFlowersToGrowMoreBlooms #plants #pruning #tiktok

Gardeners urged to avoid key mistake now to help flowers grow more blo https://www.allforgardening.com/1820693/gardeners-urged-to-avoid-key-mistake-now-to-help-flowers-grow-more-blo/ #deadheading #DeadheadingFlowers #FlowerTips #flowers #garden #gardening #GardeningAdvice #GardeningHacks #GardeningTips #GrowingFlowers #HowToEncourageFlowersToGrowMoreBlooms #plants #pruning #tiktok

How to grow bigger and bushier herbs in summer https://www.allforgardening.com/1819560/how-to-grow-bigger-and-bushier-herbs-in-summer/ #basil #garden #gardening #GardeningAdvice #GardeningAustralia #GardeningHacks #GardeningTips #GrowingHerbs #HerbPlants #herbs #HowToGrowBiggerHerbs #LifeHacks #mint #parsley #plants #pruning #PruningTips #tiktok