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Alternating Canes Favors New Growth

Pruning should stimulate vigorous new growth.

Dormant pruning happens during winter for one primary reason; dormancy. For the same reason, most alternating canes pruning should happen during winter. The results of such pruning will become obvious during the following spring or summer. New growth should be more vigorous. Bloom and any subsequent fruit production should be more abundant.

Alternating canes is similar to coppicing, but not as drastic. Coppicing entails pruning all growth down to the ground. Alternating canes involves pruning only old and deteriorating stems to the ground. Younger and more vigorous stems remain with more space to grow and bloom. The process essentially promotes constant growth of more productive stems.

Pruning grape vines with this technique is a bit different. It entails pruning old canes only back to their permanent trunks, rather than to the ground. In that regard, it is more similar to pollarding, but not as drastic. Pollarding entails pruning all growth back to a trunk or a few main limbs. Small grape vines might support only a pair of canes after such pruning.

Most, but not all, alternating canes pruning should happen during winter dormancy. Lilac and Forsythia bloom profusely for early spring, but generate no fruit. Therefore, for them, alternating canes pruning may occur immediately after bloom. Delay of such pruning can allow old canes to bloom one last time prior to their removal. It maximizes floral potential.

Some species that benefit from alternating canes pruning happen to be evergreen. Their pruning can happen whenever it is convenient for them, even if not during winter. Abelia, for example, may be rather sparse after such pruning. It remains sparse for longer during early winter than late in winter. Oregon grape and Heavenly bamboo are also evergreen.

Proper dormant pruning for several types of plants involves alternating canes by default. These include, but are not limited to, roses, hydrangeas, elderberries, and cane berries. Some types of filbert, and some types of cotoneaster are less common examples. Witch hazels, like forsythias and lilacs, should bloom prior to pruning. Bamboos are conducive to alternating canes whenever they appear to get unkempt.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 16 Comments

Six on Saturday: More Winter Flowers

This is why hummingbirds do not need to leave for the winter here. By the time autumn flowers finish blooming, a few sustaining winter flowers begin their bloom.

1. Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ manzanita is the common cultivar of an uncommon species from Sonoma County to the North. It continues to bloom until April.

2. Garrya elliptica, silk tassel is native. This particular specimen and a few others in the landscapes were installed, though. They are surprisingly messy to work with and prune.

3. Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, California lilac is also native. I suspect that those that inhabit the landscapes were also installed. Their spacing is not haphazard enough to be natural.

4. Tulbaghia violacea, society garlic is at its best for winter, not because it blooms more, but because it does not smell as objectionable as it will during warmer summer weather.

5. Grevillea spp. lost its identity. It seems to bloom continually. I can not remember ever seeing it without at least some bloom. Hummingbirds are very fond of it, especially now.

6. Salvia leucantha, Mexican blue sage bloom is fuzzy, but not quite as fuzzy as it seems to be in this unfocused picture. The camera was more interested in the foliage behind it.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 9 Comments

Six on Saturday: Slim Pickings

Perhaps flowers were not the best subjects. They are quite scarce about now.

1. What is this? It grows like ground cover. Although it has not yet bloomed profusely, it blooms with a few flowers continually. I am not keen on it, but I want to know what it is.

2. Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’, trailing rosemary blooms a bit less during winter, but seems to never be completely without bloom. Hummingbirds are pleased with these.

3. Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’ breath of Heaven probably should have stopped blooming by now; but I must not complain if it insists on blooming right through winter.

4. Rosa spp., rose bloom is finally succumbing to wintry weather. I do not know if this is because of the earlier rain or more recent chill. Other roses have been pruned for winter.

5. Erica spp., heath is happy to bloom through winter and perhaps into spring. I have no idea what cultivar this is, and I do not remember when it started blooming in November.

6. Rhody has been absent from Six on Saturday for quite a while. He is not easy to take a good picture of. This week though, it might have been easier than finding a sixth flower.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo

Winter Flowers May Be Scarce

Not many flowers bloom for winter.

Evergreen foliage and berries are now popular for home decor for a primary reason. Not many winter flowers are blooming and available for cutting and bringing in. Most flowers prefer to bloom while more pollinators are more active. Not many pollinators are out and about while weather is cool through winter. Consequently, winter flowers may be scarce.

However, they are not actually as scarce as they seem to be. Some winter flowers bloom without drawing attention to themselves. They do not need to if they rely on wind for their pollination. Colorful flowers are colorful only to attract pollinators. For example, redwood is blooming quite privately about now. It produces no prominently colorful flowers to see.

Some winter flowers do not actually intend to bloom in winter. They are merely confused by the local climates. For example, African daisy blooms whenever the weather is warm. It does not know to stop blooming for winter here because the weather is not overly cold. Cala are tropicals, so have no concept of winter. They should not bloom, but might try to.

Camellias are some of the most familiar and popular winter flowers. Sasanqua camellias bloom before common camellias. Different cultivars of each type bloom at different times. The latest sasanqua camellias might actually bloom after the earliest common camellias. Sasanqua camellias bloom more abundantly. Common camellias provide larger flowers.

Although most salvia bloom during warmer weather, a few bloom sporadically for winter. Autumn sage seems to never be completely without bloom. Meanwhile, cultivars of witch hazel bloom curiously on bare stems. So does winter jasmine, but only in yellow. Oregon grape can bloom impressively within cooler climates. It is evergreen and blooms yellow.

Many of the better winter flowers are cool season annuals, which are no good for cutting. These comprise pansy, viola, cyclamen, dianthus, snapdragon, nemesia and primroses. Stock is exceptional, because it can be cut and brought inside and is splendidly fragrant. Ornamental kale and ornamental cabbage are foliar plants that present like wide flowers.