v THE NEXT HERALD IS OUT ON 5TH JANUARY v 8th December 2022 • The HERALD • Page 57 07879 552227 www.crowngardensandlandscapes.co.uk info@crowngardensandlandscapes.co.uk A family run business with over 20 years experience. Our teams of professional, friendly and reliable Gardeners and Landscapers are passionate about gardening and landscaping to very high standards of presentation and quality workmanship. Garden Maintenance Leaf Clearance Winter Tidy Up Hedges Borders Weeds Pressure Washing Landscaping Design Patios Artificial Lawns Decking Fencing Garden Repairs Your specialist Landscape and Garden Maintenance service, based in Hythe. Here to support the design, creation and maintenance of your perfect and personal outdoor space. THE TREE & LANDSCAPE WIZARD All aspects of tree surgery, garden maintenance and landscaping undertaken Family run business for over 20 years No Job Too Big or Small Please call 07552 977731 for a Free Quotation All Aspects of Garden Work Undertaken • Driveways • Paving • Artificial Grass • Turfing • Decking • Fencing • Hedge Cutting • Landscaping Hythe Garden Contractors Family company established 1977 For a free quotation please call 023 8084 3556 or 023 8084 0378 ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ e dead of winter is the prime time to prune your dormant fruit trees to spark new growth and ensure they’re looking sensational next summer. Prune the right trees at the right time Not all fruit trees need pruning over winter. Concentrate on free-standing fruit trees and bush trees, such as those grown in an orchard. Apples, crab apples, medlars, pears and quince trees will all bene t from both a winter and summer trim. is is particularly important in the early years of a fruit tree’s life. Once it has reached the required size and shape, most of the pruning can be done in summer. ere’s no need to prune fruit trees such as apricot, cherry, damson, mulberry, nectarine, peach and dwarf fruit trees over winter. Pruning makes perfect Getting busy with the secateurs and pruning saws during the colder months will not only revitalise the remaining buds on your fruit tree, but also help with the growth of new buds, branches, and fruits. It also encourages stronger roots and protects against diseases. Without pruning, particularly in the vital early years, there’s the risk that fruit trees can struggle to establish and they’ll produce less fruit, meaning fewer juicy apples and pears for your fruit bowl come summer. Going for the Chop: A Guide to Pruning your Fruit Trees this Winter by Crown Gardens and Landscapes If you need a little help pruning your fruit trees, or any other trees that are in your garden, we can take away the hassle and do it for you. Call us on 07879 552227 or email: info@crowngardensandlandscapes.co.uk And as pruning is so important to the health and productivity of your trees, it’s worth ensuring that you have the right kit to help things go smoothly. Secateurs, loppers and a folding pruning saw are all useful tools to have in your gardening armoury. Bypass secateurs, which have a scissor-action, are great all-rounders for pruning and can cut so stems up to the thickness of a pencil. For branches up to 5cm thick, use a pruning saw. If you’re lucky enough to have tall fruit trees, consider investing in a long-reach pruner. With their heavy-duty blades, loppers are ideal for the tougher pruning jobs, for more mature trees. Whatever the tools you choose to use, make sure you keep them in the best possible condition by wiping the sap o the blades a er use, use oil on them and store them in a dry place to avoid rust. Pruning techniques e rst job is to get rid of any shoots which are thin or damaged by cutting them back to the branch. Next, cut back the most recent branches. You’ll be able to spot them as they’re silvery in colour, rather than the brown colour of the established branches. Cut them down to between four to six buds from the base. Your nal job is to cut the main leader at the top of your tree by around half, above an outward facing bud. BLACKFIELD FLOWER CLUB WORKSHOP tea and mince pies and a door wreath to take home. e next meeting will take place on Tuesday 10th January at 2pm and will be an In-house a ernoon when four club members will each demonstrate their ower arranging skills. Meetings take place at the Royal British Legion Club, Exbury Road, Black eld, SO45 1XD – visitors welcome, please contact Jan Gordon 023 8084 4835 for more details. Members and visitors enjoyed an a ernoon workshop making Christmas door wreaths on 8th November. Many attractive and di erent wreaths were created using fresh and arti cial material. A most enjoyable, productive and social a ernoon with
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