Fruity bounty in the garden - and it's time to take cuttings for next year

The garden is just bursting with bounty right now, and it looks like being a bumper year for fruit.

Apple and pear trees are laden down with fruit that ripened to a good sweetness this year due to the August sunshine. A good start in May has resulted in good pollination and a fine harvest this autumn.

Some summer pruning of restricted forms of fruit like espaliers, fans and cordons is advisable now, and indeed trees can also benefit from summer pruning of some of the more vigorous new growth, with the major pruning done in winter.

Ensure that any pruning needed on stone fruits like plums, nectarines, peaches and apricots is done before temperatures drop back, to prevent the entry of silverleaf, a fungal infection which has adverse effects on these fruit trees.

Blackberries appeared in the hedgerows early in the summer this year with harvesting starting in July. There are still some to pick, but they are starting to deteriorate and there was a traditional belief that picking blackberries too late in the season was not good practice as the devil has had a hand in them!

A delicious pop of flavour provided by mother nature free of charge - but it is best to pick from areas which are not adjacent to busy public roads, and a south-facing ditch will provide the biggest and sweetest berries.

It is timely that National Hedgerow Week has been taking place over the last week, with free events held all over the country with a view to highlighting our hedgerows and their importance for biodiversity, shelter, as wildlife corridors, and reflecting the health of the countryside.

This week-long event was initiated in 2023 by Teagasc and The Heritage Council and is going from strength to strength as landowners realise the value of tree and shrub cover in the greater landscape.

It is great to see more traditional practices like hedge-laying being reintroduced as part of stock proofing boundaries on farms. Hedgerows make up a rich tapestry of colour in autumn with haws, sloes, rose hips, rowan, holly, elder and blackberries combining together to create the perfect autumnal feast of colours.

They provide an excellent food reserve for birds, insects and small mammals, and it is great to see them gaining the recognition that they deserve.

Autumn is beginning to make its presence felt early this year as a result of the dry and warm weather, and some trees are starting to turn colour and lose a few leaves.

There is still much to be celebrated in the garden this growing season, and the autumn colours of asters and dahlias are continuing the flowering extravaganza, while of course salvias of all description come into their own in September and October.

Now is a good time to strike some cuttings of many tender perennials to keep under cover for winter as insurance, should the parent plants succumb to lower temperatures over winter.

There is still heat in the soil now, but using a heated bench will hasten root development and is ideal to stimulate the development of new roots on suitable cutting material.

As the woody growth on shrubs starts to harden, now can be a good time to take cuttings of some shrubs also, which can be left to establish outdoors over the next few months, creating new plants to fill any gaps or distribute among friends.

Rosemary, lavender, fuchsia, and hydrangea will all root well if cuttings are taken in September, with soft growth at the top of the cutting and harder wood near the base, which is high in hormone levels at this time of the year, making success rates higher.

Also, the extremes of temperatures will not be as likely from now on, making for a more stable growing environment and less stress for plant growth.

With autumn making an early appearance this year, it means that seeds are ripening and ready for collection a little earlier than usual, so keep an eye out for dried and ripe seed ready to pop into a paper bag for processing over the winter months.

Collection on dry and sunny afternoons is best, to ensure the seed is as dry as possible and the best quality.

If you haven’t collected seed before, then start with something easy like pot marigold or French marigold, two great companion flowers for the vegetable garden that produce large and easily identifiable seed. It can become a really rewarding part of gardening each year.

Plant of the Week

The Indian Golden Rain Tree, or Koelreuteria Paniculata, is a beautiful, elegant medium-sized tree that provides lots of interest at different times of the year in the garden.

It is deciduous and has pinnate leaves which turn golden yellow in autumn. It also has attractive sprays of yellow flowers in spring which turn to lantern-like fruits that turn reddish/bronze at the end of the summer.

This tree packs a serious punch in the seasons of interest category! It can get to about 10 metres tall with a similar spread and will tolerate exposure and grow well on any free draining soil in full sun.

It is native to China and is a great choice for something a little different to bring some interest at different times of the year.

Growing native trees and shrubs is important and introducing non-natives can also be an interesting and valuable exercise as we observe how different species cope with our climate, soils, and growing conditions, particularly with the changing weather patterns that are materialising.