Pruning for Flowers and Fruit (CSIRO Publishing Gardening Guides)

✍ Scribed by Jane Varkulevicius

• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 225
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Pruning is all about controlling and directing plant growth. It’s easy to have the best groomed and most productive garden when you understand how plants grow and know what to prune and when to do it.Pruning for Flowers and Fruit shows you techniques from the most basic to the most advanced of espaliers and topiary. The book covers a wide range of ornamental plants, vegetables, fruit trees and bushes with special emphasis on popular plants such as roses, hydrangeas, citrus, nuts and berries. It will show you how to choose the best plants at the nursery, maintain your secateurs like a professional, prune weather damaged plants and renovate your ornamental or fruiting trees and shrubs.Whether you live in a cool temperate zone or the tropics this book shows you how to bring out the best in your garden.Key features• Prune with confidence following detailed step-by-step instructions and easy to follow diagrams• Learn how to choose the best plant at the nursery for your garden• Whether a beginner or more experienced gardener, become an expert and bring out the best in your garden

✦ Table of Contents

CONTENTS......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 10
Why prune?......Page 12
Cambium – the uniting force......Page 14
Hormones and meristems (points of growth)......Page 15
Buds – apical and otherwise......Page 16
How plants make their own food......Page 18
Your site and plant selection......Page 20
Choosing the right plant at the nursery......Page 28
Propagation and landscape use......Page 34
Staking plants......Page 37
When to prune......Page 39
So what is the kindest cut?......Page 42
Rubbing off......Page 43
Pinching out, tip pruning......Page 45
How to cut......Page 46
Root pruning......Page 57
Suckers and how to deal with them......Page 59
Trees, shrubs, variegated plants, herbaceous perennials, grasses and tufty plants......Page 62
Roses......Page 80
Hydrangeas......Page 91
Pollarding and coppicing......Page 95
Hedges......Page 98
Planting a hedge......Page 99
Formal hedges......Page 103
Informal hedges......Page 106
Pleaching......Page 109
Topiary......Page 111
Renovating older trees and shrubs......Page 115
Climbing plants – ornamental and edible......Page 121
Pruning weather-damaged plants......Page 134
Selecting fruit trees......Page 138
Free-standing fruit trees......Page 139
Espalier – trees in small spaces......Page 144
Renovating fruit trees......Page 150
Apples Malus spp.......Page 156
Apricots Prunus armenica......Page 160
Cherries......Page 163
Figs Ficus carica......Page 166
Hazelnuts Corylus avellana......Page 168
Mulberry Morus nigra, M. rubra, M. alba, M. macroura......Page 170
Nectarines, peaches, peacharines and almonds Prunus persica var. nectarine, P. persica, P. dulcis......Page 171
Pears Pyrus spp.......Page 173
Persimmon Diospyros kaki......Page 175
Plums Prunus domestica, P. salicina......Page 176
Pomegranate Punica granatum......Page 178
Quince Cydonia oblonga......Page 179
Walnuts Juglans regia......Page 180
Avocado Persea americana......Page 182
Carob Ceratonia siliqua......Page 183
Loquat Eriobotrya japonica......Page 184
Macadamia Macadamia integrifolia, M. tetraphylla......Page 185
Olive Olea europa......Page 186
White sapote Casimiroa edulis......Page 188
Citrus fruit Citrus spp., Fortunella spp.......Page 190
Pineapple guava Feijoa sellowiana syn. Acca sellowiana......Page 194
Tamarillo, tree tomato Cyphomandra betacea......Page 195
Pepino Solanum muricatum......Page 196
10 Berry fruit......Page 198
Blueberry Vaccinium spp.......Page 199
Currants Ribes spp.......Page 200
Red and white currants Ribes sativa, R. rubrum......Page 201
Black currants Ribes nigrum......Page 202
Strawberries Fragaria x ananassa......Page 203
Raspberries Rubus idaeus, R. idaeus var. strigosus......Page 206
Bramble berries Rubus spp. and hybrids......Page 209
Glossary......Page 212
References......Page 214
Index......Page 215