Along the arbour

Credit: Carolyn Herriot

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A vigorous pruning in April has paid off, as buds swell and leaves break on numerous rose, kiwi and grape vines wrapped along the fifty-foot long arbour. Pruning and tying vines directs them where I want them to grow, and maintains the aesthetic of the arbour. After pruning I weed around their feet and feed them with compost, woodash and granular seaweed to boost fruiting and flowering.

On the berry walk blackcurrants are showing signs of great potential harvests in July. The bushes have put on lots of new growth after being selectively pruned in fall; one-year-old wood produces the fruit, so it’s best to prune only 50% of the bush at a time to maintain annual harvests.

The berry cuttings have grown a lot since being potted into screened compost in their own 4” pots. Some will even produce berries this year! Once roots have filled the 4” pots, I will pot them into a gallon pot, from which they can be transplanted into the garden in fall.

Back to the Victory Garden Program.