Winter isn't often viewed as an enjoyable time to garden, however I think this is wrong, as in both the garden and propagation, lots of exciting things have begun.
I started this year with the garden team, cutting down herbaceous perennials to reveal the fresh shoots of spring bulbs that were just starting to peek through the soil. This is such a rewarding job as you get to see the bare bones of the garden and appreciate the beauty that is to come as the shapes and colours of leaves and flowers begin to emerge.
Along with cutting down herbaceous perennials, we pruned all the vines around the garden, including Vitis 'Fragola'. We prune our vines at this time (or earlier), whilst they are dormant so they don't bleed sap when they are cut. If pruning is done whilst the vine is in active growth, they can bleed which will weaken the plant. Vines can be pruned differently depending on where they are and what they are grown for. At Beth Chatto's, we prune ours hard as we know how much they will grow in a year. We prune them back to the main framework, leaving two buds on each stem. Once the vine is fully pruned, it looks refreshed and ready to start growing again which makes it a very satisfying job.
Pruning vitis
Vitis vinifera 'Spetchley Red'- January
Vitis vinifera 'Spetchley Red'- September
Vines are not the only thing to prune at this time of year- we also prune our roses. Next to our dry stock bed we have a rambling rose known as the student rose, named as such as each year a student gets to prune it for practice. This year Hollie (the other apprentice) and I worked together to prune it. When pruning, people often tend to be careful and don’t cut enough off. This had been the case with the student rose, so Hollie and I cut back until just the framework was left and a few healthy stems. By doing this, we replace some of the old, tired stems with fresh, new healthy ones. If this rose had been left without a hard prune for a year or longer, it could have caused wind rock which can lead to movement at the roots and can even result in the rose dying.
Written by Apprentice Hannah
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