M any of you will now have poinsettias in the home or the office . They are probably the best reminder that we are fast approaching Christmas, and for weeks we have been hearing the sound of Christmas music. Most of the poinsettias you buy are in soil-less compost. The main reason for this is that air freight costs are very much reduced and they are easier to handle. The main disadvantage is that soil-less composts hold far more water than composts having soil in them, and you may drown them by accident. When you first buy them, the best idea is to water them thoroughly when you get them home, and then leave them alone for a few days, say, three or four days or even more. Remember always that plants in soil-less compost need to be treated quite differently and can be killed by over watering. Poinsettias on sale now do not need any fertilizer. This comes later when they have finished their display, have been cut back, and are growing in the garden in a shady spot, or in your shade shelter.
Aloe vera is a delightful plant from central and southern African. In my garden it is something of an endangered species, as the females in the family prize it and use it for skin care. Aloes come from the really dry areas of Africa from the north to the far south. They actually produce spectacular flower spikes and are a great feature in some of the great dry gardens of the world like the Huntingdon in the USA and Stellenbosch in South Africa. As I mentioned, they are prized by the ladies for skin care, and by some parents for dressing the nails of children who bite them as the taste (of Aloes) is pretty awful.
Pruning trees
From a cosmetic viewpoint it is always best to cut branches flush with the main stem from which they are taken. From a health point of view it is essential. I have recently moved a flowering cherry to my own garden. Before this it was still attached to the parent plant. The separation had to be done with great care and the wound had to be treated to make sure that there was no infection. Look at the trees in Main Street and many of the other streets and gardens about Georgetown, and just note carefully how many of them have been pruned badly, or have not had broken branches cut back properly. There are literally hundreds and they are all safety time-bombs as infection can so easily occur.
Most tree pruners in Guyana do not work with chain saws. Or indeed any kind of saw. The cutlass is the weapon of choice. The stumps of badly pruned or broken branches are an immediate invitation to fungus diseases and rain which will eventually rot the tree throughout. A proper tree surgeon will cut close to the main stem, leaving a smooth surface, not a jagged one. Wounds always need to be treated with the horticultural equivalent of elastoplasts. In other words, painted with something like tar or pitch or a very good lead-based paint. The care of trees in the garden is especially important as you have a duty not only to members of your own household and property, but towards your neighbours as well. Bad maintenance can lead to expensive litigation if your rotten branch demolishes his Mercedes Benz. On that cheerful note I wish you a safe week in the garden and may your God go with you.
