It is one of the amazing things about trees and shrubs. Many have the ability to produce roots no matter how long (or short) the cuttings are. Willows, for example, will root even if you stick in pieces six feet long, and so do many other species. Nature gives them a built-in ability to help them survive. In the case of cuttings they can survive as exact replicas of their parent. Nature also helps them survive by means of seed in which case the offspring bear characteristics acquired from each parent. Anyway, most gardeners learn that every part of a plant may be used to produce roots.
Now the case that I used just now (that of the weeping willow) was dealing with a plant from hardwood cuttings. Many of our garden plants can be propagated by using such cuttings; about eight to ten inches long, as thick as a blackboard chalk. Without any doubt the best way to root them is to insert them in pure sand. They will root in this after a few weeks and can then be potted into a three-inch diameter pot to grow on. Alternatively they can be rooted into a sandy compost straight into a pot. In my view it is always best to push them into the compost to at least half their length and in this case the rooting bin is always best.
It is always a good thing to have trees in the garden which cast plenty of shade. Nevertheless always make a point of watering in the early morning or the late afternoon. These are the best times to do your watering as well as being the safest. In Guyana I would avoid exposure to the sun as much as possible between 10am and 4pm. In any case it is much more agreeable to look at your little treasures in the cool of the day when you can also enjoy the activities of the birds. Especially the humming birds.
Just imagine the heat and the sun intensity. Anyway dear friends, it all boils down to common sense doesn’t it? Don’t walk about without a shirt or a hat if you have work to do in the garden that won’t wait until things start to get cooler, and teach your children to do the same.
Scale
Adult scale insects hide under the scale for nearly all of their adult life. The youngsters (crawl-ers) move about widely before the scale is formed, feeding freely and weakening the plant severely. Scale is in my experience one of the most serious (and infectious) pests we have in our gardens. It enjoys our climate and really when you get to the stage when whole branches are infested then the best thing you can do is to cut it out and burn it. When you first see the scale – and at that stage it is going to be just a few scales – the crawlers are going to be out hunting for fresh succulent pieces to attack. This is the best time to apply some insecticide. When you see a branch covered with old scale it is like a protective covering and very difficult to control. Kill them off when they are young and unprotected.
Until next time may your God go with you wherever you may be.
