Questions are answered by the expert of the Recipe for the Garden - Anna Majewicz, MA "
How to propagate fruit bushes?
Q:I have good old varieties of currants, raspberries and gooseberries. I want descendants exactly from these shrubs. How to do it?
O:The mentioned fruit bushes can be easily multiplied by horizontal layers.To do this, bend one (or more - depending on needs) of the lower twigs.Then dig a narrow groove in line with the natural direction of the shoot's fall. Remember that the hole should be 10 cm deep.Place the shoot in it and cover it with the previously dug soil.
If the soil in the garden is of poor quality, it is worth enriching the dug soil with peat, in the amount of - a handful of peat per 3 handfuls of soil.Cover the bent twig with this mixture and tamp it hard.If it bends too much, then it is worth weighting it with stone or brick.
New plants will appear after the first growing season, and in the next one they can be cut off from the mother bush and planted in a new place.
Why did my sundew die?
P:I bought a sundew and a flycatcher in a supermarket. I put them on a bright window sill, and yet both of them were wasted. How should you care for them?
O:Insectivorous plants require constant soil moisture. It is best to put the pot in a ceramic casing and pour some water into it.Its condition should be constantly monitored. It is worth remembering that these species do not tolerate fertilization. They prefer poor and acidic soils, and supplement the deficiency of nitrogen and other nutrients by “consuming” insects. Also, do not sprinkle them with water - it will wash off the mucilage droplets from the leaves of the sundew.
What can you do about a pond that is constantly overgrowing with algae?
P:Our pond with crystal clear water and trout living in it is overgrown with algae and grass. The bottom of the reservoir is lined with foil and covered with gravel and stones. How to save him?
O:First of all, please take care of the natural biological balance in the pond. This will help keep it clean.However, there can be many reasons for the overgrowing of the reservoir with algae and grass.
- If the algae are reproducing at such an alarming rate, there is probably too much organic matter in the water, so decaying plant debris and fish droppings.
- Make sure that water from the garden, containing fertilizers, does not flow into the pond.
It is worth remembering a few rules:
- If the reservoir is to be used for brown trout farming, the basic requirement is an intensive water flow in the pond. The rainbow trout is said to be able to survive without its movement.
- On the other hand, if the pond is to be purely decorative, it may be worth giving up trout, for example, koi carp or golden crucian carp.
Immersed aquatic plants - tolls or marshes - will certainly be helpful in the fight against algae.They use organic compounds and carbon dioxide, and in return purify and oxygenate the water and inhibit the growth of algae.
The location of the tank is also important. If the pond has been placed in full sun, it should be equipped with plants with floating leaves, such as water lilies. Their leaves should cover at least 1/3 of the water surface. Before planting all these plants, the tank should be thoroughly cleaned of algae and grasses again.
Is there any way to get a nice, even thuja hedge?
P:My thujas, despite their age, vary in height. I would like them to look aesthetically pleasing and the same. How can this be achieved?
O:The age of thuja does not always guarantee their equal height. However, you can remedy this - each of the conifers should be trimmed, shortening it by a few centimeters from the top.
We cut in such a way that ultimately each of the plants is of the same height. Therefore, the taller specimens should be pruned more strongly, and the lower ones less.The first cuts can be made already when the thuja is 2-3 years old.Such pruning will not only ensure an even height of the fence, but will also cause our hedge will grow he althier and thicken nicely.
