Page 45 - Real Rochdale Issue 17 Spring 2023

GARDENING TIPS Photo: Sharon - stock.adobe.com

FOR SPRING

ABOUT THE WRITER
Silvana Devine is a social and therapeutic
horticulture practitioner at Petrus Incredible Edibles
Rochdale (PIER) which is a community allotment on
Belfield Road in Rochdale.

Petrus Incredible Edibles Rochdale (PIER), is homelessness charity Petrus’ Community
Allotment located on Belfield Road in Rochdale. It’s a beautiful, relaxing and therapeutic piece
of land that grows fruit and vegetables and a member of the wider Incredible Edibles Pruning Plants for free
network, representing Rochdale. Their vision is to create kind, confident and connected
communities through the power of food. As a team, we wanted to share some of the tips and If you haven’t done so, prune shrub and At PIER, we have a limited budget so we are
tricks we’ve picked up along the way. bush roses. You should not prune ramblers always looking for ways to get more plants
in spring as you will lose this year’s flowers. without spending the earth! Spring is a good
Lawns Only tackle rambling roses (like Rambling time to take cuttings from hydrangeas. Take
Rector) if they have got completely stem-tip cuttings of new, non-flowering shoots
If you are lucky enough to have a lawn, overgrown and need an overhaul. (about 4 inches long). Remove the leaves
rake out moss and dead grasses ready for at the bottom and leave one pair. Cut these
the growing season. Lots of dead As a rule for pruning shrub and bush roses, leaves in half to reduce the leaf size. Place in
material can be removed by scarifying. Be firstly remove any dead wood, and then a 9cm pot filled with peat-free compost and
mindful that the lawn will look worse than remove any shoots that are crossing (or perlite. For a 9cm pot, you can have four or
it did before scarifying, but it will recover will cross when they grow). Think about the five cuttings around the edge of the pot.
and be much improved as the grass starts shape you wish to achieve too. Roses are
to grow. quite hardy, so don’t worry too much about Another way of increasing your plant stock
making a mistake. Remember, the more is dividing perennial plants. It is best to wait
Mulching severe the pruning, the more vigorous the for the last frost before doing this, but plants
growth. such as; Agapanthus, Eryngiums, Hostas, Iris,
One of the most important things any Primulas and Verbena to name but a few, can
gardener can do to prepare for the If you have a Buddleia in your garden, these all be divided and moved to increase the
growing season is mulching. Mulch is any should be pruned at this time of year too. impact of them in your borders.
material that is spread or laid over the Buddleias are extremely hardy, so if you wish
surface of the soil and used as a covering. to increase your stock, simply use Plan ahead
Weed borders and raised beds before some of the thinner discarded pruned
adding mulch, which can be organic branches and pop these into a pot of Spring will soon run into summer, so now is
matter like well-rotted fam manure, compost and leave outside to take root. a good time to start thinking about what you
chipped bark, or here at PIER our own want to grow. Petrus’ PIER Community
garden compost. Mulching will ensure At PIER, we have used prunings to increase Allotment is open Tuesday afternoons,
your soil retains moisture and will reduce the number of Buddleias at the allotment Thursday and Fridays so come and visit us to
Photo: Paul Maguire - stock.adobe.com the amount of weeding later in the season. with great success. see what’s growing.

REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2023 44 45 REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2023