Pruning wisteria
Cheryl asked Don how much she should prune her wisterias, and whether pruning would effect flowering.
Don said that although wisteria was a great plant, it really needed controlling. Prune whenever necessary to control growth, but keep in mind that if you prune in winter you will remove some flowering wood. Pruning in combination with a lot of watering and fertilising will also result in a loss of flowers. The ideal time to prune wisterias is after flowering in late spring.
Wisteria growing tips
Plant in full sun
After planting, water well. Apply fertiliser in spring and midsummer.
Once the plant is established, stop watering and fertilising.
Prune after flowering.
Avoid pruning late in the growing season or in winter, or you may remove flowering wood
Pepinos
An audience member explained that she has pepinos growing all over her garden, with beautiful flowers and fruit. She asked Don if pepinos need trimming or cutting back.
The pepino (Solanum muricatum) belongs to the Solanaceae or potato family. A native of Peru and Chile, it is a fast growing shrub to 1m (3′) tall. It has small purple flowers followed by thin-skinned, yellow or cream fruit with purple striping.
Pepinos like a sunny position and plenty of water. Fertilise in much the same way as a tomato plant, digging well-rotted manure in prior to planting and then supplementing with a nitrogenous fertiliser. Protect from frost. In very cold areas, the plant can be grown as an annual. Pepinos can be pruned after harvest, and the prunings can be used as cuttings to propagate new plants.
Pepinos cost around $10 for 140mm (5″) pots. Contact Daley’s Fruit Tree Nursery for your local supplier, or visit www.daleysfruit.com.au
Identifying plants
A gentleman asked Don to identify a plant in a photo. It was right at the back behind another plant, so identification was very difficult. If you’d like a plant identified, take a sample of the leaves, flowers and fruit to one of the horticulturists at your local nursery.