It is never a good idea to dig in quantities of dung or well-rotted compost before planting unless the soil is particularly light and it is known that it is extremely poor and lacking in humus.
With grafted and budded trees, it is most important to see that the union of the root stock and the scion (that is to say, the variety that you grafted on the stock) is kept well above the level of the soil. The moment you have planted your tree you must think about supporting it.
In the case of the small garden, one can thank the East Mailing Research Station which, though primarily devoting its work to the commercial fruit grower, has set out to discover also how best to make use of a small area of land with. the idea of being able to fit the scheme into a acre garden.
They even have demonstration plots of 11 rods and 5 rods each (1 rod = 304: sq. yards), which are well worth while seeing. These are to be found in the gardens of Bradbourne House, the headquarters of the East Mailing Research Station, and permission can be obtained (in certain circumstances) to see them.
It should, preferably, be in a nice crumbly condition and in the normal way the planting can be done with a spade-quite a small hole being got out for the purpose, say a foot across and no more. Just as with the top fruits, the roots will have to be spread out evenly, the damaged ones will be pruned back cleanly and, as the soil is put back into the hole, it will be trodden down very firmly.
After the firm planting, a light raking will be given to leave the top 1 inch of soil loose, and immediately after this whatever mulch that is going to be used will be put into position-a foot of straw, in all probability, in the case of the blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, blackberries and the like, and 1 inch of sedge peat in the case of strawberries. - 15266
With grafted and budded trees, it is most important to see that the union of the root stock and the scion (that is to say, the variety that you grafted on the stock) is kept well above the level of the soil. The moment you have planted your tree you must think about supporting it.
In the case of the small garden, one can thank the East Mailing Research Station which, though primarily devoting its work to the commercial fruit grower, has set out to discover also how best to make use of a small area of land with. the idea of being able to fit the scheme into a acre garden.
They even have demonstration plots of 11 rods and 5 rods each (1 rod = 304: sq. yards), which are well worth while seeing. These are to be found in the gardens of Bradbourne House, the headquarters of the East Mailing Research Station, and permission can be obtained (in certain circumstances) to see them.
It should, preferably, be in a nice crumbly condition and in the normal way the planting can be done with a spade-quite a small hole being got out for the purpose, say a foot across and no more. Just as with the top fruits, the roots will have to be spread out evenly, the damaged ones will be pruned back cleanly and, as the soil is put back into the hole, it will be trodden down very firmly.
After the firm planting, a light raking will be given to leave the top 1 inch of soil loose, and immediately after this whatever mulch that is going to be used will be put into position-a foot of straw, in all probability, in the case of the blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, blackberries and the like, and 1 inch of sedge peat in the case of strawberries. - 15266
About the Author:
Gardeners who want to grow oldtime apples in their garden can obtain young semidwarf or dwarf fruit trees of many varieties, or stock to graft onto their own existing trees.
