Mammoth Onions

The Mammoth onions have germinated together with the big leeks.  I am keeping them inside the house at the moment because the weather has changed and there has been frost on the lawns all day.  I was more pleased than I though over seeds germinating. Little things...

We were doing the pruning part of the RHS level 2 course today, however all that I got to prune was a holly hedge.  I think I was a little too enthusiastic and took off a little more than was necessary.  I was trying to shape it a little better and that is my excuse.  I am not the best hedge cutter in the world and it is not my favourite job in the garden.  The  job has to be done though.  My ideal hedge is fairly low and very well cut - by someone else.

I do like pruning though.  I have just done the gooseberry and the vine and will be doing the black currants when the weather warms again.  I cut the black currants back hard last year due to big bud mite,  Cesidophyopsis ribis, so they will not need much pruning.  I will have to be careful not to cut out much of the new growth because this will bear this season's fruit.  Much better to prune blackcurrants just after harvesting.  Cutting back the old growths will stimulate new growth from lower down the plant.

However, I will be cutting out stems with big buds on them in an attempt to get rid of big bud mite.  I checked them today and there were not very many stems with big buds on them.