Gardening experts; when to cut, what to cut, how much to cut?

Hi All,

We have quite a large garden around the house in Goa and somebody employed to maintain the garden. But neither he or we know anything about gardening .

So over the past three years we have managed to keep most plants & trees alive but not more than that. Most of them have sprouted long, floppy branches and have reduced flowering.

Somebody told me that we need to cut these branches but I have not had a clear answer about when we should be doing this;

- now, well before the monsoon
- just at the onset of the monsoon
- after the monsoon

And if we start cutting, how much should we cut?

I know this is perhaps a bit difficult as I do not have a clue which plants are which. Except for the mango trees, coconut trees and banana trees (which all fall over before they give fruits ) I do not know names.

But perhaps somebody can give some general idea that applies for most plants?

Thanks a lot!!

It really depends on the plants, and I don't know anything about Indian plants... sorry.

Some shrubs flower on last year's growth, some on new growth. Some should be pruned when dormant, others right after flowering. Maybe a book on gardening, and pruning in particular would help.

One tip when thinning plants. It is always best to remove whole branches and stop them crowding each other. Just giving a plant a "haircut" e.g. removing the ends of the branches the same amount all over will result in a stunted, crowded shrub.

HI Hal,

Thanks a lot for the 'haircut' tip. That sounds quite feasible and easy to explain to the gardener. I am going to try that and see what happens.

Today I also saw that the crown of one of the tall palms has turned brown. I hope the rains hurry up.

Some small palms are being eaten by something that I can't see but that must be very hungry! I tried to spray with something herbal from a local garden shop but so far it seems they only eat more!

No green fingers obviously!

Goa is warm and humid year round like Bombay, but more so and with heavier annual rainfall. I dont have land but I do have a mini botanical garden on my terrace, so for whatever it is worth, here goes:

Coconut trees - do not cut at all until they die. You can cut off old dried fronds which would fall anyway when fully dry.
Banana plants will send up new suckers around them after fruiting, you can cut the old growth when the sucker looks healthy enough.
All other ornamentals, prune well just before or at the onset of the monsoons.

Suggest you pm Ebby, he has a lot of experience and a big garden in Mysore with several fruit trees, he will give you the best advice for sure.

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I am instructing the garden guy accordingly. Should you ever come to Goa you are welcome to come and have a drink and look around in the garden and the area behind our house if you are interested. It is very beautiful over here with lost of different fauna and flora.

Hi Birds,

Its heartening to note that you are seeking advice with regards to trees and plantation. I am a member of a NGO in Chennai which is called Nizhal, which means shade in tamil. Nizhal is a non profit organization which devotes its full time to Tree Care and Greening activities and work closely with the government. It consists of Volunteers from all walks of life and have many experienced honorary advisors on the board.

Though you are in Goa, you can join the group and go through the messages posted and also post your query on plantation and maintainance of plants and trees. The experts would answer your queries. there is no cost involved. In fact there are members who have their own farms and share their inputs with the larger group.

We would be happy to have you amidst our group. Pl check the beow link www.Nizhaltn.org and also go through the article that appeared in the India Today some time ago.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.p...id=20&secid=30

If interested You can also drop me a note and I shall ask the moderator to send you a group invite.

Best of Luck on your plantation actvities.

Raghu

Thanks birds, will take a rain check on that.

snonymous, no doubt I have a garden but am also an amatuer gardener. Generally, I prune my flowering plants soon after the flowering is over, upto (or is it down to) five or six leaves. But, if its peak summer, I prune it just before the onset of monsoon and fertilise them after the rains start.

I also prune my fruit trees of the branches which have given yeild. This keeps the tree manageable and allows sun and air into the tree and reduces fungal infection and promotes fresh growth.

A coconut having dried leaves can be due to various reasons like waterlogging, lack of water, root wilt, borer beetle, etc. Better to get an expert to look into it and treat it before it spreads to the other trees.

I prefer compost, vermicompost and other natural fertilisers to chemical, though I mix some during flowering and fruiting.

Once again this is amatuer advice and should be taken at your own risk.

Hal is absolutely right, it really does depend on what plants you have.

Some plants only flower or fruit on last year's growth, so if you cut them back you won't get any flowers. However, just to be awkward some only flower or fruit on fresh growth, and if you hadn't cut back the old growth in the spring to encouage fresh growth you wouldn't get much either.

You really do need to find a gardener who knows what he's doing, instead of a labourer! Perhaps you can find one who can come in for a while, in the spring and autumn, to do the pruning and tell your so-called gardener what to do. Your local plant seller may be able to suggest someone knowledgeable.

Bearing in mind that in Goa there is no "autumn"!

Any experienced local Goa mali [gardener] will be able to help you, and you can always seek advice from your neighbours, apart from local nurserymen.

Thanks all for the good advice!

Ebby I think I can work with the things you point out.

I know I should have a real gardener but I have not been able to find one. We have had perhaps about six different guys over the past three years with different degrees of success (one carving his name in the trees! ).

The current one may not to know much but at least he seems to enjoy what he does (he sings the whole day ) and he is willing to learn. So that is why I am trying.

I will start with the tips given here and will lurk around the Nizhal forum for a while to learn. Thanks a lot Raghu for the invite.

Thanks again all.

check out the local horticultural resources usually the state government department and the local agricultural university / department.

Call them, take some time out to visit the departments and ask them for advice. They might point you to some experienced gardner who can give you ideas on what to do with it.

Goa Horticulture and Crops Plantation
Development Corporation
Old GMC Complex, Panaji
2419439/2220627/2220627

Also check out google, typed in "Landscaping and Gardening in Goa" and found this:

http://www.hotfrog.in/Products/Lands...rvices/Goa/Goa

If you have a rose bush, cut off the dry rose along with the entire stem, near the node of the main stalk.

No roses but thanks for the advice.

By now, except for the palm trees, everything in the garden is chopped off! We are just in time because this evening the first significant rains fell.

I am not sure whether it is going to work but I will let you know.

Thanks again for all advice.

Hope that with the monsoon setting in, your garden is now flourishing!