| Budding Branches Help Treat Spring Fever |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
By Jane Roberts
Scripps Howard News Service Spring is one of the best times to start appreciating the beauty that flows cyclically through nature's high and low seasons. Early spring's low season is now, but tree branches are already prickly with buds, scattered on the limbs like cloves on a ham. The Earth's force is pushing steadily toward the triumphant tumult we call spring. When you begin to see the plumping buds as proof of creation's pent-up liveliness, you realize what gardeners know abundantly well: Life blooms, perishes and rises again in the garden. And spring is a great time to hurry the budding beauty along. Tracy Cook, greenhouse manager at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, is busy on the grounds, pruning with an eye for what she calls "gently persuading" the cuttings into early bloom. Most other people call it "forcing" the branches to bloom -- indoors -- where the subtle colors and wispy elegance of spring can be seen up close. Cook knows better than to think she can inflict her will on nature. But she does offer some hints for those who want to try forcing its bloom. "It's important," Cook says, "that the buds have reached a point of maturity for any forcing technique to be successful. That time varies across the country from USDA zone to zone, but for some of the earlier bloomers, forsythia and quince, it can begin as early as late January and go into February and, in the coldest areas, into early March. Wherever you live, recognition of good, strong buds is the best indicator. But once the buds are ready, the advice becomes the same: "Try to harvest the branches at the warmest time of the day, because that's when the buds and stems are full of sap," Cook says. "Look for swollen buds; anything showing color will definitely come into bloom indoors." It's best to wait until March or perhaps April to take cuttings for harder-to-force ornamentals, such as crabapple, magnolia and redbud. Forsythia and pussy willows generally take one to three weeks to force. Magnolias will take three to five weeks. When you are harvesting branches, keep basic pruning tenets in mind so you have a healthy and well-shaped plant left to bloom when nature intends, Cook says. Primarily, prune back suckers, branches that are rubbing against each other or growth extending beyond what you want to be the plant's general shape. The time it takes to force branches into bloom varies among species, and the best way to know just how long it will be from bud to blossom may take a little experimentation over several forcing seasons. Always cut more than you need because not every branch will force. And you'll have better luck if you cut later rather than earlier in the season. The buds need a cold period; without it, they will not bloom, no matter how hard you force. You're pushing your luck if you try to force branches to bloom more than two to three weeks earlier than they would in nature, Cook says. After the branches are cut, hammer or split the cut ends, then submerge the branches in very warm water in the bathtub for about four hours, Cook says, to allow the buds to absorb water directly. If you want, you can stand the cuttings in a deep bucket of warm water with a plastic bag over the tops to increase the humidity overnight. The next day, stand the branches in fresh warm water and put the container in a bright, warm location. Change the water at least twice a week, Cook says. Be patient, since most branches will take two to six weeks to bloom. The blooms will last at least 10 days and probably longer. You can use a floral preservative in the water or a little bleach to keep the bacteria down. If you want the whimsical texture of the delicate pastel flowers borne simply on bare branches but don't have access to the woody plants, many floral shops are increasingly offering them for sale, many by the bucketful. People wanting them for home usually buy 10 to 15 stems for a tall vase in the entry or foyer. (Contact Jane Roberts of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, at www.gomemphis.com.)
| 
)
)
)
