TIPS INCREASE BERRY YIELD

Care for your currants

1 LOVE black currant jelly and my wife has visions of
doing rude things with raspberries. Neither one of us is a
big fan of strawberry jam, yet there is something to be
said for the current craze over fresh strawberries and

champagne.

We all should have the oppor-
tunity to indulge in our decadent
cravings or we might as well be
living in the US°R with our feet
stuck in the breaw lines.

Therefore I think it is impor-
tant that we continue our discus-
sion of the care and cultivation
of berry plants in order that we
do our best to keep the West a
free and democratic place in
which to raise our children.

Currants, members of the ribes
family, require a sunny, well-
drained site, safe from the late
spring frosts which might damage
the early flowers.

The soil should be on the
lighter or sandier side, and
established plants should be
watered only during extended dry
periods.

Feed established plants in late
winter with a fertilizer high in
phosphorous ‘and potassium,
such as Greenleaf's Vegetable
Booster 10-14-21, and mulch with
one to two inches of well-rotred
manure or compost.

Pruning should take place in
the winter months. Newly
planted currants should be prun-
ed to four to six buds on each
branch and -established plants
should be pruned to shape.

Removing weak, inside growth
and pruning !ateral branches by
two inches per year will promote

should do the trick.

Those little green caterpillar-
like worms, which can strip a
plant clean in a few days, are the
larvae of the currant sawfly.

A spray made up of .5 tsp. (2.5
mL) of Methoxychlor 25 per cent
EC with 5 tbsp. (75 mL) of
Safer’s Soap per gallon of water
applied ai first sighting will send

over the

garden gate
by Geoff Tobiasson

the formation of fruiting spurs.

Gooseberries are also members
of the ribes family and should be
cultivated in the same manner.
As with currants, birds are the
major pest and netting is the only
true solution.

Other problems such as rust
and mildew can be kept in check
by pruning the plants to an open
shape or, if the problem is more
serious, the application of 25
tsp. (1.25 mL) of Benomyl with
6.5 tbsp. (100 mL) of Safer’s
Soap per gallon (4.54 L) of water

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the little bugs to Hades.

While I’ve yet to see a named
variety of black currant, ‘Red
Lake’ is the best choice in the red
currants. Good varieties of
gooseberries are *Hinnonmaeki
Red’ and ‘Hinnonmaeki Yellow’.

Like the blackberry, the rasp-
berry is a member of the rubus
family, and cultivation therefore
is very similar. ;

They need full sun, moist but
well drained, acidic soil, and
water during dry periods while
tie fruit is forming.

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They are best planted in rows
and supported by two wires,
strung horizontally at three and
five feet. Set the rooted canes out
in March or April at two to three
foot intervals and roughly one
inch deeper than they were
previously planted.

Cut the old canes back to stubs
immediately after planting and

the four or five new canes that |

will be produced will bear next
year,

The ever-bearing varieties such
as ‘Amity’ and ‘Heritage’,
produce on fateral branches in
September and again the follow-
ing June if September's fruiting
tons are removed after harvest.

Varieties such as ‘Skeena’ and
‘Willamette’ bear only once each
June/July, but the fruit is supe-
tior to the ever-bearing varieties.

The canes of the summer bear-
ing raspberry should be cut to the
ground after the harvest while

those of the ever-bearers should }

be left until their second harvest.

Disease and insect problems
mentioned above can be treated
in the same fashion as the cur-
rants and those peculiar to
raspberries can be reduced if not
eliminated with good garden
hygienics.

Sorry, no space for grapes and
strawberries this week. As the
amount of information available
for these rather specialized plants
is extensive, WIL leave their

discussion for separate articles at

a future date.

will f

Dahliias
displayed
at show

THE VANCOUVER Dahlia Socie-
ty is holding its 3rd annual show at
the Vandusen Botanical Gardens
on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 1 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m.

Admission to the floral hall on
Oak at 37th is $1.50. Free parking
on the grounds is available.

Light refreshments will be serv-
ed.

This show is a display of all
dahlia varieties (decorative, cactus,
orchid type, miniatures, collaret-
tes, pompons, and seedlings), with
the latest new varieties as well as
the old favorites.

The floral art section is always a
popular feature,

All blooms are named = ard
orders may be taken for delivery of
tubers next spring.

Club members will be in atten-
dance and the public is invited to
ask questions of all phases of
dahlia culture.

Competition is
everyone.

For more information, contact
the club secretary, Irene Tiampo,
at 922-9678 or show chairperson,
Mildred Wells, at 299-3175.

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