P483 Teletext 483 Mar 2 22:45:28 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND MAR 2/3 ——————————————————————————————————————— WEEKEND JOBS Roses Finish pruning them in the next 2 or 3 weeks. You can try using a hedge trimmjt on bush roses. Tidy ragged ends with sjccateurs. Shrub roses Often they need no pruning. If they get leggy cut out some old shoots or all of them to 15cm. Bare root plants Finish planting by the end of March at the latest. ——————————————————————————————————1/5—— That's the wonder of willow 464 BE OU$ GUEST AT CHELTENHAM p451 Pets Stars Recipe Tea breakP483 Teletext 483 Mar 2 22:33:21 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND MAR 2/3 ——————————————————————————————————————— DOGWOODS AND WILLOWS Cornus alba & Salix alba Where you are growing these as shrubs for their attractive stems cut them hard back. A choice of shape Usually prune down near the ground. But you can "pollard" willows especially. Prune back to the top of a single stem 1-3 metres high. CAUTION Other Cornus except Cornus stolonifera are not pruned this way. ——————————————————————————————————2/5—— The financial side of Di's divorce 542 STUDY CRAFTS IN WEST SUSSEX p672 Pets Stars Recipe Tea breakP483 Teletext 483 Mar 2 22:41:31 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND MAR 2/3 ——————————————————————————————————————— EARLY FLOWERING TREES The Japanese apricot (Prunus mume). It grows 6-8 metres high. Single pink flowers appear as early as February. The almond (Prunus dulcet). It has clear pink flowers 3-5cm across from March. "Rosea-Plina" is a double form. The cherry plum (Prunus corasifera). Small white flowers can appear in March. "Pissardii" has purple leaves. ——————————————————————————————————3/5—— Fun & Games 450 Digitisjr 470 GLENDA JACKSON ON GREEN ISSUES p463 Pets Stars Recipe Tea breakP483 Teletext 483 Mar 2 22:54:21 ————————————————————————— bz FRED STRICKLAND MAR 2/3 ——————————————————————————————————————— AUBERGINES Greenhouse Try growing some of these for fun. They are best grown under glass though you may manage outdoors. Sowing They are slow to germinate and grow away: sow at 21C if possible. Grow seedlings on at 18C. When they are planted out grow them on at 15-18C. Thinning For good-sized fruit only keep 3 to 5 aubergines pet plant. ——————————————————————————————————4/5—— Flashback to a boxing legend 671 WBTCH THE BOX? WBTCH THIS SPACE p410 Pets Stars Recipe Tea breakP483 Teletext 483 Mar 2 22:42:11 ————————————————————————— by FRED STRICKLAND MAR 2/3 ——————————————————————————————————————— SOWING: IMPROVE YOU$ CHANCES Add extra drainage like Perlite to a compost, where you get damping off. Spray with Cheshunt compound. Screen propagators or plants under polythene from direct sun. Cover small seeds with vermiculite, not compost. Use fresh compost. ——————————————————————————————————5/5—— Win 30-language translator software 653 THE BOOK FOR BUSINESS PROPERTY p544 Pets Stars Recipe Tea break