Country and Gardens: Weekend Work

PRUNE CULTIVATED blackberries when all the fruit has been picked, cutting out old fruited canes at the base of the plant and tying the fresh new canes to supports. The variety `Himalaya Giant' does not produce as much new wood as some other varieties. Leave some of the old stems to fruit again next year.

LOGANBERRIES CAN be treated in the same way. The new stems that have been growing all this season should be tied in, in place of the old fruited stems. Leave the centre clear and fill it next season with the new stems, tying them temporarily into a bundle.

BLACKCURRANTS FRUIT on new wood, so you need to persuade the bushes to produce as much new wood as possible. Do this by cutting out at least a third of the old, dark wood each season, keeping the new, ginger-coloured stems that spring from the base.

RED AND white currants need different treatment because they fruit on spurs made on the old wood. Cut back this season's main shoots by about a third.

BOX HEDGES, edges and topiary (pictured) should already have been clipped to shape. If not, clip them now.