Re: Deciduous plants still have leaves
John MacGregor wrote:
>
> Nan,
>
> I suspect if you wait a week your "BAAAAd frost" will have taken care of
> this task for you. At any rate, stripping off the leaves in winter in
> climates where low temperatures and lack of winter storms do not do this is
> unlikely to do any harm.
>
> As I see it, there are two reasons for stripping off leaves:
>
> 1. to eliminate disease spores and insect eggs, reducing next year's
> infection.
>
> 2. To encourage the plant to go into dormancy....
John's posting covers pretty well all the arguments, but I would just
like to reinforce the notion that for object #1 to be successful it is
absolutely necessary for the stripped leaves to be romoved from the
neighbourhood of the trees and safely disposed off. If they are left
around one would just be wasting one's energy.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
