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Published on Sunday, July 04, 2010
By Redlands Daily Facts Staff Writer
1 If you act quickly, you can work some fun magic with hollyhocks, which have recently finished their annual flush of flowers. Cut back the flower stalks just above the ground. Then water and feed right away, and continue watering regularly. This usually causes new flower stalks to develop, and you'll actually be able to get a second flush of hollyhock blooms this autumn.
2 When boysenberries finish bearing, cut back the spent fruiting canes all the way to the ground, sparing only the vigorous shoots that did not bear fruit this season. Feed with a balanced plant food and continue regular watering. Vigorous new canes will emerge and provide the scaffolding for a bountiful crop next year - and you won't have to prune and separate them this winter. Just train them out horizontally for optimum yield next year.
3 Prune deciduous fruit trees as soon as the fruit is harvested. Top the tree at any height that works for you - about eight feet is practical. Remove strong, upright sprouts, but allow plenty of leaves to remain, because they will feed new branches that emerge in the next several weeks. And these late- summer/autumn branches will produce the bulk of next year's crop.
4 Help your geraniums and other flowering plants bloom more throughout the summer and into autumn by removing faded blossoms on a regular basis, as soon as the blooms fade. This is called deadheading
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