Category Archives: Gardening Notes

Garden Notes For June 2016

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June should be not too bad in terms of dry days and warmth with temperatures highest during the second half of the month. There may be some cool days during the first week or so. Rainfall will be slightly lower than usual, until the last week when there could be some heavy thundery showers.

Flowers
Cut sweet peas regularly to encourage repeat flowering. Deadhead azaleas, calendula, delphinium, iris, lilac, lupins, pansies and roses. Pulling the deadheads on roses rather than cutting them off leads to more repeat flowering.
Divide overgrown clumps of polyanthus and primulas after they have finished flowering. Put the divided plants in a shady part of the garden, they can then be put into their new place in the autumn. Plants that are good for butterflies (other than buddleia) include aubrietia, chives, clover (red and white), dandelion, forget-me-not, French marigold, honeysuckle, ivy, lavender, michelmas daisy, mint, parsley, thyme, wallflower.
Roses are at their best towards the end of the month. It helps to keep them cut regularly and feed
with a potash feed to keep them blooming longer. If you want to have specimen blooms it is advised to take out the side shoots carefully, as well as the smaller buds, leaving just one strong one at the end of the stem. Keep an eye out for pests and disease. Keep mildew at bay by regular spraying.

Vegetables
Sow maincrop beetroot, Calabrese, lettuce and oriental greens where they are to grow. Other vegetables that can be sown direct in early June include French and runner beans, kohl rabi, radishes, spring onions, swede and turnips. Remove flowerheads from chives and lemon balm before they self­ seed all over the place.
Take softwood cuttings of sage, rosemary and hyssop. Strip the leaves off healthy shoots around 7 em long and put into pots of well-gritted, moist compost. Shade greenhouses to prevent plants being scorched by direct sunlight. Use shade netting or paint the glass with a shading wash.
In the vegetable plot, make sure potatoes are kept ridged up, otherwise the tubers get exposed and
ruined. Late Savoy cabbage can be sown now- use a variety like ‘Ormskirk’. Winter cabbage like January King should be planted out now. Leeks should be planted out using a dibber to make a hole about 6 to 8″ deep, and then water it in well. Continue to make successional sewings of lettuce. Ones like ‘Tom Thumb’ ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Mini Green’ are fast growing, and the right size for many people. Webb’s Wonderful is superb but rather large.
Early tomatoes should be ripening fast and the fruits should be picked regularly.

My allot ment
The frosts in the early part of the month ‘singed’ a few leaves of the earliest spuds that are growing under a polythene cloche. If I was a really keen gardener, I should have built up the earth covering, but, sadly, I am not and they will just have to take their chances.
The soil outside any covering is taking a long time to warm up. This has meant that the weed growth, so far, has been kept to the minimum, but I am expecting it to explode anytime soon. It also means that the second earlies and main crop potatoes have not put their noses above ground. Partly this is because I took fright at the frost damage and earthed the rows up with huge clods. So we wait and
see. The whole plot needs to be tidied up and we made a small start on this by defining the edges a bit
more.

C.C.

Gardening tips – January 2013

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Happy New Year, everyone.  Although we can expect January to bring us more cold weather, it is also the time to look forward to Spring and even if it does not seem like it, the days are getting longer.

This is the time of year when houseplants are most appreciated.  Azaleas, cineraria and cyclamen will all help to cheer things up.  Do not over water, and most of these plants like cool conditions.  I am enjoying the amaryllis (I know they should be called hippeastrum, but it never seems to be the same) that I bought at Lidl in ceramic pots for £4 each.  The key is to have them kept in average warmth 15C and over with bright light and some sun.  Water when growth begins.  Allow the surface to dry out between soakings and use tepid water.

When your seeds arrive from the supplier keep them in a cool dry place until required.  Protect pea seeds in particular because mice love them, and they have already got into our garden shed where they have started on anything that they can reach.  Remember paper is no barrier to sharp teeth, and makes lovely nesting material.

Rhubarb can be forced using an upturned bucket or tub.  This should be covered with garden fleece to keep off any frost.  Hopefully, you remembered to give it a good mulch earlier, because it is a hungry feeder and will reward you for it.

In mid-January you need to start looking for new seed potatoes, otherwise the variety that you want will almost certainly be sold out.  When they arrive, keep them in a frost-free place and stand the tubers, eye-end uppermost, in shallow boxes.  If you can get large egg trays (called ‘Keyes’ trays, and are designed to hold 30 eggs) these are ideal for keeping the tubers upright and just separated to prevent any infection spreading.

You may want to think of biological pest control.  There have been huge developments and you can get natural solutions to pests such as vine weevil and whitefly.  In fact there are over 10 different pests and diseases that can be controlled in this way.

To get the best onions for the Capel Summer Show (Saturday August 17th 2013, this year make a note!) apart from starting the first sowings this month, you should give a good dressing of wood ash on the site of the bed that you will use, since they really like potash.

January is the time to prune gooseberries and the red and/or white currants.  If you have a grapevine these should be pruned before the middle of the month.  In late winter it is a good idea to give your apple trees a feed.  Either provide a potassium-rich general fertiliser, or, for dessert apples grown in soil apply 140g per square metre (4 oz. per square yard, in old money) Growmore general fertiliser.  For an organic feeding regime, substitute blood, fish and bone for the general fertiliser.

On cold, frosty days when it is difficult to get out, go ‘shedding’ and look after your garden tools.  The blades of your secateurs should be cleaned by removing any sap deposits using fine steel wool.  Finish off by giving them a spray with WD-40 or some other light mineral oil.

Garden notes for December 2012.

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The talk that Geoff Hawkins gave the 30 or so members who attended the AGM on 13th November was practical and very informative.  Amongst a great deal of sound advice, including using Vitax Q4 fertiliser rather than my favourite Growmore, he advocated to use of bending shoots of fruit trees and climbing roses.  I had never thought of using string and a brick to gently bend shoots so that the fruiting/flowering buds would have a better chance of doing their stuff rather than sending all the growth into the tip.  Many people said that we should get Geoff back again to have more time, we only allowed him exactly 60 minutes, and hopefully the new committee will set that in motion for next year.

The garden becomes much quieter in December, giving you a chance to tackle some of those jobs that get overlooked in busier times.  So, trees and shrubs that obstruct pathways can be pruned back into shape, and make it easier to get access.  Ditches, gulleys and drains should be cleaned out and kept clear thus preventing a build up of surface water during periods of heavy rainfall.

When cutting evergreens for Christmas decoration use a sharp pair of secateurs and regard it as a pruning exercise as much as getting it for the house.  Cut the pieces here and there where they will not be missed, or go the whole hog and cut the plant to shape for the spring.  Thinking of pruning, spare a few minutes to clean up your pruning shears and other tools.  Finish off by giving the blades a light oiling with something like WD-40 or Three in One oil.

If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse vine, they should be pruned towards the end of the month.  All side-growths should be cut back to two buds.  The spurs carrying these shortened growths should be well spaced apart, at least 40 to 50 cm apart on the main rod so that overcrowding in summer is minimised.

Look out for new varieties and novelties that might be interesting.  Robinsons continue to sell Exhibition seed for the main vegetable varieties, and those are the ones you need to think of for the best entries into the Summer Show. .  They are on sale in Hilliers and also at the RHS Garden Centre, Wisley.

In order to have some early shoots of mint, now is the time to lift a few roots and put them in a fairly deep seed box and cover with potting soil.  Put it in a frame or the greenhouse, and you will have nice shoots in a few weeks, when everything else is still asleep in the garden.

In the last week of the month give some time to plan for the year ahead.

May you all have a peaceful and very happy Christmas.

Gardening Tips. November 2012

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This is the month where there should be good housekeeping in the garden, tidying up and pruning in readiness for the winter months. If you have a large compost area it is a very good idea to keep all the leaves swept from the lawn and elsewhere, as they will make excellent leaf mould – eventually.

Prepare for the spring by digging and manuring the vegetable patch. Remember to keep a 3 year rotation so that potatoes (for example) are not planted in the same area two years running.

Where possible, clear debris from your ponds. Surrounding perennials should be cut down and the soil forked over. Giant leave of the Gunnera manicata should be folded over the crown of the plant to provide protection from the cold. Remove any submersible pumps that may have been used earlier in the year and have them serviced and stored for use next year.

Remember to get your tulips planted before the end of the month. Try layer planting of tulips in containers. Do this by planting the later flowering varieties first, cover them with about an inch to 2″ of compost and then plant earlier varieties. A typical 12″ diameter container can take up to 40 bulbs in order to get a good display that lasts several weeks if this technique is used. On the subject of container planting for the winter, it is difficult to find suitable plants. Winter pansies are usually reliable. One tip I have learnt, and I expect it has been done to death with all the TV gardening programmes, is the use of variegated and evergreen plants like ivy (hedera) and also some of the herbs such as purple sage, and the evergreen thyme. When these are mixed with spot colour of winter flowering dwarf wallflowers, or pansies it can make for an interesting colour spot in the depths of winter.

Seed catalogues abound and it is worthwhile to spend some time thinking about what you might grow next year. Thompson & Morgan and Dobies are probably the most promoted catalogues. For vegetable seed and fruit plants, I have found D.T. Brown (www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk) very good. They are expanding the range of plants and products sold. Recently I bought a pair of ‘Vine Snips’ from them and find them very useful in the garden. Whilst most people have pruning shears, the blades are relatively thick and cumbersome. The Vine Snips are similar to a pair of fine surgical scissors that are ideal for more delicate work, like deadheading and taking out small offshoots. They cost around a fiver and might be a suitable Christmas present for gardeners everywhere.

For those who can lay out £100 for a pair of garden boots, the Toggi range are very good. Ideally the best are the Dubarry boots but they cost between £200 to £300 a pair. The Toggi alternative has a leather foot cover, and a mix of cloth and leather up to the knee. They are waterproof, warm in winter, and very comfortable. Until I bought a pair earlier this year I had always gone for the cheapest rubber wellie possible, but now it seems that the average wellie costs anything between £40 to £60 and they do not seem to last much more than a couple of years, so I think that paying more as an investment in a good pair of boots is justified.

Gardening Tips. October 2012

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As we go into the middle of autumn in October, the weather can be very unpredictable.  We might get a ‘St. Luke’s’ summer around the 18th of the month, equally we may get damaging frosts and gales at any time.  So be prepared and start getting in all the tender plants, put the winter chrysanthemums into their quarters.  One thing is for certain, and that is that the days will be drawing in. British Summer Time ends on the last weekend of October (Sunday 28th October) so the plants are gradually going into their winter hibernation.

Autumn is also harvest time for the gardener, although farmers seem to get their harvest in earlier and earlier nowadays.  In the garden, all fruit crops should be picked and stored regularly.  With apples and pears, if you are lucky enough to have any this year, the test whether they are ready to pick is to lift the fruit gently with slight pressure on the stalk.  If it comes away easily – it’s ready.  It pays to pick over a tree several times as not all fruit mature at the same time.  Shortly after they have finished cropping it is good to get in there and prune the trees to encourage flowering and fruiting next year.  Pruning apple trees could take up a book with all sorts of diagrams.  The most important thing is to thin out overgrowth and any dead branches.  Look out for any sucker growth, I found a huge sucker growing at the bottom of my lovely cooker apple this year.  Basically tidy it up and have a good bush with as open a centre as possible to let in light and air to circulate.

Most houseplants will be slowing down their growth.  Water and feed less frequently.  Cacti, in particular, should be kept dry and frost-free during the winter.

Plant out wallflowers, polyanthus, sweet williams, foxgloves and other similar biennials for a good display in the spring.  I don’t know what it is that make my efforts with wallflowers so useless, but I am never very successful and then I am told that they go on flowering ‘too long’ when the other head gardener wants to plant out her bedding plants, so I now avoid them.

Once the ground has been cleared it is a good idea to break it up.  If you have heavy clay (as most of us do round here on the Surrey/Sussex border) the best way is to use a spade and to leave it with large clods that will break down over the winter with weathering.  If you break the soil down too much at this time of year, it will just become a ‘pudding’ and you will have to start all over again in the spring.  As my friend told me “make it knobbly”.

After the first frosts have browned off the tops of dahlias, cut them down to within 12 cm (9”) of ground level.  Mark the variety with a label, and lift the tubers so that they can be dried under cover and then stored in a frost-free place for the winter.

If you want early sweet peas, now is the time to start them off.  For best result sow one or two seeds in rooting pots as sweet peas have an exceptionally long tap root.  Germinate the seeds in the greenhouse with gentle, consistent warmth.  Once they have emerged sweet peas can be kept outside in a cold frame, only needing protection from the worst frosts by having a cover over them.

 

Gardening Tips. September 2012

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September is the time to be thinking of the spring – so flowers like forget-me-not, primulas, polyanthus, Sweet William, viola, pansies and wallflowers should be put into position to give a display when the weather turns mild in March and April. Some people do not like myosotis (Forget-me-nots) because of their habit in seeding wildly all over the place. On the other hand, they are relatively easy to pull up and remove from places where they are not wanted. In addition, they are one of the first flowers to attract pollenating insects. If you had difficulty getting broad beans, or peas this year because of the cold, damp conditions that prevailed in spring, perhaps it might be an idea to sow myosotis near the crop to assist in attracting bees and so on.

Complete the planting of strawberries in September; otherwise they will not have enough time to establish themselves to build up strong fruiting crowns for next year. You can plant them in late autumn or spring but if you want good plants, these later planted ones should not be allowed to fruit in their first season.

Continue disbudding chrysanthemums to leave one bud per stem, otherwise let them go to make a spray of much smaller blooms. Don’t forget to get them in under some protection before the first frosts start from the middle of the month onwards.

Ripen off onions and store them when they are completely dry. Harvest potatoes and keep them in a light proof bag, under cover and store in a frost-free area.

Divide clumps of overgrown perennials and herbs like chives, mint and lemon balm. Cut back marjoram and oregano stems to just above ground level.

Remember to stake tall vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and kale to prevent wind damage later on. Plant spring cabbages before the end of the month

September is the best time to take cuttings of penstemons. The cuttings should be taken from young, non-flowering shoots as these will root readily in a sandy soil kept in a frame. Think about planting bulbs for Christmas display such as the Paperwhite narcisii that I find much easier to grow than prepared hyacinths. Plant them up in pots with bulb fibre in containers that do not have drainage holes. Pack bulbs in closely, and then store them in a cool place under a light proof cover, such as thick black polythene sheeting. They need about two months to develop a good root system before being brought into the light but should then reward you with a wonderful display around Christmas time.

Americans are said to enjoy fried green tomatoes, a delicacy that has not caught on in the UK to my knowledge. Alternatively, why not try ripening green fruit on a windowsill with a banana, which is supposed to help them ripen faster after picking.

Clear away remains of crops that have finished. Order your bulbs, roses, herbaceous plants, shrubs and fruit bushes.

Slightly reduce watering and feeding your house plants. Remember to keep them away from windows as the nights get colder. Reduce the amount of water for cacti. Complete any re-potting and pruning that you may have planned.