Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Jan-2017 i Amateur Gardening

A FRIEND tells me that she’s had such a good crop of olives on her tree, she’s going to try processing them to eat. In recent years I’ve argued that this is a waste of time, as olive crops in the UK are tiny compared to those from Mediterranean trees, so it’s more work than it’s worth. I’ve also had a discussion with my wife, Kath, about the bags of broad beans stored in our freezer. She never cooks with them, arguing that only fresh, young broad beans are really delicious. Piqued, I cooked some up with chopped cherry tomatoes, and they were…. tough-skinned and powdery inside. And this morning a well-known veg growing magazine landed on my desk cover mounted with a packet of celeriac seeds – and I…

FOR my money, pansies and violas are the simplest way of brightening the garden between autumn and spring. They flower wonderfully in autumn, are a colourful welcome to the warmer days of spring, and if we have a mild winter, could well flower all the way through. Ones I planted in autumn 2015 bloomed until the end of last summer, and the violas seeded themselves in great clumps that I will lift and divide when the weather warms up. Seeds should be sown in late spring if you are planning to plant pansies out in autumn, but module-raised mature plants are available, extremely cheaply, from garden centres in a wide variety of colours. Even though they cost little, don’t forget to pick the best plants for your money. Choose ones…

NOT a great deal is going on in the veggie patch at the moment so I am using these quieter weeks to carry out essential maintenance, checking the raised beds for cracked or broken wood that needs replacing, and protecting the planks with a coat of linseed oil. It is also a good opportunity to prepare the soil for the vegetables you plan to grow next season by digging in well-rotted compost and manure. Add it when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. Either dig it in, or leave it on the surface to be worked in by worms. Home made compost is easily the best and cheapest way of improving soil, so don’t neglect your heap in winter. Keep adding a balanced mix of green and brown materials, including…

1 Collect material by trimming stems just above a pair of leaves with a knife for cuttings 2-3in (5-8cm) long. Place in a poly bag to keep fresh. 2 Trim each cutting just below a pair of leaves. A sharp knife makes a clean cut, while scissors tend to squash the stem end and encourage rotting. 3 Remove the bottom pair of leaves and reduce the next pair up by cutting in half, to reduce moisture loss. Pileas usually root quickly. 4 Insert cuttings in 3.5in (9cm) pots filled with 50:50 multipurpose compost and grit. Firm gently, water in, place in poly bags knotted at the top.…

FOR most of us the festive cheer is over. Personally I could keep on going for a few weeks yet, even if my stomach can’t! It’s why I always have a fruit salad in the fridge – this is the perfect light bite when I can’t look Christmas pudding or yuletide log in the eye anymore – and a key component of it is pineapple. Many of us have indulged in one or two of these fruits come late December, but did you know that you can grow your own? Admittedly it can take many months to actually pick a home grown fruit, but it’s a lot of fun trying. Just remember to keep the green, leafy top of the pineapple when you slice the top off your fruit to…

IF your green fingers are itching to do some sowing, then let me come to your rescue. How would you like to be eating something you sowed a mere week earlier? That’s just what can happen when you grow microleaves – these tiny crops might be small in size but they pack a huge punch of flavour! Rocket, celery, basil, coriander, amaranth, fennel, beetroot – you name it, you can grow it as a microleaf. Herbs seedlings are especially tasty in salads or sandwich fillings. Growing them is incredibly simple. Just line a plastic tray with a double layer of kitchen roll, moisten it and sow a thick layer of your chosen seeds on top. Pop into a propagator (or clear plastic bag on a warm windowsill) and snip when…

1 Start the new year afresh by tidying up the shed and greenhouse, so out with all junk and any defunct tools. 2 Clean your greenhouse or coldframe, then rinse thoroughly so the increasing light is not wasted. 3 Write your postcode on new tools and any other valuable garden objects with a UV security marker pen. 4 Watch for post-celebration half empty bottles of beer, juice and wine - save it up for spring slug traps.…

WHEN you’re strapped for space, it makes sense that the majority of plants strut their stuff during the warmer months of the year. As a result, my small city garden can look a little dull once the weather gets cooler, so I’ve decided to inject a splash of colour by snapping up some winter flowering primroses from my local DIY store. Rather than buy individual plants in pots, I went for the more economical trays of plants in biodegradable containers. These bedding plants used to only flower for a short window in spring, but modern breeding has led to primroses that bloom from late autumn until May, if you look after them properly. What’s even better is that they come in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes –…

• Winter purslane – Heart-shaped, juicy leaves that are high in Vitamin C with a mild, sweet flavour. Mr Fothergill’s ( mr-fothergills.co.uk) • Lamb’s lettuce – Hardy down to -15°C, these spoon-shaped, emerald leaves have a nutty taste. Thompson & Morgan ( thompson-morgan.com) • Texsel greens – Fast-growing shiny leaves that can be eaten raw when young or cooked like spinach when mature. Chiltern Seeds ( chilternseeds.co.uk)…

SNAILS are far from a gardeners’ friend, but readers are being asked to help a mollusc whose sex life is in a twist. The snail has been called Jeremy. What makes it “one in a million” is that its shell spirals anticlockwise, the opposite way to other brown garden snails. When Jeremy was found on a compost heap by a retired scientist the “uniqueness” was spotted. It was sent to snail expert Dr Angus Davison, of Nottingham University. Jeremy has difficulty mating with other snails because being a ‘lefty’ the sex organs are on the wrong side. A similar snail is needed “to get it together.” Dr Davison said: “Snails are hermaphrodites. They can reproduce on their own. From our perspective, the genetic data from offspring of two lefty snails…

What’s the best way to sow sweet peas? Q I missed the chance to sow sweet peas in autumn. Can I do it now? Maureen Kerry, Solihull A You can still sow in January using a propagator or a warm windowsill. Germinate seeds at 10-15o C (50-59o F). Some cultivars have very hard seed coats and it’s often suggested that you soak the seeds before sowing. However, I find this can result in seeds rotting, so it’s better to chip the seed coats opposite the scar on the seed, using the tip of a sharp knife. This allows enough moisture to enter the seed coat for germination. Sow six to eight seeds in a 5in (13cm) pot, covering with ½in (1cm) of John Innes seed and cutting compost with 25…

I START each year with a burst of enthusiasm and a clutch of resolutions designed to see me right through. Then the second week of January kicks in, the minutiae of everyday life starts to over-run everything and my good intentions are dumped. But this year will be different – no, really! – especially when it comes to looking after the garden. The secret to keeping on top of the garden is to tackle tasks on a little-and- often basis. That way, you won’t get bogged down and disheartened. Why not start with the shed? Keep it clean and tidy, with everything stored in its allotted space so you know where to turn when things are needed. Make sure tools are properly sharpened, maintained and stored, pots cleaned and neatly…

CHRISTMAS is a wonderful time for most people, but by the time Twelfth Night rolls around on January 6, there is usually a mountain of debris to be removed – and some of it can be used in the garden. Most local authorities run Christmas tree recycling schemes. You can either take your old firs to a collection point, or they will collect them – for a fee. The trees will be chopped and shredded, and turned into chippings and mulch. Smaller trees can be put out with the usual garden waste. You can also chip your own tree – shredders and chippers are available from many DIY outlets, and online. Chipped wood makes an attractive mulch for borders and paths, and pine needles can be used to top-dress acid-loving…

“There are several ways to protect plants from the dangers of extreme cold weather” LAST autumn’s balmy weather was cut ruthlessly short by a sudden sharp freeze that brought some of the hardest frosts for years to large areas of the UK. I am sure many gardeners were caught unawares, and lost treasured plants as the mercury plummeted. Dahlias were frazzled, cannas collapsed and pelargoniums took a pasting. Tender plants should have been protected weeks earlier, but the mild autumn lulled us into a false sense of security. Don’t panic if any of your less-than-fully-hardy plants in the border took a bashing and collapsed into a saturated mess. Remove damaged foliage, and add a 3in (7cm) layer of mulch around their roots. When re-growth starts in spring, give them some…

LAST month I tested my soil to check its levels of nutrients. You can also check the health of soil by seeing how your plants grow. The main nutrients, and the symptoms of their absence, are: • Nitrogen: Promotes good leaf growth, and its absence causes spindly yellow plants, and yellowing leaves, sometimes with pink tints. Mulching with well-rotted compost or manure is a long-term solution, while organic chicken manure pellets and sulphate of ammonia also help. • Potassium: Needed for healthy flowers and fruit. A lack causes poor blossom and cropping, and browning on leaves. Chalky soils are more likely to have this problem, and it can be alleviated by adding composted comfrey leaves, wood fire ash, granular sulphate of potash, or liquid tomato feed. • Magnesium: Used for…

P. peperomioides: The dinner plate or missionary pilea from SW China and the West Indies has a succulent appearance and produces large, rounded leaves. Parent plants send up youngsters by producing rhizomes (circled) and these can be detached and grown separately. P. muscosa: This small-leaved, hummock-forming pilea from tropical America is known as gunpowder or artillery plant because tiny flowers puff out small explosions of pollen. Rarely seen for sale, it used to be popular with parks departments for decorative work to fill gaps in plantings.…

BACK in late November, you might recall that I was busy lifting a few roots of witloof chicory for forcing. The seeds are sown in July or August, outside in a sunny spot – I chose the F1 hybrid variety called ‘Zoom’. Chicory grows a bit like a huge cos lettuce until autumn. You then chop off the leaves and lift the parsnip-like roots early winter. They’ve been stored since then buried in dry sand, but now I’m potting a few up for forcing, which reduces their bitter taste. Six roots have been ‘planted’ into a large pot of compost, so that only the top inch is visible. The pot is watered and placed in the dark – in this case a shed. In a few weeks tight crispy ‘chicons’…

I’M sure many other gardeners are, like me, a little untidy in the shed department. Mine has got to the point where we can’t actually set foot in the door due to the piles of pots, trays and other stuff I’ve hoarded in the past year. My reasoning for allowing it to accumulate is that I’d love to have a little plant stall at the end of our drive one day, but even I have to admit that things have got out of hand. So, if your garden cave is in a similar state, it’s time to give it an early spring clean! Pots and trays, once stacked properly, take up a minimal amount of room. This will then give me room to hang up hand tools, forks and spades…

This is the time of year for digging, heavy lifting and transplanting, and chances are that as you do these things you’ll uncover some ‘chunky larvae’. These are the big, fleshy, invariably creamy grubs that may be up to 4in (10cm) long in some cases, and not dissimilar to those ‘witchetty grubs’ famous for being eaten on TV’s I’m A Celebrity. Those are indigenous to Australia, but here in the UK we have a few monsters of our own. The largest of these is the stag beetle larva. A fully-grown specimen can be more than 4in (10cm) long, with an orange head and legs, and brown jaws. It’s stomach contents can sometimes be seen through its thin skin, particularly noticeable in smaller larvae, which have less fat. They are nearly…

GARDENERS who are still using a free bird-feeding product have been advised to remove the device from gardens after it emerged that the feeder could harm birds. Facebook user Lisa Dunn uploaded a picture of a bird that appeared to have become trapped and died in her feeder. Lisa wrote: “A word of warning if you use this fat ball holder… this is what I found when I went to feed the birds this morning. “The feeder came free in a box of fat balls from Peckish bird food. It’s a yellow plastic box that you can get from lots of places, including garden centres.” As AG went to press, Lisa’s image of the bird and her comments had been shared nearly 5,000 times online, attracting almost 600 comments. A…

ONE of the rarest plants in the UK has been given a chance of survival thanks to Natural England and the Eden Project. The Lizard juniper (Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica) is only found on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. Six years ago it had dwindled to just 13 plants in the wild. A wildfire could easily have wiped it out at a stroke. But cuttings were taken, young plants raised and 200 of the Eden-grown junipers were planted at a secret location on the Lizard, near the existing wild population. “Although still rare, the Lizard juniper is safer today with new, strong young junipers planted. What happens next is up to nature,” said Natural England’s Steve Townsend.…

• Sweet peas stop flowering if soil is too dry. Keep plants watered and mulch to retain moisture. Adding water-retaining crystals to container-grown plants helps. • Scorching of leaves and bud drop can be caused by dropping temperatures as well as drought. Protect young plants with fleece in very cold weather. • Don’t allow flowers to set seed as this puts a stop to flowering. Pick flowers for the vase, or dead-head every couple of days to prevent seed pods from forming.…

LONG winter nights provide uninvited visitors with the cover to remain unseen, able to make off with valuable gardening tools from sheds. Security lights triggered by a passive infrared sensor (PIR) can put off potential burglars and also help you find your way in the dark. Trouble is, it can be expensive calling in an electrician to install a mains-powered security light – especially if cable has to be run to put it where you want it. Battery-powered lights offer a solution, so we tested four to see how they perform. Many variables such as battery make, frequency of use and even outside temperature affecting performance, mean we can’t vouch for battery life. MB360 Spotlight with drainpipe fitting £26.95 + £3.70 p&p 01452 618850 mrbeams.co.uk Features Single LED…

• From February to May, pot new tubers individually in 5-6in (13-15cm) pots, or set three to a 6-7in (15-17cm) pot. Advice varies regarding how deep they should be but I aim for having the tip just visible or no more than 1in (2.5cm) deep. Use a 50:50 John Innes No 2 and soilless mix, with added grit to improve drainage. • A minimum of 13°C (55°F) is needed to start growth, so time planting to coincide with warmth in a propagating case, greenhouse or sunny windowsill. • Water the tubers in but don’t water again until the compost surface is beginning to dry out. When plants are growing strongly, keep moist. • Add a general-purpose liquid feed every 2 weeks when the plants have filled their pots with roots,…

Buyer beware! WHEN we moved into our house 16 years ago there was a plum tree in situ that had been planted by the previous owners. Over the years it grew taller and taller, until it finally bore fruit. The plums were huge and delicious, but it was evidently not a grafted tree. I had vague recollections of the previous owners saying they were mad-keen propagators and realised it was most likely a seedling grown from a plum stone. I hadn’t the heart to cut it down because I hate felling trees and because I thought the plums were a one-off new variety and rather special. Now disaster has struck. I noticed a lot of gum being produced by the tree and the leaves have ‘shot-holes’ where bacteria has entered…

“Jack Frost decorated the garden with his icy breath” OF all the autumn leaves, beech are the most persistent and mischievous. No matter how thoroughly I gather them up, there are always more hiding under sheds and shrubs, waiting for the moment when I’ve put the broom away to waft back across the garden. I’m often still picking up the coppery confetti in June! This year though, things are already different as for the first winter in an age Jack Frost has been a regular visitor, decorating the garden with his icy breath and doing a diligent job as a janitor. Just a few freezes is all it takes to turn my hidden-hoard of autumn leaves to mulch. In the borders, straggly cranesbills and day lilies that stayed resolutely green…

• Good gardening aims to create colour and interest all year round. • So keep a rein on your enthusiasm, and don’t buy too many plants all at once. Purchase at intervals through the year, so you end up with something attractive for every season. • The secret to successful gardening is to know your soil. Test its acidity and nutrient levels, and only buy plants you know will thrive in it. • Check the labels to see how large plants grow, and give them the space they need. • Keep the number of pots you plant up to a sensible limit. Come the warmer weather you’ll have made a rod for your own back with the watering they need. Big pots are better than small.…

• Most households buy too much food at Christmas. This year, instead of throwing it all out when the New Year diet starts, think about the scraps you can safely feed to garden birds. • Leftover Christmas pudding, cake, and mince pies are ideal, as they contain fats and dried fruit, which give a real energy boost. • While most cooked green vegetables will just rot and attract vermin, roast potatoes and parsnips are good fuel for birds if they are cut up small. • Grated mild cheese is another excellent source of energy, and you can mix clean, hardened cooking fat (or lard) with nuts and dried fruit, and spoon it into yoghurt pots to make excellent bird feeders. • Items that should NOT be put on feeding stations…

“Another major trend is the steady move to improve taste” A CONSULTANT to the Horticultural Trades Association told me over an Awards Lunch last month that they are looking at the future for gardening and garden retailing. When I see and hear politicians, economists and bankers forecasting what is likely to happen, it is now taken with a very big pinch of salt. History has proved they know no more – if as much – as you and I. There are, however, trends and introductions in gardening we can reliably foretell. Every month the top 10 garden product sales include potting composts, as the move up out of the soil and into containers continues. There is no sign of this slowing down and as gardens for new houses get smaller…

OF the 400 or so species of pilea only a handful of these small tropical evergreens are grown indoors. They belong to the stinging nettle family but they don’t sting. And, like nettles, their leaves are the main attraction, the flowers being insignificant. My favourite pilea is P. cadierei, originally from Vietnam. Known as the aluminium plant, it was a darling of the 1960’s and 70’s. It’s a rounded plant full of emerald leaves marked with silver, and useful as an underplanting for larger, showier specimens to raise humidity. Back in the autumn I bought a potful of three plants, for just a couple of pounds. I separated them, setting one of them in a bottle garden. The others stand on a wide plate of damp pebbles under a guzmania.…

THESE are the breathtaking result of years of painstaking breeding; these incredible varieties of oriental lily can grow as tall as 2.5m (8ft) in two years. One single Tree Lily® bulb can produce up to thirty 20cm (8in) trumpet blooms and will take on a shrub-like appearance over the years. The sturdy stalks are almost 5cm (2in) thick, so they won’t need supporting and the foliage remains lush all season. It couldn’t be easier. Grow them through shrubs in borders, against walls and fences, or in large pots for the patio, and let them look after themselves. Height: 2.5m (8ft). Spread: 60cm (24in). Collection comprises: Tree Lily® ‘Yellow Rocket’ - Silken yellow petals fade to creamy white edges Tree Lily® ‘Starburst’ - Shimmering gold, perfumed blooms are flushed with crimson red. Tree…

“You don’t want to have to grow your second best choices” THE days are beginning to get longer, if not lighter, and spring doesn’t feel that far away any more. It may seem a bit soon but there’s much sense in shopping early, as you really don’t want to have to grow your second best choices. This is especially so for some crops which are needed early on and so these can run out really quickly. Mail order and garden centres only stock so many packs of each different variety of potato, garlic, onion and shallot sets. The most popular will run out first leaving you with the others. And of course the remainder will always be the less plump and healthy looking ones. Likewise, those seeds that are sown…

• 7 Jan: Illuminated Winter Garden, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. Colour-changing lights to delight in the Winter Garden until 8.30pm. Admission from £10 for non- members 0845 265 80 72 rhs.org.uk/rosemoor Now until 19 February, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. Winter sculpture exhibition. See how many sculptures you can discover in the garden – all in a variety of media from steel and glass to cement and pottery. Normal garden admission applies. Call 0845 260 9000 or visit rhs.org.uk 11 January: RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB. Make your own beauty products workshop. From facial cleansers to scrubs, hair treatments and bath oils. Herbalist Bel Charlesworth will help you explore different herbal ingredients. 10am-4pm. RHS members £50, non members £58.…

SOW some hardy salad varieties now and they’ll provide you with pickings of fresh, tasty leaves over winter and well into spring. Lamb’s lettuce, mustards and robust forms of traditional lettuce, along with many more unusual salad crops, are tolerant of colder conditions and can take lower light levels. Seeds will germinate quickly and leaves ready to harvest in six to eight weeks. Hardy salads can be sown directly into the ground, but I prefer to raise them in 8in (20cm) pots of multi-purpose compost. Sow seeds thinly and cover with a 1/2in (1cm) layer of finely sieved compost. Firm gently and water. Thin out seedlings when they’re about 1in (2.5cm) tall – the distance will depend on the variety, so check the back of the seed packet. If a…

AS the weather gets colder I’ve noticed that some of the local squirrels have started to move in on my patch looking for something to eat. They are particularly partial to bulbs and corms, so anything that was planted in autumn is vulnerable to their eating habits. To prevent them tucking into my crocus, tulips and daffs, I’ve covered the tops of pots with a square of chicken wire folded down at the sides. It doesn’t look nice but can be removed once growth appears above the surface.…

Q I bought this bonsai, but it didn’t have a label – have you any idea what it is? Marion May (via email) A The bonsai is a conifer called Podocarpus macrophyllus, commonly called sweet kusamaki, Buddhist pine or yew pine. Elegant and arresting, it is a native of China and Japan where it is often grown as a hedge. It was honoured with an RHS First Class Certificate in 1865. Very hardy, but not suitable for chalky soils, it is ideal for training as a bonsai. You were lucky to find it. Q My Viburnum is not doing well. Leaves fall off, flower buds wilt and it looks miserable. What can I do? Gosia Lyson (via email) A If your soil is clay, it may be suffering from a…

Slip Free Ice & Snow Melt £11 + £4.95 p&p QVC 0800 51 41 31 qvc.com When you know the weather is about to turn a quick spray of this biodegradeable formula will generate heat when it comes in contact with snow and ice and remain active for up to seven days – longer than rock salt and kinder to paths and carpets too. Roll Out Ice Carpet £9.36 + £2.99 p&p 0800 567 7222 mobilitysmart.cc This 10ft (3m) long x 18in (46cm) wide carpet has hazardous slippery surfaces covered. Made from woven coir treated with natural latex rubber it grips all surfaces including sheet ice, allowing you safe passage. It’s also reuseable. Snow Shovel Plough £49.99 08700 545 410 oypla.com A shovel can…

SPIKES of intensely fragrant, waxy-white flowers are produced throughout summer, which make wonderful cut flowers. The semi-double, fragrant tuberose flowers of this relatively unknown bulb are carried above narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Polianthes tuberosa requires a minimum temperature of 15°C (59°F) so it’s ideal for a heated greenhouse or conservatory. It can also be grown outdoors in containers or sheltered sunny borders, if it is lifted and stored frost-free over winter. Height: 48in (120cm). Spread: 6in (15cm). • Buy 5 for £9.99 (RRP £14.99) – Saving £5 • Buy 10 for £14.99 (RRP £29.98) – Saving 50% • Buy 20 for £24.96 (RRP £59.96) – Saving £35 To order, call direct on 0844 573 2021 quoting AG759Z (lines open 9am-8pm weekdays, 9am-6pm weekends), OR order online today thompson-morgan.com/AG759Z OR complete the coupon…