Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Jul-2018 i Amateur Gardening

“Supplementary feed is vital if you want to get the best out of your plants. However, when it comes to buying plant food at the garden centre, the shelves are often so packed with products in bright, colourful ‘shouty’ packaging, it’s easy to get confused. This week we bring some clarity to the plant-food conundrum by explaining in plain English what the key products on the market do – both chemical and organic – so you know what is right for you and your garden.”…

ORGANIC fertilisers are made of something that was once alive, including compost from garden waste and vegetable peelings, farmyard manure, chicken manure pellets, bone meal, blood, fish and bone, and seaweed. If you are unsure a feed is certified organic, the Organic Garden Catalogue lists Soil Association-approved products. Call 0844 967 0330, visit organiccatalogue.com or contact the Soil Association on 0117 314 5000.…

Seaweed solutions like Maxicrop and Vitax liquid seaweed can help prevent and cure nutrient deficiencies in most plants, and often they can be applied as a foliar feed, sprayed onto the leaves and taken up by the leaves. However, heavy use of liquid feed in grow-bag tomatoes can prevent magnesium uptake by the plants, and nutrients can be locked out by deep-rooting plants in high pH soils. A foliar feed of liquid seaweed will rectify both. Popular fertilisers, like Tomorite and Empathy, are now available with added seaweed extract, so your plants will receive the benefits of seaweed at the same time as a fertiliser application.…

Several certified fertilisers are now available to organic gardeners, allowing for chemical-free plant feeding. They are generally made from animal or plant products and are rich in trace elements, which are important for plant health. ‘Organic’ does not always mean approved for organic use. The Organic Gardening Catalogue lists Soil Association-approved Neudorff is a German-based organic-fertiliser manufacturer that’s keen to cater for ecofriendly gardeners in the UK products. Call 0844 967 0330 or visit organiccatalogue.com.…

Soft fruit, fruit trees and perennial flowering plants benefit greatly from a spring application of granular or powdered sulphate of potash. Floral bedding and fast growing annual crops such as tomatoes respond very well to regular high-potash liquid feeds through summer. A liquid tomato feed, used weekly or fortnightly, will also give great results in flower containers and borders.…

Garden peas are popular with children and can be grown quickly for pea shoots in salads and longer term up sticks for shelled and mange tout peas. Test the moisture content in wheelbarrows and other fancier moveable containers by weight; heavy equals wet and light means dry and the need to water. Where bush tomatoes are planted up into wheelbarrows early in the year, they can be wheeled under cover on frosty nights. Helping with a school gardening club and taking on watering duties at weekends and over holidays can be very rewarding.…

APART from our undercover tomato crop, the greenhouse is pretty vacant at the moment. Tender plants are out in their beds and pots, the overwintered tubers and corms are back in the ground, and the lemon and olive trees are soaking up the sun on the patio. So at last I have space to give the greenhouse a thorough clean and tidy before the next round of cuttings comes along later in the summer. Where possible, a greenhouse is a must for any garden, but they need looking after if they are to function well. I regularly wipe down working surfaces with a mild disinfectant to get rid of compost and any lurking pests, eggs and disease spores. At this time of year greenhouses can get stiflingly hot, even on…

IT is hard to go wrong with honesty (Lunaria annua), an easy-going biennial that is as at home in a border as it is in a hedge. With flamboyant heads of pink or white flowers in spring and early summer, and penny-shaped seedheads that start off green and dry into attractive golden discs, honesty offers something for every time of year. Sown now, your free Mr Fothergill’s seeds will flower next year in pink and white. Although the dried seedpods are much in demand for indoor arrangements, if left on the plant they will self-seed close by the parent. The resulting seedlings can either be moved elsewhere or left to develop into attractive stands of colour. Honesty is a member of the brassica family and will develop deep taproots. If…

A GREAT addition to fish, pork and chicken dishes, Florence (or bulb) fennel will elevate your culinary status from wholesome cook to gourmet chef. The plants require warm weather and a relatively long growing season so now, with night-time temperatures in double figures, is ideal for sowing them. Preferring full sun and adequate moisture, this aniseed-flavoured veg succeeds whenever you meet its thirsty needs. On lighter soils, add lots of organic matter to the soil. Heavier clays lock onto any moisture you give them, so just irrigate in dry spells. Sow into a shallow drill, 1in (2.5cm) apart. Water in well and once seedlings emerge, thin them to 5-6in (13-15cm). Then keep well watered until autumn.…

THERE’S only one way to pick these ruby red fruits – grab yourself a large cushion! Nestled under the branches, you can then clearly see the stems (called strigs) of berries dangling before your eyes. Although the fruits of these bushes, and closely related white and pink currants, ripen gradually from the top to the bottom of the strig, they keep well on the plant once mature. So at this time of year, observe your plants closely. As soon as the whole strig has ripened, this is your cue to harvest. Don’t pick at single berries, just whole strigs. They’re wiry and strong, so hold them firmly at the top, then pull. Sitting on a comfy seat, surrounded by bright red berries? I can think of worse ways to spend…

Start your chard in the garden, in a cold frame or in the greenhouse. Outside, sow two or three seeds per inch (3cm), in rows 1ft (30cm) apart. When the seedlings have three or four true leaves, snip off most of them for salads, leaving the remainder an inch apart. Keep snipping, and also transplant some young plants to a new row (watering well) until they are 1ft (30cm) apart, in staggered rows. You can also start chard seed in trays in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. Move your seedlings into large cells or small pots, and then plant them out once the roots fill the pots.…

It’s easy to have chard to pick pretty much all year round. For the earliest pickings, sow in a cold greenhouse or tunnel in late February (see seed sowing above). If you do not have a tunnel or greenhouse (or you have no room), sow seed outside in March. For a winter crop you can either sow outside a second time in summer, or simply keep cropping from your spring sowings. A few plants from a summer sowing can be left in a border. They will crop more generously and with better-textured foliage through the winter.…

Overwintering plants broadens the range of foliage you can enjoy: Move pots of cannas (such as ‘Phasion’ and ‘Erebus’) indoors, or lift the rhizomes and store in compost or leaf mould indoors. In milder areas, cut off the top leaves of bananas (Musa basjoo) and wrap the stems in straw and fleece. In cold areas, lift variegated giant reed (Arundo donax var. versicolor), black banana (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’) and palm leaf begonia (Begonia luxurians) and store indoors until risk of frost has passed. Protect the trunk of the rice-paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer) with straw or fleece.…

What are best organic feed options? QI would like to reduce my use of inorganic fertilisers, but I’m unsure how to do this and still get good results. What would you suggest? Eric Mortimer, Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire A Also known as synthetic fertilisers, inorganic plant feeds are manufactured, usually on an industrial scale. By contrast, organic fertilisers containing plant or animal-based materials rely on the residues of natural processes. Of course, some are made and packaged into products, but making them at home is also an option. There is an increasing awareness of how plants create relationships with soil microorganisms, enabling them to take up more nutrients and enjoy better resistance to pests and diseases. These interactions are upset by the presence of synthetic fertilisers, encouraging a dependence on them.…

Make sure you plant into well-drained soil and in a sunny position, covering the bulb with twice its depth of soil. Cultivars famed for their large flowerheads sometimes need a boost to beef up bulbs for the following year. Apply a general-purpose fertiliser, followed by a mulch of well-rotted garden compost to moist soil, or as a liquid feed while the foliage is young and strong in spring. On heavy soils such as mine, it might be necessary to grow alliums in slightly raised beds to avoid winter waterlogging.…

ORGANIC Empathy Basket Starter (12 biscuits) £3.99 01795 411527 for stockists or visit plantworksuk.co.uk Features Sachet of 12 ‘biscuits’ containing active ingredients mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial bacteria, up to four months of nutrients, water-retaining crystals, and bioadditives. No NPK quoted. Activated by water. Application rate one biscuit per 3litre container, up to four biscuits per 15 litre container. Feeds plants for up to four months. Performance Clean and odour-free. Add required number of biscuits to compost while potting plants, or push into the compost of established pots. Once watered, biscuit swells and ingredients are activated. Easy to reapply after three-four months if required. Enough to treat six baskets or 12 small pots. Value A must-try for the environmentally aware gardener, although it is pricey. NON-ORGANIC Incredibloom 750g £9.99 plus…

Westland Big Tom Super Food is enriched with the essential nutrients for a tastier and bigger yield of tomatoes, plus improved root growth for plant stability. The feed is seaweed enriched with N-P-K levels of 6-3-9.5 to give your tomatoes the boost they need during growth. The 1.25-litre bottle makes up to 62 feeds, and can be used on beds, paths and patios. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding usage. We have three 1.25-litre bottles to give away, each worth around £5. See below for details of how to enter the prize draw. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Big Tom Super Food Draw (7 July), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Or you can email your details…

WHOEVER said that sex and violence sell never read the works of Charles Darwin! Although his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, is exclusively about the procreation and fight of the fittest, it was out-sold in its first year by another Darwin page-turner, catchily titled The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms. I know you’ll probably want to read it for yourself, so I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s an epic work of insight about an organism that Darwin believed to be the most important on the planet: the worm. Darwin was fascinated by earthworms as agents of change and studied their ability to bury even large objects (like Stonehenge) beneath their worm casts. After four decades of experimentation, he calculated that earthworms moved eight…

BUYING plant food can be a carousel of confusion and misunderstanding, and not just because there is an ever-expanding range of products available. What does NPK mean on the packaging? Should I use liquid or granular feeds (and what’s the difference?) and what part of the day should I apply them – and how often? It is hardly surprising that many people stick with the products they – and possibly their parents and grandparents – have used for years, even though brands release new, improved and upgraded products at the start of each season. In this issue of AG we aim to demystify the process of feeding your plants by talking you through the different products, which fertilisers suit which plants, and the pros and cons of each one. We…

A lack of nutrients leaves plants weakened and less able to fend off pests and diseases. Yellowing leaves, poor flowering and dismal cropping (or tree fruits that shrivel or drop early) are all signs that something is missing from the soil. Most deficiencies are easy to resolve and the first step in doing so is to use a nutrient test to establish what, if anything, your soil is lacking. These are readily available online and through garden centres and are simple to use. Test soil in various parts of the garden as its properties may change in different areas. Once you have established which minerals are missing, you can begin to enrich the soil as necessary and your plants will soon start to show an improvement.…

We all want lush, weed-free lawns, and summer lawn feeds offer fast results. Use from spring through the season but don’t use past mid-August as you want growth to slow again in autumn so you can put the mower away for winter. For really weedy lawns opt for an all-in-one lawn feed and weedkiller. If you’ve got pets or young children who might come in close contact with a lawn, opt for Westland’s Safe Lawn, made using ‘natural’ ingredients.…

When looking at a plant to determine its needs, remember the maxim ‘NPK = shoot, root, flower and fruit’. For foliage plants and leafy veg crops choose a nitrogen-rich feed (N) such as sulphate of ammonia. For root establishment look for high-phosphorus feeds (K), with bonemeal remaining a great choice. For big flowers and lots of fruit look for high potassium feeds (P) such as Tomorite or Phostrogen Patio Plant Food. Look at the back of fertiliser packets to see what the NPK ratios are – Westland products have a particularly easy guide (pictured above).…

Bonemeal, Growmore and blood, fish and bone are the traditional fertilisers used by generations of gardeners. Many are made from animal products so are naturally organic, and they break down slowly into the earth, influenced by soil temperature and soil microorganisms. They are rightly recommended at planting time for the establishment of trees, shrubs and perennials, However, the science behind modern offerings like Vitax Q4 and Incredibloom make them a far better topdressing option for supporting summer growth.…

YOU might be fooled into thinking that because spring is long gone, it’s too late to start most crops, but with luck we have three months of good growing weather before the cold of autumn slows plant growth. So although you may think it’s too late, you have just enough time to grow and harvest almost any vegetable you fancy, providing you act now and sow or plant straight away. Of course, this assumes you’ve got any room left, as by now you might have filled up your plot. Fortunately, the first crops will be harvested soon, thus freeing up vital space: broad beans, new potatoes, garlic, shallots and onions are near ready to start with. As each is removed, you then grow another crop in their place. Move quickly,…

HOLLYHOCK rust has struck for the second year running, but I’m hoping that this year I’ve caught it early enough to prevent it spreading to healthy plants and weakening the affected ones to the extent they need to be removed and destroyed. This is a fungal disease caused by Puccinia malvacearum and is spread via airborne spores. The symptoms are bright orange or yellow spots on the leaf surface, lumpy pustules under the leaves, and spots and pustules developing on the stems. In severe cases the leaves shrivel and fall, and the plant loses vigour and becomes stunted. Controlling it isn’t easy, but isn’t impossible, either. Cut off all affected leaves and either burn or bin them. Don’t add them to the compost heap, and sterilise secateurs afterwards. Keep plants…

7 JULY: Bouquets for Special Occasions: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 7: RHS Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 8: Hardy Plant Day: Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8AH. 01572 813200, barnsdalegardens.co.uk 8: Mapperley Park Open Gardens, Nottingham NG3 5EP. Gardens open in this Nottingham suburb. £5, children free, 0115 960 8502. 8: Plant Fair: Abbeywood Gardens, Chester Road, Delamere, Northwich CW8 2HS. planthuntersfairs.co.uk 8: Lecture on landscape gardener Fanny Rollo Wilkinson: Middlethorpe Hall, Bishopthorpe Road, York YO23 2GB. 01904 641241, middlethorpe.com 9: Summer Fruit Pruning: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 10-12: Plant and Art Fair: The Lindley Hall, Elverton St,…

1 Comfrey (especially the ‘Bocking 14’ strain) can create a potash-rich liquid. Place two bricks in a hessian sack and fill it tightly with comfrey leaves, then suspend it in a butt of water. After three or four weeks, strain off the liquid feed, diluting it one part feed to 10 parts water. 2 Chicken manure contains a lot of nitrogen, as does that of pigeons, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. Cram some into a hessian or plastic net sack and suspend it in a pail of water for three or four days, then use the resulting liquid within 48 hours. 3 Owners of wormeries can utilise the liquid that collects at the base of the worm bin. Most bin designs have a tap at the base, so simply open…

AS summer really hots up, fruit and veg gardeners should be looking out on a garden or allotment full of burgeoning crops. So what if you’ve missed that horticultural boat? The good news is that it’s easy to catch up. Life events, a sea of weeds and crop failures can all set us back on the plot by weeks, but don’t worry. We’re still on the right side of summer to get things in hand, so here’s an action plan of what to do. First, be realistic, not proud. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being behind, as it happens to all of us. Don’t stubbornly continue to slog on independently. I once held an allotment party with the tagline ‘Bring a spade, not a bottle’, and luckily folk brought both!…

Seeing chard grown as an ornamental all those years ago made quite an impression, and I’ve used it as one ever since. Red-stemmed chard (I’d suggest ‘Charlotte’) with white alyssum; white-stemmed ‘Fordhook Giant’ through a carpet of red verbena or blue lobelia; ‘Bright Yellow’ with dwarf rusty marigolds and coppery coleus. Lovely. The trick is to buy seed in separate colours, not the ‘Bright Lights’ mixture. In addition to red, white and yellow, there are varieties with purple or orange stems – although these don’t have AGMs. Sow in the greenhouse in early to mid April, move seedlings into 3in (7.5cm) pots and plant out in late May/early June. Plant them in containers or sunny borders, with bedding plants in either contrasting or more harmonious colours.…

HOW, what and when we feed our plants is a hot topic of conversation among gardeners. With so many ways of boosting plant growth, it’s difficult to know what advice to follow. Feeding plants is beneficial and results in improved plant growth. However, overfeeding can be detrimental, with the result being leggy and weak plant growth. Plants need to be fed in spring and summer during the growing season, but before making decisions on how to feed your plants you need to understand your garden soil. Most garden soils offer plants adequate nutrients for good growth, but different soils contain different levels of nutrients. Loamy and clay soils tend to be richer in nutrients than sandy and chalky soils. Waterlogged or very dry soils make it tricky for plants to…

Dahlietta Ideal in patio containers and at the front of sunny borders, the flat semi-double flowers come in 10 colours, on consistently short and well-branched plants. Two-tone pink Dahlietta Surprise Louise (right) is especially pretty. H: 10in-1ft (25-30cm). Gallery These are my longtime favourites of the shorter, self-supporting dahlias; most of the seven colours have AGMs. I especially like warm orange and red ‘Art Deco’ (right) and pink/red-purple ‘Art Nouveau’. Their bicoloured waterlily-type flowers are really quite lovely. H: 14in (35cm). Mystic Series This has bright and prolific single flowers in 10 pastel and more vivid shades, including bold red ‘Mystic Enchantment’ (right). There are some lovely striped forms, too. The foliage is darker (almost black) and more lacily divided than that of other self-supporting dahlia varieties. H: 2ft (60cm).…

Water well The more you water dahlias, the more flowers they will produce. In August, a 4ft (1.2m) dahlia plant needs two gallons of water every other day! Create a low ridge of soil 16-20in (40-50cm) across around each plant so your water doesn’t run all over the border. Disbud for better blooms Most dahlias produce buds in threes; remove the two smaller buds below the larger one and the remaining bud will develop into a larger flower on a longer stem. Remove the first side shoots lower down and the flower will be even larger, and on an even longer stem. Feed weekly Even if you prepared your planting holes well, dahlias need feeding. Specific feeds were once available but they have now disappeared – quite rightly, as you…

Variegation Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’ AGM Creating a cloud of green and white at the back of the border, this attractively striped grass arches and is sometimes topped with red flowers in late summer. Sun. H: 5-6 1/2ft (1.5-2m). Exotica Fatsia japonica AGM Team the glossy leaves of this evergreen with other foliage plants such as black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra). Wind and full sun will spoil the leaves, so plant in sheltered light shade. H: 6 1/2-13ft (2-4m). Shape Paris polyphylla Definitely one for fans of the unusual, this is a hardy perennial with exotic-looking foliage and flowers that, in summer, grow in green layers of leaves that resemble parasols. Plant in moist but well-drained soil, in sun or semi-shade. H:…

Can I make gardening easier? Q My impatiens were decimated by downy mildew and my begonias have failed to flower. What is wrong – and which plants are easier to grow? J B Ward, Coventry, West Midlands A Impatiens downy mildew is becoming a significant problem, but begonias will put on a lovely show once the weather improves. Grey, wet weather is not ideal for sun-loving plants such as begonias and they will sit quietly until things improve. Don’t give up on them, but do plant them out to give them a greater root run. Then provide some slug protection and hope for a few sunnier days! If you don’t want to be tied to the garden between March and July, then I would consider planting borders with perennials, or…

Use seaweed as a soil improver (just ask the landowner’s permission before collecting from the beach) or try a seaweed meal. Make your own liquid feeds from comfrey, borage and nettle. See page 20 for Lucy’s guide to making a potash-rich plant feed from comfrey. Where extra nutrients are needed, you can use organic fertilisers such as pelleted chicken manure. Spread mulch over moist soil as often as possible. Add to veg beds in autumn and also between crops. Hungry plants such as roses, peonies and clematis love mulch.…

A. giganteum ‘Twinkling Stars’ Generous heads of soft pink flowers make perfect spheres up to 6in (15cm) across on stems to 4ft (1.2m) tall. They have a fuzzy appearance and open slightly later in June. A. moly ‘Jeannine’ This cultivar of golden garlic from the Spanish Pyrenees delivers two 2-3in (5-8cm) diameter heads of pretty yellow stars per bulb, on wiry stems 14in (35cm) tall. Flat-bladed blue-green leaves are a bonus. A. ‘Gladiator’ This particular allium is a strong and reliable cultivar of A. aflatunense , bearing rose-purple stars that are packed into generous heads atop stems that rise to 4ft (1.2m) tall. A. schubertii The very first sight of this pinky-purple flowerhead is sure to stop you in your tracks, as its starry…

Anyone for tennis at Wimbledon? If you haven’t already realised, we’re in Wimbledon fortnight! Organised by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in south-west London, the tennis championships take place this year from 2-15 July. As a sporting event, you may ask what this has to do with gardening. Well, without gardeners, plant growers and greenkeepers, the event just wouldn’t be the same. Think of the grass courts, the thousands of strawberries that are synonymous with this global tennis tournament, and all the plant dressing and that amazing climbing creeper that covers the famous Centre Court! So, let’s look at some of the fun facts surrounding Wimbledon and gardening. Strawberry trivvi! Consuming strawberries and cream is arguably Wimbledon’s greatest tradition. Last year, fans ate 74,957lb (34,000kg) of English-grown…

Ivy on the Centre Court The familiar climber that grows on the front of the Centre Court building is Parthenocissus tricuspidata ‘Veitchii’. It’s a small-leaved Virginia creeper, but is often referred to as Boston or Japanese ivy. In 1955 the court needed repainting, so gardeners prised the creeper from the walls, inch-by-inch, and tied it to scaffolding. It was put back none the worse for wear when the work was completed. In 2003 it needed pulling away again for maintenance work, but a further 50 years of growth made this impossible. Destroying it was the only option. A quick-growing replacement needed to be found. Kew Gardens was consulted but, after much debate, it was decided that only another plant of the same type would do. Careful management ensured that the…

From bedrock, it takes 500-1,000 years to create an inch of topsoil. Over this time, the rock is worked by wind, rain, ice and acid rain into small particles, allowing plants to take root. In the open fissures of the rock’s surface, organic matter from leaves and bird/insect droppings build up, encouraging denser plant cover. This attracts more wildlife that adds dung to feed mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria which, along with rotting plant material, nourishes earthworms. Although slow to start, once worms arrive, soil creation and plant growth speeds up exponentially.…

1 Slow release: Fork in and water and this will feed plants for several months. Some also come as cone clusters for use in containers. 2 Base dressing: Adding fertiliser or potting compost to planting holes or the soil before sowing gives young and new plants an immediate boost. 3 Watering on: Potassium-rich liquid fertilisers or soluble feeds are given to greenhouse crops and container plants during the growing season for the best results. 4 Foliar feeds: Diluted fertiliser or ready-to-use energiser is sprayed on as an emergency treatment for nutrient deficiencies.…

CONTAINERS and grow bags have a lot of plants in a small area of compost and it doesn’t take long for the nutrients to be depleted. Even though container compost is designed to feed plants for several months, they will need a nutritional top-up after the first few weeks. You can slip a plug of slow-release granules such as Osmocote into the compost at planting or add a liquid tomato food to your watering ritual once week to keep plants strong.…

With the big rise in grow your own, vegetables are well catered for in the fertiliser market. Crop-specific feeds like Chempak Onion Fertiliser and Vitax Organic Potato Fertiliser can be found alongside general vegetable fertilisers. Fairly long lasting, these fertilisers can be applied ahead of sowing/planting and again midway through the crop.…

Controlled-release fertilisers are great for boosting seasonal container displays while reducing workload. Some types slowly break down over time while others absorb water until they swell and burst, releasing their goodness. As well as granular types there are tablets or ‘cluster’ types such as Gro-Sure All Purpose 6 Month Feed Tablets that can be pushed into pots of compost using a pencil to make a small hole.…

“Even schools with no soil to garden can benefit from this” VOLUNTEERS sometimes have their support acknowledged in pleasing ways. For example, the hard-working committee members of the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society Show were recently invited to a reception in Windsor Castle by their President, Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, Admiral Sir James Perowne KBE. I was fortunate to be invited, and enjoyed a splendid sunny evening in these historic grounds. My connection is via Alex Denman, a former Chelsea Flower Show Manager, who is now organising nine local schools in the vicinity to grow produce for display at their show on 14th July 2018. Each school has been given a wheelbarrow, compost and seeds (supported in part by B&Q, Scotts Miracle-Gro and Thompson & Morgan) to…

1 Lever out thistles, plantains, docks, dandelions and daisies with a daisy grubber or cut them off underneath with a sharp knife. 2 Earth up the bases of sweetcorn and tomatoes, as this will enable them to make more roots and help them stay upright. 3 Try not to bend down the leaves of ripening onions, as it’s counter-productive and causes rots in storage later. 4 Lift and divide daffodil tribe bulbs while they are dormant. If you leave it any later, they will already be making roots.…

MY drug of choice is tea, hot and strong, and I like the North of England brand named after the county of my ancestors. I’ve been adding the bags to the compost heap for many a year, but like some of our readers I’ve realised that the bags aren’t rotting down. The Best Beloved has had to pick them off the vegetable plots and allotments. “We’ve gone back to tea leaves” While at the Malvern Spring Show in Worcestershire, the Gloucestershire Organic Gardening Group displayed some information put together by Garden Organic, which was previously the HDRA (Henry Doubleday Research Association). It says that many bags “contain a small amount of polypropylene, which helps with the sealing and tying of the bag. This will not break down in the domestic…

NOT all of us want to reach for a man-made, chemical-heavy liquid plant food come the summer, so why not make your own organic alternative? The basic concept is very simple: certain plant- or animal-based ingredients are nutrient-rich. Some of these nutrients are soluble in water, so it’s just a case of releasing them to make a liquid feed – easy! Plants take up nutrients via the soil water, so by creating an organic, food-rich mixture, you’ll be providing your plants with a quick-fix tonic. Not only that, but the microorganisms breaking down the nutrients can also be beneficial to your plants. Follow the guide on the right to make your own quality feed with three commonly found ingredients. Next Week: Harvest summer raspberries, make a wasp trap for sunny…

ONE of the most striking summer bedding combinations I’ve ever seen was at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, years ago, when the beds in front of the Palm House were given over to vegetables – ornamental vegetables, planted with flowers. And there, rising out of a carpet of white alyssum, were the bright-red stems of ruby chard. It looked fantastic. That was before I discovered how good it was to eat! The leaves are often better than spinach for so many of the same dishes, with a richer flavour and such a dark, deep colour. But first let’s clear up exactly what we’re talking about here, because different terms are used for the same thing and it can get a little confusing. All these plants are forms of the British…

At its best, ‘Bright Lights’ is a sparkling six-colour mixture. I hadn’t grown it for a while, but recently gave it another try – with mixed results. In the past two years I’ve found that while some individual plants were superb, others were weak and green-stemmed. I’ve discovered that the best (UK) stock of ‘Bright Lights’ is available from Unwins and Marshalls. Otherwise, my tip is to grow different varieties in the individual colours you like the most.…

Sarah Raven – garden and cookery school owner, writer and presenter “Make comfrey soup (or use pellets if you prefer) for flowery and fruity things such as sweet peas and tomatoes. Use nettle soup for leafy things like lettuce and spinach. Alternatively, make a mix of the two for all your summer containers, so you get the best from both.” Ann-Marie Owens – head gardener at Raymond Blanc’s Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons “We use seaweed meal for our shrubs, topped with mulch, and this year we’re running a test on half our orchard trees using biochar. This is a specially designed charcoal. We may see a difference in tree health, disease and possibly the taste of the fruit.” Michael Marriott – senior rosarian at David Austin Roses “I use…

For taller dahlias (39in/1m or more), start with a dahlia stake. Measuring 4ft (1.2m) high and 1in (2.5cm) square (and often painted green), these are available from garden centres and DIY stores. Knock one in behind your dahlia, tie green twine to the stake, loop it around the plant and tie off. If your dahlia develops a lot of growth, knock in two more stakes to make a triangle, and loop the twine around all three. As the plant continues to grow, loop extra twine around it.…

Q What are the yellow spheres I found in the pot of a plant bought from a garden centre? Janet Savage, High Wycombe, Bucks A I suspect they are slow-release fertiliser capsules. The nutrient substance inside them permeates the soil when it is watered. They look a little like slug or snail eggs, but they are much softer and never become hard or crystalline. Q Could you tell what variety of poppy this is as one has grown in my border? Peter Allison, via email A The poppy is ‘Prinzessin Victoria Louise’, also called ‘Princess Victoria Louise’. A robust oriental variety, its leaves disappear in summer but reappear in autumn. It favours full sun and free-draining soil. To propagate, lift the rootstock in autumn and divide it into chunky portions,…

IF you want great flowering performance from plants in containers, you must feed them. Most compost will at best only contain six weeks’ worth of fertiliser so it’s essential to top it up. You can spend the whole growing season running back and forth with watering cans full of liquid feed, but it’s much easier to add a slow-release fertiliser when you plant up your container. It can also be added to established pots by raking it into the surface of the compost. Some slow-release fertilisers will feed the container right through the season, while others will need topping up. The N-P-K quoted stands for the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (the three essential plant nutrients) contained in the product. I’ve checked out a range of organic and chemical…

3 July The ‘dog days’ of summer begin on 3 July and last until 11 August. They are so-called because the sun rises now with the dog star. 3 July 1806 The first edible cultivated strawberry, ‘Keens Seedling’ was exhibited by Michael Keens of Isleworth, Surrey. 5 July 1826 Sir Thomas Raffles died. He was the first president of the London Zoological Society, and after whom the rafflesia – the world’s largest flower, which is very smelly – is named. 4 July 1996 Clay Jones, gardening TV presenter, writer and one-time chairman of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time , died. 5 July 1838 Irish journalist and gardener William Robinson, whose ideas about wild gardening evolved into the English cottage garden, was born. He died in 1935. 8 July 1955…

Urban cuckoo nestles in HAVING always been country dwellers and assumed so incorrectly that busy towns and city gardens don’t have the wildlife in them like we have been used to, on visiting our daughter’s garden near to the city we found out it really was a haven for such interesting species of birds. The lower part of the garden was left untamed – ok, so Mr Fox was not such a welcome visitor as he basked in the sun – but sitting watching, there came the robin busy getting feed for her baby which turned out to be a cuckoo. I have obviously read about this – the cuckoo laying in the nest of the robin or other types of bird and pushing their eggs or babies out so…