Innholdsfortegnelse for 8-Aug-2020 i Amateur Gardening

“I’ve just lost two huge courgette plants to mosaic virus! They were just starting to produce bountiful courgettes when, in a matter of days, the leaves started to wilt, then turn brown, then they bore a whiteish powdery substance. A quick call to AG’s John Negus confirmed my worst fears, and what I thought would be a feast of plenty now had to be disposed of before reaching its prime. Heartbreaking, but all part of nature’s gift and curse.” Contact us: Editorial: 07814 905439 Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Advertising: 07817 629935…

WE are midway through summer and if you’ve been sowing your free AG seeds each week, you should have a garden full of colour, and several windowsills and greenhouse stations covered in seedlings! I certainly have – and this week, I decided it was high time to pot on some of the larger ones, particularly some French lavender and Bellis daisies. The lavender is growing fantastically and the little plants already have their distinctive scent, but I really should have moved the Bellis on a week or so ago. Still, better late than never, and hopefully the daisies will recover and flourish, and be ready to plant out in autumn for some early spring colour. Seedlings are delicate things. They are easily damaged or destroyed by fungal diseases such as…

WHILE warnings have been noted about the invasive nature of certain bamboos, it was something I had not personally experienced until recently. I do have a pot-grown plant of Fargesia murielae ‘Simba’ (RHS AGM) amongst the large collection of shrubs grown specifically as show specimens, and this has been very well behaved. “Its suckers ran out to the other side of the back garden” ‘Simba’ grows no more than 18in (30cm) high, and when roots are fully congested in the pot it can be either split into two or potted on into a larger sized pot. Last month, however, I was faced with a back garden renovation that had 36ft (11m) run of bamboo, planted as a screen many years ago. It certainly formed a screen, swaying in the wind…

ALTHOUGH it may seem some way off, winter is coming – and now’s the best time for you to start planning fresh fruits to eat during those bleak months. Apples are the obvious choice: there so many ripening up over the next months, it would be silly not to lay some aside. However, the first to ripen will seldom store well for long – it’s the later ripening apples that will last the longest, and you can help if you prepare a suitable place to keep them. Cool, dark, frostfree and rodent-proof are the right conditions, and suitable apples – especially storing varieties such as ‘Granny Smith’, ‘Winston’ and ‘Wagener’ – will keep almost until Easter. Pears are not so likely to store fresh for that long. However, a few…

THERE’S nothing better on a warm summer evening than relaxing outdoors with a glass of something cold. Actually, though, there is. A rather special group of plants can make this simple pleasure even more delightful as they have flowers that release their scent when the sun dips and the light fades, perfuming your garden – and your evening – with their intoxicating fragrances. Night-scented flowers wake up as other garden favourites are clocking off for the day. The reason? It’s all about pollinators. As dusk falls, bees head home to their hives and nests, leaving other insects to take over and attend to the important business of pollinating. Moths are especially important; 40 different species have been noted as pollinators for our flowers, in particular hawkmoths and the silver Y.…

John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week…. Why can I no longer watch the birdies? Q Can you tell me where all my little birds have gone from my garden? My pleasure was to watch the sparrows bathing and feeding, and the tits eating from coconuts hanging in my shrubs. They have now gone – but where? Rita Jarman, Wednesbury, West Midlands A You are not alone in missing the daily gathering of tits, finches, sparrows and other birds that, a few weeks ago, were regular visitors to the bird table. The reason for their having ‘vanished’ is that many are moulting now and are vulnerable to predators, so they retreat into woodlands and hedges where they feel safe. Another reason for our seeing fewer birds…

This week it’s: Peppers and chillies You can grow your own peppers – hot or not! MORE peppers and chillies are being grown now than ever before, both in worldwide commercial production and by amateur gardeners at home. These are ideal crops for growing bags and pots, and you can grow them just like tomatoes – either in a greenhouse or conservatory, or outdoors on a warm sheltered patio during the summer. From seed sown in heat between February and April, they will produce their fruits throughout summer – particularly if they are well fed with tomato fertiliser. Let’s look at some of their stories. ■ Sweet peppers and chillies are both derived from the same plant, Capsicum annuum. The name comes from the Latin capsa, meaning ‘box’, in reference…

WASPS do a lot of good in our gardens, feeding on a range of insect pests through spring and early summer. But as fruit ripens on trees and bushes in mid to late summer, the diet of common wasps changes and they seek sugary treats. If you’re sitting outside with a slice of cake, wasps will soon find you and the threat of a sting is very real. Several of the wasp traps I looked at are variations on the theme of a jam-jar half-full of sweet liquid. Site them away from your seating area to attract wasps to another part of the garden where they crawl in and drown. However the Waspinator, the Wasp Shield and the Honeycomb Stickers are different – they are deterrents, so site them close…

Star letter Obsessive plant buyer! I WANTED to show you my garden and what I have created in five years. I’m a little obsessive about buying plants, and love my garden. There’s always something to do, or something new to admire. Also, in a small garden I have so much wildlife. I gain a lot of pride and enjoyment when I’m feeding the hedgehogs that come in every night. I just had to share it with you before it all changes again! I love my weekly AG mag. Lou Cave, via email Wendy says: Thanks Lou, I love your choice of interesting foliage plants – I might have to go and buy a new plant! Re-use and recycle! SINCE I salvaged an old bath, I have been experimenting with aquatic…

WE are in late summer, a time of gradually shortening days and occasionally soaring temperatures, though more recently our summers have been cooler and the early autumn days of September gloriously warm. Whatever weather this summer has thrown at us, the main challenge now is to nurse plants that are in flower through the next few weeks to keep the garden looking colourful until autumn’s bedding of nerines, crocuses and cyclamen swing into action. Varieties that will be looking their best now are crocosmia, echinacea, dahlias, early chrysanthemum and Verbena bonariensis. An added mix of border annuals and summer bedding should also be flowering well if cared for properly. Many plants around now are famed for their hot colours, including fiery rudbeckias and calendulas, marigolds, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and vibrant alstroemerias,…

AREAS of the UK are in danger of running out of water in the next two decades, unless steps are taken to stop the three billion litres of water lost every day by leaking pipes. A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused water companies of being too slow to act on the problem since water privatisation two decades ago. The document says: “The responsible bodies – the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency and Ofwat – have collectively taken their eye off the ball, and urgent action is now required if we are to have a reliable water supply in the years ahead.” As well as failing to fix the network of leaking pipes, water companies also released raw sewage into rivers…

IT’S never too early to start thinking about your next gardening step, which is why sowing this week’s free seeds now will set you up for a winter and early spring of beautiful, spirit-lifting colour. Mr Fothergill’s ‘Early Mixed’ pansies flower in a riot of colours, either solid or blotched, to bring variety and interest. The blooms are large and showy, growing to a height of 6in (15cm). They are versatile, too, happy to put on a show in borders or in containers and baskets. Because these pansies are hardy perennials, they will withstand the cold enough to be sown outside now in soil that has been raked to a fine tilth and cleared of roots, stones and weeds. Cover them with a light sprinkle of soil, water and label…

THE fact that I’m a twin has definitely defined me! As a tiny premature baby I spent my first six weeks in a noisy incubator, and I’ve got dodgy hearing. I’m a chatterbox, too, and it started in the womb, apparently, because twins interact and make noises over the top of each other. I blame my worst personality trait, interrupting people, on duetting with my brother before I was even born as I’m one of those people who constantly chimes in! My brother and I were also born on the hottest day of the year – something my mother never quite forgave us for. Needless to say, he was the pretty one with the curly hair and long eyelashes, so everyone thought he was the girl. I resembled Sir Winston…

What ails my oleander? Q A couple of years ago, I bought an oleander described as a hardy shrub. My garden is not particularly cold and I planted it in a sheltered spot, but it has not grown much. Although buds have formed, they struggle to open. What went wrong, and can I improve things? Jennifer Kirkpatrick, Salisbury, Wilts. A Enjoying a touch of the Med is a lovely idea and oleander is a firm favourite. Widely planted around the roadsides and hotels of warmer countries, the profuse white, pink or red flowers and evergreen foliage are a familiar and easily recognisable sight. Basking in hot weather and sunshine, plants can make large shrubs 20ft (6m) tall, capable of flowering all year round. Just take care when planting and handling…

I’VE got a mate called Gary whose pond is so big, Dame Ellen MacArthur could use it for practice and there would still be room for a pedalo! It’s just a shame about the green algae that’s currently doing a good impression of a mini Sargasso Sea. The ‘green gunk’ was expected after the giant pond liner was replaced as, with the flowering marginals thinned and the shade of water lilies reduced, conditions were perfect for blanket weed to burgeon. Overnight, the double trouble of excess nitrogen and rising water temperature cast its spell, turning the once crystal-clear lagoon into a green witch’s brew. The organism responsible for this voodoo is an alga that links in ever lengthening strings of cells into gooey wool. Left to its own devices, it…

1 Roses will flower right through into autumn with the proper care. Treat for pests and diseases such as blackspot, and deadhead unless you want colourful hips to follow the blooms. 2 Dahlias are reliable late bloomers before dying back after the first frosts. Keep them watered and free of pests. I added liquid tomato feed to a drip feeder for our potted dahlias. 3 Chrysanthemums are a traditional sight in late summer and autumn. Watch them carefully as they are prone to pests and diseases, including rust, mildew, moulds and viruses. 4 Two of my late-season essentials are fleshy leaved sedums (hylotelephium) that survive the driest of summers and provide a late food source for insects, and stately Gladioli murielae. Think out of the colour box ■ When thinking…

THIS spring the strawberry plants in the spare ends of a raised bed have provided us with a generous, sweet and juicy crop. They’re so good that I have vowed to get more plants for next year. But why spend money – even though they can be bought for pennies – when you can make your own for free? Each summer, strawberry plants throw out runners – long overground roots with a tiny tuft of new leaves at the end or sometimes mid-way along. If left alone, the mini plantlets on the runners will quickly take root by themselves, but it is worth potting them up so you can plant them where you want them to grow. Healthy plants will throw out many runners, even though it takes up a…

IT is late April before the sedge warbler arrives here, dressed in varying shades of striped browns tinged with red, and creamy-white underparts. It has slate-grey legs and a black beak. A prominent buff eye stripe (much more pronounced than in the chiff-chaff or willow warbler) distinguishes it from the reed warbler. Both sexes are alike. The sedge warbler often belies its name by breeding far from water, and for three years in succession a pair nested in a former garden of mine, placing their cupshaped grass nest, cosily lined with hair and willowdown, in a low clump of pampas grass. The female did most of the actual building, her partner bringing more of the materials and showing a keen interest in all that was going on. She was also…

REGULAR tomato growers will shudder over blight, which often appears in warm, wet summers. I should specify that I’m referring to late blight caused by the fungus-like Phytophthora infestans; this also attacks potatoes. So why exactly is tomato blight so horrific, and what can we do to protect our growing fruits? Chasing mutants The speed at which infections can spread is alarming, and crops are ruined in the process. Someone once described the symptoms as looking like creosote had been thrown on their plants overnight, which about sums it up. The pathogen readily mutates, and sadly this is its trump card. ‘Resistant’ tomato varieties are bred, blight mutates, and resistant varieties are then susceptible to this new strain. “The speed at which infection spread is alarming” Around 15 years ago,…

THE large-flowered roses are those which, for the most part, are also called hybrid teas. They have medium to large flowers, usually full double and always shapely, produced singly or in small open clusters, with quite long stalks to each individual bloom. Because of this habit they are easily disbudded to produce even larger flowers. They are excellent roses for cutting and for exhibition, and the best make a fine show in the garden, though not as a rule such a solid or continuous display of colour as the cluster-flowered roses. All large-flowered roses are recurrent flowering, producing their flowers in successive flushes in summer and early autumn. There are hundreds of varieties, but the following are high in the popularity polls. Note: The rose varieties listed in this article…