Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-Aug-2022 i Amateur Gardening

“The results of our group test of top peat free composts are on pages 49-51, and one brand did very well. In fact it did better than the reduced-peat product we used as a control. The bad news is that it retails at £4.50 for a 10-litre bag. However, I believe larger sizes are better value for money. I certainly hope so! Whilst a peat ban is almost certain to happen in England, you may be surprised to discover that the ban may not apply to Scotland (see page 7). Lastly, a letter from AG reader Professor Peter Dobson OBE (page 55) makes interesting reading. Have those who argue the case to ban peat got the science right?” Contact us: ◼ Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113 ◼ Editorial: 0330 3903732 ◼…

OUR kitchen is never without fresh herbs growing on the windowsill, especially in winter when tender varieties growing in the garden have finished, prompting me to sow some indoors. I usually start sowing herbs that will see us through winter in late summer, concentrating on the three main staples of parsley, basil and coriander. Sow your first batch now, then sow more every three weeks through the coldest months to keep a fresh supply on tap. Later sowings can be planted out in spring, or moved to the greenhouse. Another handy money-saving trick is to buy potted supermarket herbs and divide them, potting each section individually and letting them grow. I also bring chilli plants into the kitchen from the greenhouse and keep them growing for as long as possible…

WE have something rather different this week, a hardy annual poppy that looks nothing like most people’s idea of a traditional poppy. ‘Paeony Flowered Mix’ is a variety of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) that produces densely ruffled blooms in shades of pink and red. The plants grow to 35in (90cm) tall, making them perfect for the centre and front of borders, or to sow among other hardy annuals and ornamental grasses. Because they are hardy, the seeds can be sown now or saved and started next spring. Those sown now will flower earlier next year than those sown in spring, so you can create extended blooming by sowing a second batch next March/April. Poppies can tolerate poor soil but they do like a sunny spot. After flowering, their petals fall…

LOTS of gardeners, including me, are plagued by lily beetles, those annoying red, shiny beetles that munch through certain members of the lily family. They start on your fritillarias in spring and then move on to your lilies. They’re easy to see, but not quite so easy to catch. Once they slip through your fingers, they’re almost impossible to find. I can’t use a chemical product to kill them, so I find myself checking my fritillarias and my one pot of regal lilies on a daily basis – with varying levels of success! After several years of struggling with these agile little beasties, I eventually abandoned growing martagon lilies in my woodland garden. I haven’t seen them on other plants, but the lily beetle (which has the very attractive sounding…

PETUNIAS are frost-tender perennial plants usually grown as annuals. They have large, flared, trumpet-shaped flowers in every colour of the rainbow, with an increasing range of vivid patterns and markings. Some are prettily veined in contrasting shades, and there are also some with double flowers, crowded with petals. Some are also scented. The flowers open steadily to create an unbroken display from late spring to autumn, and range from neat and bushy to long and trailing. Some are raised from seed, with others bought as plants. Petunia varieties were once divided into two groups – Grandifloras, with large flowers that are easily damaged in bad weather, and the smaller flowered, more rain-resistant Multifloras. However, these distinctions have mostly lost their relevance as so many new varieties incorporating features from both…

Q What is this climbing plant that appeared in my garden this summer and rapidly took over an old trellis? Vanessa Marshall (via email) A The climber appears to be a Chilean trumpet creeper (Campsis). There are two principal species, C. chinensis and C. radicans, and a hybrid called C. x tagliabuiana ‘Mme Galen’. Normally self-clinging, the plant’s shoots may require tying in when they are young. Q Can you identify this bee? Joy Alderson, Hants A The bee appears to be a wool carder. Occasionally seen in gardens, seeking nectar and pollen from dead nettles and vetches, the white ‘wool’ embracing its body is characteristic of the species. It’s on the wing from late May to early September. Q Whatcan I sow after onions? Alice Morris (via email) A…

This week it’s: It’s the Pershore Plum Festival! We look at all things related to Prunus domestica THIS weekend (27-29 August) Pershore in Worcestershire is turning a shade of reddish purple! It’s the weekend of the annual Pershore Plum Festival. It’s more of a fun weekend of games, food and entertainment – but plums play a part: one of the aims is to promote local plum production, including traditional and local varieties and methods. This part of Worcestershire has a long association with plums: the climate and soil are ideal. One particular variety (named ‘Pershore Plum’, but grown throughout the Vale of Evesham), was the leading variety in the commercial English plum industry from the mid-1800s until the First World War. Let’s take a sideways look at plums in all…

I LIKE getting value for money and that’s why, with an hour left on the city centre parking meter, I decided to get a haircut. The barber was just my type – a taciturn trimmer who barely spoke, let alone ask if I’d been anywhere nice or had the day off (‘no’ and ‘no’, in case you were wondering). I was just dozing to the rattle of his clippers when a dozen burly police officers and sniffer dogs disturbed the peace, demanding to know if duty-free cigarettes and (intriguingly) ‘other imported items’ were being illegally sold from the premises. I don’t smoke, but even so, I was a little put out that I hadn’t been offered any bootlegged swag. Then I worried that the contraband could have been squirrelled below…

HERE we are, the last bank holiday before Christmas, the final week of the school holidays and the gateway to autumn. These three days can be put to good use in the garden, to keep it flourishing and also to look ahead and prepare for the cooler days ahead. At the time of writing we haven’t had significant rain for several weeks (it’s officially the driest year since 1976) and the ground is rock hard and the lawn crisped brown, but hopefully we will have some rain between now and the bank holiday weekend. This will mean our water butts will start to refill, we will have less watering to do around our gardens and we can plant some late-flowering perennials and bedding for autumn colour. Even if it does…

THE hot dry weather has made it a tough summer for garden wildlife and we have been replenishing water bowls and food at least once a day. This is as important a part of gardening as caring for plants, soil and the lawn because many of our garden animals are our allies in the fight against pests. Make sure water bowls and bird baths are replenished daily and that feelers are well stocked. Wash them all regularly too, to avoid the spread of disease. Regular leaders will know that we often get hedgehogs in our garden and one hot July afternoon we found a tiny scrap of hog on the lawn, in a sorry state. While adult hedgehogs sometimes forage and drink during daytime hours, healthy babies don’t, so we…

THIS week I have been thinking about feeding soil through the autumn and winter. Every year we use our homemade compost as a mulch on our beds to replenish them after an intense summer season of growing. This year, though, we have met a problem. The prolonged dry spell has baked the soil, meaning we are going to need a decent amount of rainfall before this autumn’s mulching. There is no point adding a layer of mulch to dry soil as all it does is form a cap on the surface so no moisture can soak through. The other problem is that our compost is also bone dry and instead of a rich, damp, crumbly mix, it is desiccated and powdery. It isn’t the end of the world, but it…

What pests or diseases affect them? MANY petunia problems are caused by insufficient feeding and watering. A hanging basket packed with trailing petunias uses up a great deal of water and plant food every day. Miss a day or two of watering and your petunias will suffer. Also, when the potting soil has dried out, it can be very difficult to re-wet it. If you miss their weekly feeding your petunias will grow poorly, especially towards the end of the season. Aphids are the most common problem, so encourage predators into your garden to help prevent an infestation. Check regularly and, if necessary, use your favourite garden bug spray as a spot treatment. Aphids also spread virus disease, the most common petunia disease, which shows up as weak growth and…

No: 077 It’s time for our just-for-fun puzzle – AG’s Garden Wall. This wall comprises 12 bricks in three courses. Each brick has a different word, or phrase on it. The first brick in each course, with BLOCK capitals, is cemented in place and cannot be moved. Just rearrange all the other bricks, so that the four words in each course of bricks are linked. There are three different connections to look for, one for each course. You may find that some words have more than one connection to other courses, but there is just one correct answer. You’ll either find this puzzle fiendishly difficult, or incredibly easy! Answers below. Hint: In one of the courses, the bricks are all popular plants related to plum. Answers: GAGE = Mirabelle, Bullace,…

THIS is the second year we have conducted peat-free compost trials and we must stress that they are comparative, rather than scientific trials. The plants selected were Petunia ‘Fantasia Mixed’ bought as mini plugs, before being pricked out into cell trays and then potted on into 12.5cm (5in) pots. Petunias were chosen because they are sensitive to high levels of fertilisers and salts. Nutrient release and/or salt levels have been an issue with some peat-free composts. We also used a peat-based compost as a ‘control’ by which to judge the peat-free products. All the sample pots were placed in level plastic trays. The base was covered with capillary matting, which allowed each pot access to the same amount of water and prevented some samples having to be watered more frequently…

AFTER a summer of growing vegetables, the soil and compost in our raised beds is depleted and needs reinvigorating. The easiest way of doing this is by sowing green manures onto the bare soil and letting them grow unhindered. Green manures are fast-growing plants, often members of the pea family, that are readily available from garden centres and online. The most popular varieties for green manure are clovers, legumes and rye grasses. The plants help fix nitrogen (essential for strong stems and foliage) back into the soil through their roots. The roots also open up the structure of the soil, which is helpful if you garden on heavy clay, and bind lighter soil together so it is less likely to be eroded if left bare in harsh winter weather. They…

Why do some leaves change colour to red in autumn? Some trees and shrubs produce red pigments (anthocyanins) in order to protect their ageing foliage from autumn sunlight. This is to allow as many nutrients as possible to be absorbed into the plant before its leaves drop. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that the best red tints are usually produced by plants growing in sun-baked poor (low-nutrient) soil. Which trees have red leaves in autumn? Several maples burn red in autumn – for instance the North American Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’, which grows into a large tree, and the spreading Japanese Acer palmatum ‘Chitoseyama’, which is compact enough to grow in a border or a pot. Some rowans also have bold-red leaves in autumn, including the Japanese Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’, which…

Please can you ID my two houseplants? Q Please can you ID my plants? The first has furry leaves and pink tubular flowers with white and red speckles. The second one grows bulbs on top of bulbs, they do not like being in the soil. The hanging ones I need to take off and start some new plants. The flowers are like small hyacinths. Sue Smith (via email) A The first plant you have asked about is a species of Kohleria – they used to be called gloxinia. This is in the same family as African violet (Saintpaulia) and cape primrose (Streptocarpus). They make lovely houseplants, as you have already discovered, and are very easy to keep from year to year. Once growth slows with the onset of autumn, reduce…

Westland New Horizon All Plant 10l £5.00 Score 11/15 Root system This dark-looking compost had the majority of the roots found in the lower half of the external rootball, also with less volume of root even in this limited area. Opening the rootball, it was noticeable that there was a much more even distribution of roots throughout all levels of compost on the inside, unlike the appearance on the outside. This is usually an indication that there is a good balance between moisture retention and air space within the compost. Top growth The top growth was thin, but with plenty of short side shoots. The average height was 6¼in (16cm) and width 8in (20cm), while the flower size averaged 2½in (6cm) across. These plants appeared to be struggling, with two…

WIN £20 Please continue to send in your gardening-themed poems. Anita Downes writes: “Whilst enjoying a sunny evening in my garden, reading my weekly copy of your magazine, I was struck by how much more optimistic and revitalised I feel after spending an hour or two surrounded by plants. I was inspired enough to put pen to paper and I hope you like my poem.” It’s been weeks since I saton my garden bench,Weeks when the rainpoured down.I was sad and frustrated,Life wasn’t going how Iwanted.I was ready to throw inthe trowel. But today the sun wasshining!And as I sat in my favouritespot,I noticed how busy theplants had been–Whilst I’d been whinging,They accepted their lot. The marigolds refused togive ground to the dahlias,The lupins were stretchingfor the sun,The cornflowers wererampant,And…