Barton upon Humber

DOWN THE GARDEN

Having just purchased some flowers for Lynne, it made me think of possibly the different ways I select plants and flowers. The Carnations I got were just about to open with plenty of buds for long flowering, but just as important, lots of side shoots ideal for making cuttings. Not only flowers for display, but thirty or so potential plants. A far better purchase, than just a bunch, of fully opened blooms. It is also possible to utilise some cut flowers after the blooms fade. Roses in particular are excellent, select green, healthy looking stems, remove the dead flower head, trim the base of the stem just below a node and insert the cutting into sharp compost (special cutting compost or one with 50% sharp sand added), keep in a light, cool place. We use an outside shady border which has sharp sand incorporated. Next time you buy a pot plant, just look, is it one plant or several which can be split up and if fed and watered carefully will reward you with several excellent new plants for the price of one.

With pest populations on the increase it is nice to know that sometimes there are simple answers, like using a small battery vacuum cleaner to suck up white fly in your greenhouse. Recent research into scarid fly (those little black flies that scamper over the surface of compost of plants, and whose larval stage eats the roots of pot plants), has shown that they are attracted to relatively low levels of light. So, using a light source (I intend to try a solar lamp) combined with sticky trap tape may be useful in controlling the adults. Tests are ongoing.

This year we are growing: ‘Arran Pilot’ – 1st early potatoes with good drought resistance, which tends to be a problem in our light soil; ‘Wilja’ – as 2nd earlies and ‘Cara’, which has good resistance to blight, as our main crop potato. We managed to avoid blight last year, but the wet summer was particularly bad for that other member of the Solanum (potato) family, the outdoor tomato. Many growers lost entire crops to blight. Bordeaux mix – a blend of copper sulphate and hydrated lime, sprayed in early summer did give some protection. Suttons are promoting a cherry tomato, ‘Hundreds and Thousands’, as the world’s most prolific tomato, ideal for containers and hanging baskets. It could be worth a try, see www.suttons.co.uk/tomato

This time of year can be very busy in the garden, but if it is mild don’t be tempted to plant out tender bedding until you can be sure the frosts have gone. Garden centres may have these plants for sale but unless you can keep your bedding plants under protection resist the temptation to buy, until the frost dangers pass.

Broad beans, summer cabbage, early peas, cauliflower, radish, spring onions, lettuce, rocket, carrots and many others can all be sown now, most seed packets have detailed advice. If you have a greenhouse make sure it’s well ventilated on sunny days, but shut down before the day cools to retain the heat, an automatic vent is well worth investing in. Towards the end of April, weather permitting, start standing frost tender bedding and vegetable plants out during the day, but keeping them frost free at night in a greenhouse or frame.

Whatever care your plants need, does not seem to apply to weeds. These need to be kept on top of by regular weeding and hoeing, they are much easier to destroy when they are young. It’s worth giving your borders some general purpose fertiliser to give the plants a good start to the season, we use an organic product, such as pelleted chicken manure.

Walking round Barton the other day it was good to see the tree planting that has been done over the last few years beginning to establish. However it is sad to see some specimen trees which have not had their tree ties loosened or removed since planting. Trees can be restricted by tight tree ties, causing a narrowing of the trunk and making them susceptible to disease or snapping off in the wind. So if you have a tree please check any ties and if it is tight slacken it off or remove it. I have done this to one or two trees in the town, they almost sigh with relief when you do it and soon fill out any narrowing in the stem.

‘ Hark the new-born lambs are bleating,
And the cawing rooks are meeting
In the Elms – a noisy crowd;
All the birds are singing loud;’

The Voice of Spring – Mary Howitt

Well that was before Dutch Elm disease!

Enjoy your garden

Jim Dowdy