Seed Trays

Seed sowing is reaching its height in the middle of April. It is worth looking at the labour saving devices that were not available to our parents and grandparents.

Seed Tray Review

• Old wooden seed trays with slats and high sides are still in use. They need care when cleaning before new crops are sown.
• Plastic seed trays from rigid polypropylene with drainage holes can be used time and again and are easy to store and clean. There is generally a pattern of ridges to improve drainage.
• I like to use the thin plastic segmented inserts inside a normal seed tray like those in the photograph.
  • They are cheap enough to be disposable but last a couple of seasons with care.
  • They vary in the number of cells, 3×5, 8×5 or 4×6 for example.
  • Each cell can be for individual seeds or used for several fine seeds. It makes pricking out and planting far easier.
  • The cells can also be used for growing on after pricking out. 15 or 24 good plants can be raised in one tray.
  • Do not put plastic inserts in a tray without drainage holes or the compost may get water logged.
• Seed trays can be used to hold individual pots in one place. Up to 15 square 3″ pots can be put in one tray and they are a bit deeper than a standard tray.

Amazon supply seed trays in a variety of sizes and packs click here
Thompson & Morgan have a smaller selection of seed trays. Strange for a seed merchant I think.

Seed Tray Tips

• Take care when watering to get all the area damp. Be careful with small cells and those near to the drying sun.
• Label your seed sowing with the date and type of seed sown.
• Sterilise your used seed trays in Jeys fluid or similar
• To water from the bottom fill a larger container and stand the tray in the water until enough has been taken up.
• Do not leave seedlings too long before pricking out. Long roots soon become stunted.
• Carefully push out the cell contents from the bottom if using this product.

Nets and Netting

Netting can be very useful in the garden and there is usually one or more types for each particular application.

Climbers like Sweet Peas need something to cling on to as they grow. You can cut off the tendrils and tie the stems to a cane but that is labour intensive. I prefer to use a very open green plastic net. It is about the cheapest you can buy and if you throw it away at the end of the year it will have done its job.

For runner beans and climbing beans I use stronger plastic net also with a wide open mesh and strong poles. Again it is still cheap as a form of netting.

For protecting soft fruit like strawberries or building a fruit cage you need knotted netting also called mesh knotted netting. This is strong enough to keep out the birds. The mesh varies from 7mm squares to 18mm diamonds. The smaller gauge keeps out moths and butterflies and the wider for pigeons and small birds.
For herons over your pond a wider mesh of 45mm will not spoil the appearance.

Insect mesh netting is finer and more akin to fleece. It can deter carrot fly, cabbage root fly and caterpillars whilst giving a modest amount of shade.

Wind break or shade nets are made from higher density polypropylene.

Pond nets for leaves and debris can also protect your goldfish. A fishing line strung across the edge of ponds may deter cats and other creatures.

Suppliers

Netting varieties available from Amazon

Nets available from Thompson & Morgan

Potato Planters

Easter is a traditional time for planting your potatoes but Easter is a bit late this year.

To get started I am trying a variety of potato planters with my early potatoes.

Types of Potato Planters

• The simplest planter I am using is a large black plastic pot. 12″ in circumference and at least the same in height and it will grow a good few spuds from one or three tubers.
• For main crop potatoes in planters I have used half a large compost bag. Part filled I have then turned down the top so some of the black inner plastic shows and helps the container warm up. (Black draws the sun’s heat to the planter).  As the spuds grow I can fill up with compost to avoid greening on the potatoes.
• I bought a plastic purpose built planter from a local shop. Details on the picture. It has an opening so I can take potatoes from the bottom of the bag as needed. However I think I will empty the bag in one go. If anything it is too small for my taste (and so will the potatoes be).
• Last year I had great success with old damage polypropylene waste disposal sacks as planters.

Tips for Potato Planters

• Keep well watered as the potatoes start to form  (I hope you have included drainage holes in your planters).
• Feed every fortnight in May and June with a dilute liquid feed.
• I put the planters under the eaves of the house for early protection. Then I move them when the frost has finished.
• The black bags and pots get warmer than the light coloured pots and planters. The green planter kits look a bit tidier.

Seed potatoes and various planters are available from Thompson & Morgan

Vermiculite for Seed Sowing

Vermiculite is a natural mineral ore that has been heat treated to expand into a spongy worm like but inert substance.

Uses of Vermiculite

• Vermiculite greatly improves compost by promoting aeration and drainage, important for seeds and cuttings.
• Vermiculite improves germination and reduces the risk of damping off when applied as a thin layer on top of your sown seeds.
• A 50:50 mix of compost and vermiculite is ideal for the germination of seeds, because it’s aeration properties and water holding capacity make it a suitable medium for direct contact with the seeds.
• Vermiculite used alone without compost helps germination but seedlings should be fed with a week fertilizer solution when the first true seeds appear.
• Large seeds can be mixed with Vermiculite in a small polythene bag closed at the neck, and kept in a warm place until the seeds just start to germinate.
• Vermiculite can be mixed into compost for taking cuttings.
• Mixed with compost it can also store Dahlia and Begonia tubers through winter.

Available from good garden centres and Thompson & Morgan
Read the rest of this entry »

Growing Kits for Chillies

Reduced from over £12 to under £6 you can grow five different types of chilli plant with this red hot gift box. Buy from Amazon

• Growing your chillies is simple – everything you need is inside this gift box, including a booklet containing growing tips.
• This gift box is an ideal present for food lovers, and once grown could provide them with a supply of fresh ingredients for all their Indian, Tex mex and many more favourite cuisines.
• This complete kit includes everything you need to get started, including natural coconut husk starter plant pots and compost discs, which expand when they are watered.
• You will get enough seeds to grow a selection of hot, vibrant chillis, including Tabasco, Demon Red, Hungarian Hot Wax, Jalapeno and Anaheim chilli plants.

Disclaimer from Amazon: ‘ This pack contains real plant seed. The seed can die before or after germination. Please plant your seed as soon as possible. Occasionally, due to the nature and availability of the seed, it may be necessary to substitute certain seed varieties with alternatives. Please retain packaging for future reference. This is a novelty gift and must be regarded as such. This product is not suitable for children under 36 months as it could cause a choking hazard. To be used under the direct supervision of an adult.’

John Innes Sterilised Compost

Many suppliers offer John Innes potting compost in grades 1, 2 and 3 plus John Innes Seed Compost for sowing seeds; John Innes Cutting Compost for rooting cuttings and John Innes Ericaceous Compost for plants which cannot tolerate lime. The proportion of each constituent varies according to the type and end use of the compost.

Contents of John Innes Compost

• Loam is the most important ingredient in the compost as it provides the main “body” of the compost.

• Sphagnum Moss Peat in the John Innes Compost increases the total porosity and improves both the aeration and the water-retaining capacity. Peat decomposes slowly into humus.

• Coarse sand or grit is used as a physical conditioner to allow excess water to drain from the compost and thus prevent water-logging. It also helps to provide stability for larger plants.

• The compound fertiliser in John Innes Compost include; nitrogen for top growth, phosphates for root growth, potash for flowers and fruit plus trace elements.

More detail and historical information is provided by the John Innes manufacturers association

Special Compost for Orchids

Orchids love humidity but hate wet feet so a free draining compost is preferred. Some orchids are epiphytes that grow on other plants and trees and need to retain enough moisture when the opportunity arises. All roots need air in greater or lesser proportions and some orchids have roots that grow out of pots into open air. That gives a clue as to what good Orchid compost will be like.

Content of Orchid Compost

• Bark chippings which come in differing sizes. For plants with thick roots choose a larger chips, if they are small and thin then choose small chippings.

• Sphagnum moss, bark and  styrofoam mixed is good  for seedlings or very thinly rooted plants. It tends tol dry out quickly so watch the  watering.

• Rock wool  mixed with a little perlite can seem dry on the surface   when very wet underneath and over time breaks down into a hard mass.

• Lump peat and styrofoam is good for Phalaenopsis and those plants requiring a little more moisture retention.

Orchid Compost Tips

• You can buy a proprietary Orchid compost at most garden centres

• Compost breaks down and Orchids need repotting into fresh compost but only every couple of years.

• Put some large crocks of foam at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage and retain air pockets
• Repot just after flowering not whilst in flower.
• Let bark compost soak in water overnight before repotting.

Read about Stanhopea orchids in a basket
or Orchids to write home about

Farmyard Manure in a Package

Horse manure comes out of horses so why does a plastic bag contain Farmyard Manure?

Well the guys at Levington’s sterilise and package their manure for gardeners to use on Roses and Flowers, Fruit and Vegetables. I am not sure what ‘Organic Blend’ means! However you can also buy Top Soil with this brand if you wish.

Manure is good for improving soil structure and adds humus. It also tops up nutrient levels and helps your garden to perform next year. I will be spreading more horse manure from local stables shortly and will have to do my own weeding.

I might try some Levington’s as part of the compost for my containers and hanging baskets next spring.

Raised Bed Systems

Marmax products make raised bed sides from recycled plastic and donated this set to the new library and learning centre at RHS Harlow Carr.
Hard wearing, long lasting and doing its bit for recycling this use of plastic in the garden is to be admired.

Supplied in flat pack, kit form the sides are in depths of 140mm so you can also make 280 or 420 deep beds by using 1-3 levels screwed together. In old money I make that five and a half inches 11″ and 17″ or thereabouts.

Other Methods.

• The old railway sleepers took a bit of a dive when creosote was banned or frowned upon in gardens. The seepage of chemicals from sleepers seems small to me and the method is still popular if you find old sleepers.
• Diy fanatics may use log piles or build more substantial retaining walls.
• The BBC has a video featuring Monty Don that shows how and why raised beds are useful.
• For more pictures and ideas on the type of raised bed have a look at these images

Uses of Raised Beds

• Raised beds help improve drainage on heavy soil.
• Beds warm up quicker when raised and can be angled towards the sun.
• Smaller plants can be lifted for closer inspection or to get the perfume and it may avoid getting down on your knees.
• Flowers, vegetables and soft fruit can all be successfully grown in a raised bed.

Swags and Ropes for Growing Roses

Swags are ropes slung between two points for training Roses and climbers.

Tips for Swags & ‘Rose on a Rope’

• Ropes made from natural fibre like Hemp, Manilla, Sissal and Yucca are appropriate decoration in a rose garden.
• Train the rose along the rope and it encourages flowering stems to break upwards.
• Provide firm support as the ropes will be heavy when fully loaded with flowers.
• The rope absorbs moisture and shrinks as it becomes wet.
• Like all plant material it can be attacked by fungus which will cause it to discolour, rot and weaken.This can be substantially prevented by giving the rope a wood preservative treatment prior to fixing it in place.
• W R Outhwaite (rose swag makers) recommend using either 1”diameter rope. ‘It is sufficiently chunky to be in scale with the supporting posts and of sufficient strength to carry any likely weight of plant growth with enough left over to give it a long life. Some people advocate even thicker rope but in our experience this can be very difficult to tension to remove the sag or drape between the posts.’
• Ramblers or Climbers can be supported on ropes.

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