hortoris – Page 96 – Gardeners Tips

Another wet and rainy day and all I can think about is the compost heap (well may be not all).
We all slip up, drop clangers and get it wrong so I thought I would list some of my own compost errors or lash-ups.

Gardening can be like that so I try not to beat myself up when things go wrong. There is always another season and a worse clanger elsewhere.

Soggy Compost Mistakes

An over wet compost heap will smell something rotten, really stink and I mean badly.
Nutrients will be washed out at the bottom of the heap and lost.
The composting process will be slowed almost to a stop.
I wish I had covered my heap before all this heavy rain.
Good compost needs air so it may help to turn and drain the wet heap.
Belatedly I have been putting some torn up newspaper in the heap as roughage and to soak up some excess fluids.
Because this time I have built the heap on soil I can reclaim some of the goodness by taking a level of soil when I spread the compost.

Construction Mistakes

In the past I have relied on a heap with no sides just a pile. This flattens out and spreads without ever getting to a good heat except perhaps in the center
As you may see from the picture below some wood has rotted. You need to use tanalised or treated wood to prevent the structure from rotting.
A plastic bin where ‘you can draw clean compost from the bottom whilst refilling at the top’ was an unmitigated, uncomposted disaster but I may not have followed the rules
For the first time I have two discrete piles. For too many years I made do and mended with one. Now I wish I had three piles – ho hum!
Compost heaped on a concrete base is easy to work, turn and collect for spreading.
Leave room for your barrow so you can unload and reload comfortably
Do not build too near your neighbors kitchen window or cover your own air grates (mistakes I have previously made).

Compost Content Mistakes

I do not put meat products on the heap but last winter a family of rats made a nest in the warm pile
For several years I did not compost rhubarb leaves as I heard they were toxic. Of course they rot down and are quite safe.
Everyone must have tried to compost too much of the same vegetation and I have had too many grass mowings in a dry clump or a wet mess more times than I should mention. I now try to aerate the pile or turn it over regularly.
Leaves from trees take longer to rot, contain less nutrients and are better in a leaf pile or punctured plastic bag. Twigs need to be shredded or cut very small.
Seeds from weeds and plantsÂ including fox gloves and forget-me-nots do not rot they survive
After the mistake of too much water do not forget a dry heap will not rot either – you need some damp or add water when very dry.

Compost Mistake Elimination

Good compost starts with a range of good materials from a mixture of green plants and shredded brown matter.
Fungi and creepy crawlies breakdown the material and they need air and moisture to do their best
Heat helps kill pathogens and unwanted seed so keep a lid on a good sized pile and insulate the sides.
Turn the pile for even rotting as this stops the edges rotting more slowly

Growing African and French Marigolds

September 1, 2015 hortoris

A favorite annual is the Marigold or Tagetes. Bold colours in Yellows, Oranges, Lemons Reds and Creams are a feature of these plants that flower from July to the first frost. Despite the names they all originate from Mexico.

Description of Marigolds

Members of the Tagetes family are half hardy annuals that flower profusely from July until September.
African Marigold is the taller type 10″ high with flower heads up to 3″ across.
French Marigold is a compact, bushier plant suitable for edging to flower beds and paths.
Flowers are generally doubles coloured golden, orange, yellow, and white often with maroon highlights.
Rounded discs or large florets display vibrant colours on thin deeply cut unassuming leaves.
The leaves have a distinct scent that deters some insects.

Cultivation Tips for Marigolds

Easily grown from seed these plants flower quickly and can be sown in situ
Cover seed with 1/4 inch of soil and provide an average soil warmth of 24Â°C if grown in a greenhouse.
Plant African types 12 inches apart and French types 6-8 inches apart.
Deadhead particularly the African types.
Can be bought as plug plants in summer.
Slugs and snails seem to love nibbling the foliage and can soon denude a plant

Varieties, Species and Types of Marigold

Tagetes erecta – African Marigold. Tagetes patula – French Marigold. Tagetes tenuifolia – Marigold gems
‘Honeycomb’ and ‘Safari Tangerine’ have the award of garden merit AGM
Marigold ‘Striped Marvel’Tagetes patula has yellow and maroon stripes
Pot marigolds or Calendula and Marsh marigolds are a different species
Tagetes are the smaller often single flowers. More than 150 years old and still going strong, the heirloom variety of French Marigold Single Legion of Honour fits this description

Horticulture Sources and Advice on Marigolds

You can often obtain seeds or plants from our mail order company of choice Thompson & Morgan
Easily grown from seed these plants flower quickly and can be sown in situ
The ‘French’ varieties tend to be smaller flowers in clusters on bushy plants
Africans are larger and showy
Some African varieties can grow up to 5 feet tall but have fewer poorer flowers. The finely cut leaves are still attractive. For a medium to tall selection try ‘Crackerjack’
Marigold leaves keep white fly away from greenhouse tomatoes and I grow a few plants for that purpose. The roots are also reputed to kill or inhibit some weeds
These plants are not to be confused with Pot Marigolds called Calendula

More marigold flower Photographs

Patterns with Plants

August 31, 2015 hortoris

This natural pattern of succulent leaves was spotted in my garden as the Autumn flowering Sedum Spectabile burst forth this Spring. This follows the patten in the leaves at the end of a branch of Monkey Puzzle Tree and set me thinking. Many gardeners spend a lot of time and effort to get patterns of colour and texture, variety of shape and form or harmonious patterns to please the eye but nature does it best.

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Growing Annual Phlox

August 30, 2015 hortoris

Phlox can be an easy grown half hardy annual suitable for any garden situation particularly a cottage garden. It’s compact bushy habit makes it ideal for planting as drifts of colour, as border edging or in containers. This Phlox differs from the perennial varieties that grow taller and have more scent. Never the less annual Phlox is worth the little effort that is required

Description of Phlox

Phlox drummondii is free flowering in a broad range of attractive colours including red, white, blue shades, pastel colours and bright yellowy orange.
Phlox flowers throughout the summer on 12″ high plants although some varieties are lower growing.
Phlox hybrida compacta has a stripped flower.
The flowering period is from June through July & August
Blooms are about 1″ across in clusters and are trumpet-shaped with a narrow tube.
The leaves are soft, hairy and sticky.

Cultivation Tips for Annual Phlox

Grow from seed sown in February- May six weeks before the last frost.
Sow seed on the surface of good, free-draining, seed compost.
Do not cover the seed. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a polythene bag and place at 18-20C (64-68F) until after germination which takes about 10-21 days.
Do not exclude light as this helps germination.
Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into trays or pots. Grow on in cooler conditions for a few weeks before planting out 8″ apart after all risk of frost .
Plants prefer a rich well drained soil in a sunny position.
A foliar feed of dilute liquid fertiliser will help plants continue flowering through summer.

Special Growing Tips for Phlox

The Phlox self deadheads to produce a continuing show
The flowers are attractive to Bees and Butterflies and that makes them worth planting for that alone.
In USA some species grow will at the roadside so how hard can they be to grow in your garden.

Phlox: A Natural History and Gardener’s Guide by James H. Locklear

Varieties, Species and Types of Annual Phlox

Phlox drummondii ‘CrÃ¨me BrÃ»lÃ©e’ a variety of orange-yellow shades.
Phlox Drummondii ‘Dwarf Beauty Mixed’ includes reds blues and white.
Phlox Drummondii ‘Phlox Of Sheep’ is available in a range of pastel shades
Phlox hybrida compacta ‘Peppermint Candy’ is an interesting red and white stripped variety

Horticulture Sources and Origins

In 1835, botanist Thomas Drummond collected the seeds of this annual wildflower in America where a red-colored variety grew with a pink-flowered form.
You can often obtain seeds or plants from our mail order company of choice Thompson & Morgan
Read about perennial Phlox
Night Phlox or Zaluzianskya is a plant closely related to Phlox.
Pdf article on annual phlox species.
More Information from University of Texas plant data base

Growing Nasturtiums

August 28, 2015 hortoris

Nasturtiums or Tropaeolum majus are also known as Indian Cress as the peppery leaves can be eaten. However, the best reason for growing Nasturtiums is the large volume of red, orange or yellow flowers you can get on a trailing plants that is planted in poor soil. Also they are so easy you need little help.

Description of Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are soft, fleshy plants with round, veined leaves.
Flowers are generally single in small trumpet shapes coloured Red, orange and yellow.
The plants will trail or spread over a distance during the summer and can be used for climbing or to trail over a wall.
After the first frost plants turn into a mush but the tripod seeds can be collected or left as wild creature food.
Nasturtiums flower in summer/autumn. Plants grow in mounds unless supported as climbers.

Cultivation Tips for Nasturtiums

Grow from seed which are oval, pea sized capsules. The seed size makes them easy to handle and suitable for children to plant.
Plant direct into the ground where you want the plants to flower.
Nasturtiums produce 3 seeds per flower and self sow for next year. The spare seeds are eaten or rot<./li>
Poor soil will encourage more nasturtium flowers. Rich soil encourages leafy growth.
Do not bother fertilizing Nasturtiums
Ideal for bedding, borders, tubs and containers.
Flowers can be cut for unusual floral decorations.

Special Growing Tips for Nasturtiums

Black fly, cabbage white butterfly and slugs appreciate a meal of Nasturtiums but do not let that put you off growing them.
Flowers seeds and leaves are all edible and enhance a salad.
Nasturtiums protect other plants from insects – or more likely act as the host for the insects
You can trail your nasturtiums off a balcony by growing them in pots. Provide plenty of water.

Varieties, Species and Types of Nasturtiums

There are 200 species of Tropaeolum but only 3 or 4 in cultivation as flowering Nasturtium being Tropaeolum majus, Tropaeolum peregrinum and Tropaeolum speciosum.
Nasturtium Double Gleam looks double due to the frills on the petals.
There are many varieties of Nasturtium sold by seed merchants in single colours or mixtures.
Nasturtium ‘Banana Split’ Tropaeolum minus, is an eye-catching nasturtium with golden-petalled flowers that fade to lemon as the season progresses
Tropaeolum speciosum the Flame Nasturtium, Flame Flower, Flame Creeper is a hardy perennial with spurred blooms in bright red throughout summer followed by spherical blue fruits set against a backdrop of attractive dark green foliage.

Horticulture Sources and Advice

True Nasturtium plants are water cress, garden cress and mustard with a peppery, pungent flavor. They should not be confused with flowering nasturtiums which are from the genus Tropaeolum.
You can often obtain seeds or plants from our mail order company of choice Thompson & Morgan
More tips on growing Nasturtiums
More Intensly coloured Nasturtiums

Gardening with Dummies

August 27, 2015 hortoris

Gardeners Tips for Dummies are contained in the above book.

Other Dummies to Consider

If your veg crop fails, buy some dummies from the local greengrocer.
Do not be upset if your dummy is not working in the garden today.
Slugs and pests are seldom dummies, they are always live.
Babies dummies sometimes benefit from a bit of sugar – so too can your Tomatoes and Carrots prior to eating.
Do not throw your dummy out with the rain butt water.

This is just a dummy post – a garden post

Growing Veg in Winter for Spring Crops

August 26, 2015 hortoris

Sowing and planting vegetable in Autumn will ensure produce can be harvested from next April in mild districts. Over wintered crops avoid the problems of insect and pest damage suffered by spring sown crops but beware of mice when planting seeds.

Winter Vegetables to Grow

Broad Beans can be sown in October or November. Most varieties should be hardy though I would select The Sutton which grows 2′ tall or Aquadulce Claudia.
Peas of round seeded varieties such as Felthams First, Pilot or Douce Provence are suitable for autumn sowing.
Mange-Tout should overwinter if you grow Oregon Sugar Pod.
Garlic and Shallots are best planted in November.
Carrots of the Nantes type such as Adelaide or Nantucket will mature in June if overwintered.
Winter greens can often be bought as young plants for putting out in your veg plot.

Growing Tips for Winter Vegetables

Protection is the name of the game if you want to boost crop yields.
- In wet regions use cloches to protect seedlings.
- Sow some seed in modules in a cold greenhouse for planting out in March to get an early crop.
- Cover with fleece in really cold weather.
- Shelter for strong winds where practical.
Great Preparation will help winter crops
- Plan to get all your crops started before December by which time the soil will be too cold for sowing or planting out.
- Good drainage will help so I useÂ raised beds.
- Place crops to benefit from winter sunshine.

The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year-round Vegetable Production Using Deep-organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses.Â Eliot Colman helps the Home Farmer (and the keen gardener) extend their growing season to cover Â winter Â as his techniques can easily be adapted.

Carbon Neutral Garden

August 25, 2015 hortoris

They are not making ‘Carbon’ anymore nor is carbon ever totally destroyed. Carbon is one of natures greatest recycling projects. Carbon is present in gaseous form like Methane(CH4), Carbon dioxide(CO2) and Carbon monoxide(CO). Carbon is also dissolved in water particularly the oceans but is naturally present most notably as a solid in rocks such as limestone, minerals like oil and coal plus trees and plant matter.

Do you think about the carbon cycle?

Is your garden carbon neutral?

Are you offsetting your own carbon emissions?

Environmental Benefits of Planting Trees

Common Sense Carbon Neutral

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Growing Citrus – Oranges, Lemons, and Others

August 24, 2015 hortoris

Glasshouse gardeners and those with large conservatories may be tempted to grow citrus trees. This book by Martin Page contains well written, instructive comments. Due to an American influence on the varieties chosen it is worth doing more research for UK purchases before plunging.

Don’t expect a crop of sweet juicy fruit in normal UK conditions.

It is noaccident that oranges grapefruit and other citrus come from Florida, North Africa and hot fertile climates

‘Growing Citrus’ is alsoÂ available as an ebook.

A more general text may suit casual growers of fruit. The book below contains interesting ideas on 50 different fruit crops.

Calendula Pot Marigold Collecting Seeds

August 23, 2015 hortoris

Calendula have lasted well all summer and there are still come bright yellow flowers in my garden despite last nights frost.

Collect Seed

I collect the seeds from the flowerheads when the curved seeds become brown. Otherwise the plants self sow and you get plants where you do not need them.
If they do self sow and germinate, as they are likely to do, you can transplant them in late spring.
The seeds dry quickly and are easy to find, collect and store.
On each head there are about 12-20 seeds.
Sow between March and MayÂ Â½ inch deep, outdoors in drillsÂ 12-18 inches apart, in soil which has been raked to a fine tilth.
After sowing, keep well watered until seedlings appear.

Calendula Tips

English Marigold, Marigold, orÂ Pot Marigold are common names for Calendula Officinalis Nana.
They are available a striking combination of Â double yellow, lemon, apricot and orange flowers, borne onÂ compact, basal branching, bushy plants.
For organic gardeners this makes an ideal companion plant keeping flies away from other crops..
Flower petals and leaves can be used in salads to add a tangy flavour.
If you can’t collect your own seeds are available from Thompson Morgan