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Category: Gardening

General gardening tips and hints

Quick Tips For Lawns and Grass

Quick Tips For Lawns and Grass

Pointers for Greener Grass on new and established Lawns

If you want a nice new green sward or are content to allow flowers in a natural setting consider these quick tips to help you. Set your expectations and match your actions to the plan for best results.

  • For an economic new lawn use seed but put turf around the perimeter so you can cut a neat edge
  • Seed should be chosen for the type of lawn you want fine grass is no use for lots of family games
  • Keep paving or edging stone lower than the grass so you can mow up to the edge
  • A cheap lawn spreader or seeder can be made out of a jar or tin can with holes in the lid
  • Water with Epsom salts to get rid of toadstools and fairy rings

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Easy to Grow Aloe Vera Plants

Easy to Grow Aloe Vera Plants

Aloe Vera
There are around 200 African and 300-400 other species in the genus of Aloe flowering succulent plants. The best known and easiest to grow is Aloe vera, or “true aloe”. In the UK it is not frost hardy and is most frequently grown indoors.

Easy Growing Tips

  • Aloe vera are succulent plants made up from 90% water and hold the water for long periods.
  • Aloe vera stores food, liquid and nutrients in its leaves to compensate for days when it does not have access to water.
  • The leaves are thick to protect Aloe vera from drying out.
  • Aloe vera plants have strong photosynthetic properties and will need more exposure to sunlight than regular plants.
  • In winter they do not need much water as they will grow much slower due to low light conditions.
  • Aloe grow small plantlets as offsets to increase your stock. Also a young spikey stem will root quite easily to grow more plants to pass on to others.

Aloe Vera Indoor Plants

  • There are several uses for the Aloe sap but do not crop a young plant too often.
  • Aloe variegata have a better leaf form with a triangular V section
  • Aloe brevifolia forms a large rosette of leaves in little colonies of small plants
  • Some aloe flower indoors but their shape and form is the main reason for their cultivation.
  • Over watering can cause the thin roots to rot.

Photo Credits

Aloe Vera by Powerhouse Museum CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Aloë Vera by Rutger Middendorp CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Aloë Vera

This Aloe vera plant has been grow in a mixed medium of gell to make a welcome novelty gift.

Spare a Thought for Hedgehogs

Spare a Thought for Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus are good for gardens, eating through a large volume of slugs. They deserve some help to preserve hedgehog family life otherwise they will fall into further decline. However they are not domestic pets and like to be able to roam in several gardens each night.

Book Cover

Hedgehog Diet

  • Beetles 28% are a major part of hedgehog food
  • Caterpillars and beetles make up more than half of the food they eat
  • Earthworms are about 17% of the average hedgehog diet
  • Other items in smaller quantities include slugs, snails, birds eggs, millipedes, earwigs, and even birds or small mammals dead or alive.

Heaven For Hedgehogs
Make your garden Hedgehog friendly with a wild area from piles of leaves and twigs to be used for shelter.
Keep ponds topped up and ensure Hedgehogs can climb in  or fall.
A specially made hedgehog home (eg.from a box on its side) would include nesting facility in summer and a space to hibernate in winter.
Hedgehogs need to be able to travel in and out of the garden (even if that means they risk crossing roads).
Meat based pet food and fresh water in summer are a help to a hedgehog family.

Safety For Hedgehogs
Slug pellets containing metahaldide can kill. Avoid pesticides.
Bonfires should be checked for hedgehog nests before burning
Take extra care using strimmers on rough brash.
Keep netting at least 12″ above ground so hedgehogs can get under without getting trapped.
Look out for hedgehogs when turning or forking a compost pile.

 

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society is organising Hedgehog Awareness Week which this year runs from 5th 11th May 2013.

Control of Pests on Apples & Pears

Control of Pests on Apples & Pears

‘Understand the pest and you are part way to controlling the problem.’

Brown Rot
This rot is often associated with storage when a fungus permeates the fruit. Fruit on the tree can be mummified and this prolongs the life of the fungus. There are no effective organic sprays so rely on good cultural management. Take care picking and storing fruit.

The rot starts through wounds caused by birds, wasps and scab. At blossom time the fungus causes wilt and shoots to shrivel. Remove all rotting fruit and bury rather than compost. Prune and burn branches killed by wilt.

 

Aphids
Of the many species the green or rosy apple aphids and the woolly aphids plus the pear-bedstraw aphid can be very troublesome. Aphids mate in Autumn leaving eggs to over winter on spurs crevices and tips. Heavily infested shoot tips and flower cluster should be cut out and destroyed. Encourage beneficial insects like earwigs and ladybirds. …

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Causes & Cures for Bitter Pit on Apples

Causes & Cures for Bitter Pit on Apples

DSC_0125.jpg Gascoigne's Scarlet.

Brown spots in the flesh of your apples is a sure sign of Bitter Pit. Along with dark depressions in the skin, brown sports dotted throughout the flesh is typical of bitter pit on your apple trees.
Bitter pit is a disorder not an infection or infestation.
Unfortunately the flesh of badly affected apple trees will also taste rather bitter

What Cause Bitter Pit on Apples

  • The disorder is usually brought about by a calcium deficiency.
  • Another potential cause is a susceptibility of the variety.
  • An erratic supply of water will also encourage the disorder.
  • Young trees that are putting on a lot of growth are also rather susceptible.
  • Early picking can cause bitter pit to develop during storage.
  • Dry conditions can reduce the calcium uptake even if it is present
  • Vigorous trees with copious leaf area need more calcium. Bramley’s Seedling and Newton Wonder are large fruiting cookers that are prone to the problem.
  • Trees without adequate Calcium will rob fruit of the calcium to sustain other parts of the tree.

How do you Cure Bitter Pit on Apples

    • Spray the developing fruit with Chempak Calcium mulit-action
    • Foliar sprays of calcium nitrate or Calcium chloride solution can be applied from mid-June to mid-September
    • Make sure your trees are mulched and well watered.
    • Some varieties such as Bramley Seedling and Gascoigne’s Scarlet are more prone than others. Check what grows well in your area and try plant those varieties, Gala is said to be free of the problem.
    • Prevention is the best cure using good cultivation practices.
    • Install irrigation to give tree roots access to moisture and natural calcium.
    • Add lime or chalk to the ground then rake and water in.
    • Do not store apples showing signs of bitter pit. Rather eat or cook with them asap.

Has your Granny Smith got black spots or is your Golden Delicious not totally golden then you may have bitter pit. This is not a fungal or insect borne disease but a chemical imbalance. Bitter Pit is a problem with the fruit on Apple trees caused by a shortage of Calcium. The fruit have dark, sunken spots on the surface, browning flesh and a slightly bitter taste. The problem can continue or start developing after harvest so inspect stored apples. Cork spot and Jonathan spot are similar to Bitter pit in that damage to tissue occurs mostly on the surface and just below. Although apples affected with these disorders are still edible they are unattractive in appearance.

Read about other Apple problems and control


Credits
DSC_0125.jpg Gascoigne’s Scarlet. by northdevonfarmer CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ‘Gascoign’s Scarlet. These apples always seem to be affected by bitter pit here.’

Plant Pots Tips

Plant Pots Tips

Pots for mini Hosta
‘Plant pot for dwarf Hostas to keep slugs at bay.’

Pots and Weather

  • Use clay feet to keep pots off the ground so they do not get frozen causing the bottom fall out.
  • To protect root balls in pots you can wrap them in bubble wrap or several layers of hessian.
  • Use frost proof pots if they are to stay outside through winter.
  • Use a saucer, dish or tray to catch excess water. This saves good fertilized water from running away.
  • Do not put pots in windy spots. Tall plants will blow over quite easily as the wind acts like a lever and fulcrum.

Watering and Feeding

  • Peat is hard to re-wet so use a wetting agent or add moisture retaining granules.
  • I add granular feed to compost if the plant is to remain potted for more than 3 months. They also need a liquid feed when plants are in growth.
  • Use John Innes No 3 for fruit trees grown in pots and other robust shrubs etc.

Broken pots

Pests and Problems

  • Lily beetle can be stopped by picking off the red adults and squashing them. Use an insecticide as eggs will be in the compost and a new generation will arrive next spring.
  • Insects that sting can be a problem on pot plants near your outdoor seating. If you suffer avoid being too close to lilies that attract most insects.
  • Read about getting Potbound
  • Vine weavill can’t swim. Keep compost wet or construct a moat by using a tray or saucer.
  • Slugs can climb up pots. Put a copper ring or Vaseline around the pot top.
  • Steralise pots with Jeyes fluid after they have been used but before they are put away or replanted.

General Pot Tips

  • Crock the bottom of the pot with bit of broken terracotta pot to help drainage.
  • Terracotta pots dry out quicker particularly in sun or windy sites.
  • Anchor valuable pots if they are likely to be stolen.
  • Freshen up the top soil in the pot with John Innes if the plants are heavy feeders.
  • Groups of pots or large individual pots look more attractive than a clutch of smaller plastic pots.

Fucshia pot

Tips to Avoid Mildew

Tips to Avoid Mildew

White dusty fungus on your plant leaves may be Mildew. Each species is susceptible to it’s own Mildew and either powdery or downy mildew it is still a pain.
Some plants suffer more than others and with some varieties it is seasonal. Michaelmas Daisies and Phlox seem to suffer late in the year whilst Gooseberries can suffer in spring.
Brassicas, Marrows, Cucumbers, Sweet Peas and even Potatoes can suffer badly.

Tips to Avoid Mildew

  • Buy plants that have been bred to be mildew resistant. This is well worthwhile when selecting roses.
  • Do not let plants get stressed particularly through lack of water. Mulch your roses after a good rain and keep the mulch topped up and give them plenty of water.
  • Allow air to circulate around plants by careful pruning. Mildew thrives in a humid, still atmosphere.
  • Prune out affected parts and do not compost affected leaves. Spray badly affected plants before winter to try stop spores over wintering.
  • Do not over use a nitrogen fertiliser that will encourage sappy growth which is prone to attack.
  • If moderate powdery mildew is present plant-based oils such as neem oil and jojoba oil can be used to reduce or eliminate the infection.
  • Chemical treatment is controlled on edible plants but Rose Clear 3 and Systhane Fungus Fighter are good fungicide products but read the label.

Book Cover

Mildew 2011 update

  • The dry spring and early summer has kept mildew down to a minimum in my garden this year – so far at least.
  • The Flowering Currants and Honesty Lunaria annua are the only plants with signs of mildew and they are not worth treating with chemicals.
  • Since mildew is plant specific I do not worry about composting old leaves.

 

Read Gardener’s Mildew Cures

Growing Phlomis Varieties

Growing Phlomis Varieties

Phlomis are small shrubs for a warm sunny border. The unusual flower stems and Mediterranean style silver leaves make this a feature plant. They often grow 3-4′ high but there are many varieties that may differ in height.

Varieties of Phlomis

  • Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ above is one of the readily available shrubby varieties. The square stems and whorls of yellow flowers are quite striking. It  probably originated from a seed from Phlomis russeliana.
  • Jerusalem Sage or Phlomis fruticosa may be damaged by late frosts but wait until the end of May to trim off affected shoots. Trim annually to avoid a leggy base.
  • Phlomis tuberosa flowers from May with pink too purple flowers in whorls.
  • Other Phlomis that may survive our winters include, Phlomis samia, Phlomis orientalis, Phlomis longifolium and Phlomis italica,
  • Phlomis tuberosa is a hardy perennial with long flowering rich, ruby red stems flanked in whorls of lipped, candypink flowers. Deep green foliage and serated edges gives the perfect contrast.

Hols spain 181

Growing Tips for Phlomis

  • Excellent drought tolerant herbaceous or shrubby perennials.
  • They often have felted or hairy grey leaves.
  • All varieties have many flowers arranged in whorls up the stems
  • Seedheads form pepper pots with 4 seeds from every flower.
  • Grow from seed sown in February to June or September to October – germination may take upto 4 months.
  • Phlomis can also be propagated easily by division.
  • Grow from cuttings taken between June and August. Remove flower buds and trim below a node.
  • Seedheads last through winter, providing bird food and interesting winter shapes
  • Phlomis appreciate well-drained soil and sunny spot and are often found wild around the Mediterranean.
  • Phlomis are quite hardy in the UK

Uses of Phlomis

  • Phlomis Russeliana can make good ground cover
  • Yellow Phlomis mix well with blue geraniums
  • Phlomis tuberosa growns 4 feet tall as does the shrub like fructcosa.
  • Phlomis chrysophylla has soft woody growth to make a good shrub. Prune out old wood by one third to make them bushy

I grew my Phlomis from seed collected from a public garden in Shrewsbury but you can buy yours from Thompson Morgan

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How to Attract Butterflies into your Garden

How to Attract Butterflies into your Garden

Butterfly GardenCreate a paradise for butterfly and you will benefit from colour twice over. A garden full of eye and butterfly catching, fragrant flowers from spring to autumn can be achieved by selecting some of the following plants.

Butterfly feed on nectar and need this energy giving resource. They also need water from moist soil to which you could add a sprinkling of salt or grow a plant that catches water between its leave like Teasel. Their eggs need food so plant some Cow Parsley, Nettles and Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Butterfly Attracting Flowers

  • Lily of the valley – convallaria
  • Rock Cress – Arabis
  • Sweet Violets – viola odorata
  • Shasta daisy and Coreopsis in summer
  • Buddleia the butterfly bush in white pink or lilac or even Lilac it’s self
  • Dahlia, Cosmos and marigold for their long flowering season
  • Petunia, Verbena and fibrous Begonia
  • Delphinium, Aster and Day Lily

Feeding Time
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Dangerous and Harmful Garden Plants

Dangerous and Harmful Garden Plants

This is not an exclusive list so always take care.
Castor oil plant in August

Hazardous and Dangerous Plants

Not everything in the garden is lovely when it can poison or injure the unsuspecting. The extremely hazardous Poison Ivy and Poison oak related to the Rhus family (Diversiloba, radicans, vernix, succedanea, toxicarium and veniciflua) should be avoided at all cost. Other highly harmful plants are listed below and the effects of eating roots berries or leaves can be serious. Many cause allergies and irritations that also need avoiding.

Tips on Dangerous Plants

  • Don’t let children eat seeds and plants from the garden unless supervised.
  • If you wish to see these types of plant take a trip to the Poison Garden at Alnwick which also includes strychnine opium and cocaine plants under a special Home Office license.

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