Trace Elements and Garden Chemicals

Trace Elements and Garden Chemicals

The main trace elements and micronutrients are molybdenum, manganese, zinc, iron, boron and copper plus calcium for tomatoes. These elements are best provided as water-soluble chelate salts rather than granules.

 Interesting Facts about Seaweed

  • In addition to the trace elements there are another 60 or so chemicals in seaweed.
  • Seaweed extract is a concentrated elixir to use as a foliar feed or root stimulant.
  • Seaweed is a organic fertiliser containing bio stimulants and iodine
  • Over time seaweed acidifies and slowly adds iron to the soil.
  • Seaweed in is already added to Doff tomato feed
  • Gardeners near the coast have used seaweed as a soil improver for centuries.
  • Seaweed contains plant hormones called cytokinins, mannitol and auxins.

Turning Flowers Blue

  • The litmus test for plant colourants is generally can they turn flowers from pink or red to a pleasing blue.
  • Hydrangea plants will be blue in acidic soil and pink or red in neutral or alkaline soil.
  • Colourant with aluminium and iron salts turns pale pink florets pale blue and red flowers purplish.
  • Soil acidifiers help make micronutients available
  • Fertilizers containing phosphate salts that typically convert  metal ions into insoluble solids  are of no nutritional value to the plants. A chelating agent that keeps these metal ions in a soluble form.

Other Garden Chemicals

  • Lime is used to increase the ph in the soil to help vegetable crops.
  • Sequestrine plant tonic is a soluble tonic for acid-loving ericaceous plants
  • Baby bio indoor fertiliser liquid has an organic content including  uric nitrogen.
  • Growth and root promoting hormones are now far more frequently found in a gardeners dispensary.
  • Bio- stimulants and flowering enhancers are used in commercial nurseries for plants sold through garden centers and supermarkets.

 

 

 

Alstroemeria Interesting Facts AKA Peruvian Lily

Alstroemeria Interesting Facts AKA Peruvian Lily

Alstroemeria are a herbaceous perennial with mid-green, lance-shaped leaves and terminal clusters. Petals often have distinctive markings. They originate from Peru, Brazil and mainly Chile which also earned them the name ‘Lily of the Incas’

Interesting facts about Alstroemeria

  • They are well known as a cut flower due to the bright colours and long vase life often of over 2 weeks.
  • When picking the flowers do not cut the stems but pull them vertically with a bit of white subsoil stem. This encourages more flowers through the year.
  • Species and varieties can vary from 12 inches high to 6 feet tall.
  • After extensive breeding there are many new varieties in colour, petal shape and style.
  • The genus has 50 species of tuberous rooted perennials only a few of which are hardy in the UK
  • Sap from the foliage may cause skin irritation
  • Grown in a large deep pot the plants bulk up successfully providing a good display and flowers for the house.

Alstromeria

Alstromeria are available from Thompson & Morgan  

Favourite Liquid Fertilisers

Favourite Liquid Fertilisers

We all have favourites and when it comes to fertiliser the liquid variety are mine. If the soil is in good heart then simple water is probably as good as anything for disolving nutrients and tranfering them to your plants. However some plants need more help from extra or special fertilisers.

Background on Fertilisers

Most fertilisers are based on the three major plant nutrients:
Nitrogen (N): For green leafy growth
Phosphorus (P): For healthy root and shoot growth
Potassium (K): For flowering, fruiting and general hardiness (RHS advice)

General multi purpose feed 3.5 – 3.5 – 3.5 dilute 20ml in one gallon of water. …

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Succulents for the Outdoor Garden

Succulents for the Outdoor Garden

Succulent Excellence

Succulents demonstrate the ability to adapt and survive in the harshest of environments. They are well known for growing in dry inhospitable locations such as desert areas.  As shown in the range of families in this plant group there is an astonishing variety of size, shape, form  and colour to be found.

Book Cover

‘Succulents for the Contemporary Garden’ is focused on the use of succulents in the garden rather than indoor cultivation. It ignores spiky cacti but covers many varieties of herbaceous Euphorbias.

The book contains many excellent photographs of old favorites along with a range of less-common plants with their striking forms and unusual colors.

Mesembryanthemum, Lithops and Conophytum are depicted but, according to succulent grower Terry Smale, it is an error to have ignored shrubby genera such as Ruschia.

Some Succulent Families

  • Agavaceae
  • Aponcynaceae
  • Asclepiadaceae
  • Bromeliaceae
  • Crassulaceae
  • Euphorbiaceae
  • Liliaceae
  • Mesembryanthemaceae
  • Purtulacaceae
  • Plus some from families Sumacs, Aster, Begonia, Morning glory, Gourds, Cycadales, Orchids, Peperomiaceae even vines.

 

 

Artistic Gardeners Meadow Vista

Artistic Gardeners Meadow Vista

fritilliaria

Fritillary, Buttercups, Bluebells, Tulips and Narcissus all in the same shot, what more could you ask.

Well the star of this show is probably the grass. The grass is understated and not throttling the flowers. The sunshine is highlighting a grassy area near where the photographer has chosen to stand. The grass stops the mixture of colours and shapes from fighting one another bringing some harmony.

Artistic Comment

The photographer has found  a relatively low position to capture the flowers at the front of the photo. The dark trees provide a suitable back drop and contrast. Overall the composition works despite the complexity and variety of the flora. The depth of field allows enough focus highlighting the tulips. The eye of the curious looker is drawn around the image.

The garden designer has composed the image mixing blues, yellows and purples with the spring-fresh greens.The maintenance gardener has enabled the themes to work.

Not quite a meadow more a wild patch created with tlc.

Good Bugs Bad Bugs

Good Bugs Bad Bugs

Bug eyed but not spritely.
Book Cover

During May we featured several common garden pests and bugs. Now before we leave the subject a few more comments.

You can get more by experience or via a book, magazine and further online info sites. eg cut-flower insects and mites

Experience of Bugs
Book Cover

  • If you garden for any length of time or even like to have a bunch of flowers in the house you will be bugged at some stage.
  • Stressed plants can be susceptible to aphids. you should see my lupins after a water shortage.
  • Insects at all stages of their life feed on something and they are likely to affect some of your plants. You should see my stripped French Marigolds at the moment. They were only planted in the greenhouse to keep the white fly off the tomato plants!
  • Slugs and snails and puppy dog tails or at least 2 out of the three will chomp through unprotected plants. My rhubarb has even succumbed this year to holey leaf, still we can’t eat that bit of the plants.
  • Sgt Pepper is the only beatle number I want in my garden not Colorado Beetle or Cucumber Beetle. So far so good but that is tempting fate.
  • My first early potatoes will be picked next week and I hope to have escaped cutworm, wireworm,  tuberworms  flea beetles and sundry maggots. Again tempting fate.

Good Bug

  • Some may think the only good bug is a squashed bug I beg to differ.
  • All gods creature have a place in the choir- some sing loud some sing higher …………
  • Ladybirds other than harlequin ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis) are known for eating aphids so I know which I want in the garden.
Red Acer Shrubs

Red Acer Shrubs

Problems with Red Acers

  • Red leafed plants contain less Chlorophyll, the green pigment that’s instrumental in photosynthesis. These shrubs have less substance in the leaf which can be thin and papery.
  • The leaves are prone to wind damage and will turn brown on the edges quite easily. This wind burn or desiccation is unsightly and can be quite damaging.
  • Thin twigs without leaves are dead and need to be pruned out
  • Acers grow extremely slowly.
  • Some Acers have young green leaves that change over time and only turn deep reddish-purple in summer and scarlet in autumn.

Environment for Acers

  • Acers are hardy but avoid windy areas and frost pockets. Shelter from late frosts.
  • Acers prefer sheltered, sunny or partial shade.
  • Some varieties of Japanese maples are OK in a large plant pot.
  • Soil needs to be neutral or slightly acidic.
  • Grow in moist but well-drained soil.
  • Keep away from bright sunlight.

Red Acer Varieties

    • Lower growing palmatum cultivars work well in mixed plantings
    • Red Pygmy grow best in moist but well-drained soil, away from bright sunlight
    • Amagi shigure is also called Purple Passion.
    • Try  Acer Palmatum Katura or Acer Palmatum Little Princess
    • Acer Palmatum Shishi-gashira is a small red  Japanese maple.

Studley Royal Water Garden

Studley Royal Water Garden

Fountain Abbey

In the Georgian period of the 1700’s John Aislabie set about landscaping a water garden at Studley Royal near Ripon. Today it is a verdant green garden with ornamental lakes, cascades and vistas to take the breath away. There are temples, follies, St Marys church and several buildings within this World Heritage site. Not least of the buildings is the 12th century Fountains Abbey a crucial part of the landscape.

Things to look out for

  • Spring plants include Primroses, Cowslips and Oxlips.
  • Summer plants include Orchids, Pinks, Scabious
  • Autumn and winter interest comes from the tree colours and snowdrops
  • Wild flower meadow on the walk into Ripon
  • Deer in the parkland

Octagon Tower at Fountains Abbey

Environment

  • Soil is limestone and sandstone in a lowland setting.
  • Despite being distant from the East and west coasts the site is only 330 feet above sea level.
  • The site was well chosen by the Cistercian monks 1000 years ago.
  • The first indication of a water garden was the monk’s fish pond that was used to cultivate supper.
  • The land is managed by the National Trust and a team of volunteer gardeners.
Gardening Jobs to Avoid in May

Gardening Jobs to Avoid in May

As soon as the weather warms up there is great temptation to rush into jobs that have previously been deferred. Often there is a good reason for the delay and somethings should not be rushed.

  • Do not trim or refurbish hedges in May. Think of the nesting birds and the unfledged chicks that may be disturbed. It is soon enough to do your pruning later in June when the birds have flown the nest. Your hedges wont suffer except for the odd week of failing to look there best.
  • Another don’t is do not cut off the leaves of Daffodils and other spring bulbs at least until the goodness has gone back into the bulb for next season. The leaves are there to photosynthesize and put sugars and starch into the bulb for next year and over enthusiastic removal will send bulbs blind or into terminal decline.
  • Planting out seedlings too early may kill them off. My runner beans will not go out until June at the earliest. Late plants have a good habit of catching up. Early plants can get a severe ‘check’ to growth by cold, inhospitable weather.
  • Do not pick all the Rhubarb stalks but leave some to regenerate the plant for next year.