May 2007 - Mild Weather Magic
by Bob Johnson
May - and things in the garden are really growing now, especially with the mild weather we have been having. gardencentreonline.com monthly gardening article by professional gardener, Bob Johnson. Gardening in the Cotswolds for the rich and famous for the last 15 years.
Lawns If you applied a weed and fed last month then you should really notice a difference by now. The grass should look greener and the weeds should be dying. If you used one with a moss killer in it then the moss should also be dying. Don't worry if you didn't get a chance to do it last month as you can still do it, just make sure that it is done when rain is forecast so that it gets washed in. If you have things like snowdrops or crocuses in your lawn they can be mown off now as they will have died back, Daffodils can be cut off later in the month once they have also died back.
Greenhouse As bush Fuchsias grow pinch out the growing tips after 3 sets of leaves have formed. When each of these new shoots have developed 3 sets of leaves, pinch out again as this will produce a nice bushy plant. With trailing types pinch out the leading shoot when it has reached it's desired length, then pinch out the tips of the side shoots when they have 3 sets of leaves.Geraniums can have the tips pinched out occassionally to increase the bushiness of the plant. Tomatoes should be potted up now, into their final pots or grow bags.If you want hanging baskets or pots for your garden now is the time to plant them up, so that when they go out at the end of the month they will have already made some growth and therefore look fuller when they are put in their garden position.
Vegetable Garden Continue to plant your salad crops so that you get a continuous supply. I find that planting short rows of lettuce about 10 days apart will ensure that you have a continuous supply of lettuce all season, with sufficient crop readily on hand which in turn also minimises the chances of wasted crop.Sow french and Runner Beans directly into the seed bed, but if there are late frost then the beans must be covered with horticultural fleece.Sweetcorn is best sown in blocks, with 2 seeds per hole. This ensures that the weakest seedling can be pulled out, leaving the stronger healthier plant in its place.Brussels Sprouts can now be transpalnted into their final place, and you can plant radishes or gem lettuce in between them as they will take time to grow.Earth up potatoes (which is pulling up the soil round the shoots, along the rows of potatoes) when the shoots are 9 inches high to stop the potatoes going green.Harvest spears from established asparagus plants for 6-8 weeks. Do not harvest spears from crowns which are less than 2 years old.
Borders This month is just a case of keeping them tidy really. Continue staking any plants as needed and keep them weeded.If the weather is dry, keep any plants that were put in last month or recently, well watered - preferably in the evening when the sun has gone off them.Remove any suckers from lilac trees.Ensure that you keep an eye on slugs and if needed put down slug pellets, or if you don't like using this chemical option there are now different types of slug traps on the market.Keep Roses sprayed against greenfly - using a commercial greenfly pesticide.
Pruning There isn't much pruning to do this month - it's more to do with maintenance of climber growth and tying inKeep encouraging clematis shoots to grow up their support (trellis or wire) as the continue to grow and climb.Tie in any long shoots on climbing Roses
Birds As there isn't much pruning this month or cutting of hedges this helps the birds because they have built or are inthe process of building their nests now so the least disruption caused by these activities the better. If you are going to cut hedges look and see if you can see any nests inside and if there are any delaying the cutting until the nest is vacated.If you have a bird water bath ensure that it is continually topped up so that the birds can have a wash and a drink - the sun evaporates a lot of it but also the birds have a great time in it - I had 2 starlings in mine the other morning and they were having a wonderful bath and the blue tit perched on the side was getting a free shower!
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Thursday, 12 April 2007
April 2007 - The garden comes to life
April 2007 - The garden comes to life
by Bob Johnson
April - already and things are really growing now, the weather is warming up again.
gardencentreonline.com monthly gardening article by professional gardener, Bob Johnson. Gardening in the Cotswolds for the rich and famous for the last 15 years.
Lawns If you want to get rid of any moss or weeds from your lawn, it’s a good time to apply a weed and feed that includes a moss killer. You do have to make sure that rain is forcast in a day or two if using a dry feed . If you want to repair any areas of lawn you will have to either avoid these areas or you will not be able to make your repairs for six months.
Greenhouse Your Geraniums and Fuchias should be growing now so start to give them a feed once a week to give them a good boost. If you like Dahalias you can either start them of in the greenhouse in boxes or deep trays covering them with compost and watering, or plant them directly into the ground at the end of the month. The green house ones can be planted out after hardening off about mid May. Plant any summer bedding seeds you want to grow , also pepper and cucumber seeds can be sown. Keep an eye on the heat and ventilate if needed.
Vegetable Garden Now is the time to start sowing your carrots, summer cababages, cauliflower, celery (yuk).You can also start sowing your salad crop - any variety of lettuce - cos, little gem etc - be adventurous!Plant out your onion sets and your second early potatoes, then your main crop potatoes in mid April. You can also sow the next lot of Broad Beans. Brocolli and Beetroot can be sown mid-April.
Borders Start putting plant supports around tall growing perennials like Delphiniums and
Paeonies - you can use canes or purposely manufactured metal plant supports.If you didn't get a chance last month to get new plants in, don't worry because there is still time to get them in this month - always paying attention to the information on the plant labels as to the suitability of the plant to your soil type plus the best position for them - shady, direct sunlight etc.Also hoe between plants to control weeds.Deadhead any daffodils once they have finished flowering
Pruning Lightly prune shrubs which have finished flowering.On old Forsythia bushes cut back after flowering to within 2 buds of old growth or if it is a young Forsythia just reduce the shoots to promote a bushy plant.Finish pruning roses and feed with rose fertiliser which should be hoe'd in to the soil surfaceClip summer-flowering heathers at the point, just below last seasons flower - this will promote a nice bushy heather as the new side shoots will make the plant thicker.
Birds If you are fortunate to have larger trees in your garden give some thought to putting up a bird nesting box, whilst still maintaining the feeding regime started in March.
by Bob Johnson
April - already and things are really growing now, the weather is warming up again.
gardencentreonline.com monthly gardening article by professional gardener, Bob Johnson. Gardening in the Cotswolds for the rich and famous for the last 15 years.
Lawns If you want to get rid of any moss or weeds from your lawn, it’s a good time to apply a weed and feed that includes a moss killer. You do have to make sure that rain is forcast in a day or two if using a dry feed . If you want to repair any areas of lawn you will have to either avoid these areas or you will not be able to make your repairs for six months.
Greenhouse Your Geraniums and Fuchias should be growing now so start to give them a feed once a week to give them a good boost. If you like Dahalias you can either start them of in the greenhouse in boxes or deep trays covering them with compost and watering, or plant them directly into the ground at the end of the month. The green house ones can be planted out after hardening off about mid May. Plant any summer bedding seeds you want to grow , also pepper and cucumber seeds can be sown. Keep an eye on the heat and ventilate if needed.
Vegetable Garden Now is the time to start sowing your carrots, summer cababages, cauliflower, celery (yuk).You can also start sowing your salad crop - any variety of lettuce - cos, little gem etc - be adventurous!Plant out your onion sets and your second early potatoes, then your main crop potatoes in mid April. You can also sow the next lot of Broad Beans. Brocolli and Beetroot can be sown mid-April.
Borders Start putting plant supports around tall growing perennials like Delphiniums and
Paeonies - you can use canes or purposely manufactured metal plant supports.If you didn't get a chance last month to get new plants in, don't worry because there is still time to get them in this month - always paying attention to the information on the plant labels as to the suitability of the plant to your soil type plus the best position for them - shady, direct sunlight etc.Also hoe between plants to control weeds.Deadhead any daffodils once they have finished flowering
Pruning Lightly prune shrubs which have finished flowering.On old Forsythia bushes cut back after flowering to within 2 buds of old growth or if it is a young Forsythia just reduce the shoots to promote a bushy plant.Finish pruning roses and feed with rose fertiliser which should be hoe'd in to the soil surfaceClip summer-flowering heathers at the point, just below last seasons flower - this will promote a nice bushy heather as the new side shoots will make the plant thicker.
Birds If you are fortunate to have larger trees in your garden give some thought to putting up a bird nesting box, whilst still maintaining the feeding regime started in March.
Sunday, 4 March 2007
March 2007 - Getting to work on the garden
March 2007 - Getting to work on the garden
by Bob Johnson
March is the month when you can really start to get work done in the garden, although this year some jobs have never really stopped!
gardencentreonline.com monthly gardening article by professional gardener, Bob Johnson. Gardening in the Cotswolds for the rich and famous for the last 15 years.
Lawns This month rake your lawn over with a sturdy metal lawn rake to get rid of any dead thatch and moss. Also now’s a good time to re-cut any damaged edges of your lawn with a half moon. If you’ve got any bare patches on the lawn it's a good time now to reseed them. With the coming of Spring comes milder weather so if the ground is not too wet then you can give your lawn a cut with a high setting on your lawnmower to tidy it up.
Greenhouse If you haven’t planted any sweet peas yet then now is the time to get them in. Any geraniums or fuchsias that have over wintered can also now be pruned with pair of secateurs to remove any dead or damaged growth and generally reduce height to give them a good bushy growth, Give them a little water now until they start to shoot and then water them normally. If you want to feed them it’s best to do this once the new growth has started.Plant tomatoes and cucumber seeds for growing in the greenhouse. Also try some lettuce and rocket in trays for an early crop. On sunny days make sure your greenhouse doesn’t get too hot by opening vents or the door to stop it overheating
Vegetable Garden March is the time to prepare your seed beds by going over them with a hoe or a rake. Brussel sprouts can be sown under cloches or open ground from the end of the month to mid April and now’s the time also to get the first sowing of broad beans in.Sow leeks towards the end of the month, onions sets and shallots can also be planted towards the end of the month. Parsnips and first early potatoes can also go in towards the end of the month. Mulch strawberries and raspberries and feed them.
Borders Plant out herbaceous plants and if needed lift and divide large plants and replace any old plants. Finish planting any trees so that they are in before the weather gets too dry, also any shrubs and fruit bushes should also be planted.
Pruning Prune roses, cutting out dead diseased or weak branches to a nice fat outward facing bud using good quality secateurs. Clematis can also be pruned, a good rule of thumb is to prune all varieties that bloom after June right down to 6 - 12 inches above soil level. If they flower before June leave them alone but if they are out of control prune lightly.
Birds Not really part of gardening but if you put feeders or a bird table out and offer a variety of food (sunflower seeds, mixed bird seed, nuts, soft bill mix, fat balls and dried meal worms to name but a few) the birds that come will benefit the garden and in the winter months our feathered friends need all the help they can get. A bird bath is also a pleasant feature to any garden and gives the birds the essential water that they need, Birds can be fed all year round and our personal feeders attract robins, finches (chaff, gold and green) tits (blue and coal) ring collared doves, blackbirds and wrens - they are a joy to watch and would be an added bonus to any garden as they will help keep the bugs down. If you can attract starlings these would help minimise the population of leatherjackets as this is one of their favourites and leatherjackets can be really destructive to your garden plants and lawns.
by Bob Johnson
March is the month when you can really start to get work done in the garden, although this year some jobs have never really stopped!
gardencentreonline.com monthly gardening article by professional gardener, Bob Johnson. Gardening in the Cotswolds for the rich and famous for the last 15 years.
Lawns This month rake your lawn over with a sturdy metal lawn rake to get rid of any dead thatch and moss. Also now’s a good time to re-cut any damaged edges of your lawn with a half moon. If you’ve got any bare patches on the lawn it's a good time now to reseed them. With the coming of Spring comes milder weather so if the ground is not too wet then you can give your lawn a cut with a high setting on your lawnmower to tidy it up.
Greenhouse If you haven’t planted any sweet peas yet then now is the time to get them in. Any geraniums or fuchsias that have over wintered can also now be pruned with pair of secateurs to remove any dead or damaged growth and generally reduce height to give them a good bushy growth, Give them a little water now until they start to shoot and then water them normally. If you want to feed them it’s best to do this once the new growth has started.Plant tomatoes and cucumber seeds for growing in the greenhouse. Also try some lettuce and rocket in trays for an early crop. On sunny days make sure your greenhouse doesn’t get too hot by opening vents or the door to stop it overheating
Vegetable Garden March is the time to prepare your seed beds by going over them with a hoe or a rake. Brussel sprouts can be sown under cloches or open ground from the end of the month to mid April and now’s the time also to get the first sowing of broad beans in.Sow leeks towards the end of the month, onions sets and shallots can also be planted towards the end of the month. Parsnips and first early potatoes can also go in towards the end of the month. Mulch strawberries and raspberries and feed them.
Borders Plant out herbaceous plants and if needed lift and divide large plants and replace any old plants. Finish planting any trees so that they are in before the weather gets too dry, also any shrubs and fruit bushes should also be planted.
Pruning Prune roses, cutting out dead diseased or weak branches to a nice fat outward facing bud using good quality secateurs. Clematis can also be pruned, a good rule of thumb is to prune all varieties that bloom after June right down to 6 - 12 inches above soil level. If they flower before June leave them alone but if they are out of control prune lightly.
Birds Not really part of gardening but if you put feeders or a bird table out and offer a variety of food (sunflower seeds, mixed bird seed, nuts, soft bill mix, fat balls and dried meal worms to name but a few) the birds that come will benefit the garden and in the winter months our feathered friends need all the help they can get. A bird bath is also a pleasant feature to any garden and gives the birds the essential water that they need, Birds can be fed all year round and our personal feeders attract robins, finches (chaff, gold and green) tits (blue and coal) ring collared doves, blackbirds and wrens - they are a joy to watch and would be an added bonus to any garden as they will help keep the bugs down. If you can attract starlings these would help minimise the population of leatherjackets as this is one of their favourites and leatherjackets can be really destructive to your garden plants and lawns.
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