Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
It's been a little while since I've been able to post but here's a few things that you can be getting on with this weekend in the garden ...

1. Tomatoes  - If you are growing Cordon Varieties of Tomatoes this year then right about now they will be needing a little help. Cordon varieties need to have something to climb up which is where Bamboo canes usually come into use! Simply place them into your Tomatoes final growing pot (making sure not to damage the roots) then tie the plant to the cane using string. It is also recommended that you tie a cane across the top of the canes to provide support for the canes which will be needed once the plants get growing!  

TIP - Make sure you remove any side shoots produced by the plant as soon as they are visible and don't worry if your plants develop curly tops, this is a perfectly normal things for a healthy plant to do!

2. Climbers - On the subject of support, climbing plants will be putting on a lot of fresh growth right now (e.g. Sweet Peas & Clematis) and the young shoots will need tying in. This is also one of the easiest times to do this as the new growth will be fairly flexible.

3. Faded Foliage - Foliage might be looking a little tired on plants such as Pulmonaria and Hellebores, cut back any of the foliage affected which will promote new growth and reduce the risk of disease.

4. Stronger Growth - Encourage stronger bushier growth on bedding plants by pinching out the growing tips. This will delay flowering for a couple of weeks but will prolong the flowering period for the year and the plant will be much bushier!

5. Biennials - In the Greenhouse now is the time to start sowing Biennials, these are plants which will develop vegetative growth in the current year then flower the next. 

These include plants such as Foxgloves & Wallflowers.

6. Hedging - Finally if you are planning on trimming or pruning any hedges this weekend make sure that you check them for any nesting birds first to ensure that you don't disturb them.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with today in the garden ...

1. Tidy up  - If you've got some Heucheras in your garden and they are looking a little worse for wear after the recent months then now is the time to give them a little tidy up! Remove any dead or damaged foliage along with any faded flower stems that are still on the plant.

Heucheras aren't the only plants needing a little tidy up, if you've got any Penstemons growing now is the time to cut the old stems down to the fresh shoots at the bottom. The reason we don't do this after flowering is so that the old stems can help protect the shoots from severe frost in bad weather.

Potted Heuchera

2. Veggies - The soil is starting to warm up so if you'd like to get some veggies sown such as Carrots, Beetroot, Salad Crops, Radishes and Spring Onion then now is the time to get started!

3. Extra Plants - If you go into Garden Centres at this time you should see some pots of Sempervivums for sale, quite a few of them will have more than 1 rosette and each of these can give you an extra plant! I found a pack of 6 for £10 earlier in the week and I've managed to get 30 plants from these 6 pots! All you need to do is remove each rosette and pot on into some gritty compost.

 

 

4. Climbing Plants - Climbing plants such as Clematis and Honeysuckle will be putting on new growth quickly and will need tying in to their supports as soon as possible. 

5. Faded Flowers - Deadhead the faded flowers from Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Camellias but be careful not to damage the newly developing leaves. 

6. Weeds - It's one of the least enjoyable jobs for some people but it is one of the most important! Dig out as many weeds possible now and they will be much more controllable throughout the rest of the year. They soon multiply so it's best to get on top of them!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist & Merry Christmas!

Good Morning!
Even though it's the Festive season there are still little things you can be doing in the garden.
Oh and I know this post is a day late ... let's blame it on the festivities lol

1. Planting - The ground is still warm due to the unseasonal weather so you still have chance to plant or relocate any shrubs, roses, trees and hedges. This is also a good chance to check any plants that are currently needing support if you are experiencing windy weather too!

2. Winter Pruning - If your looking for a few jobs to do this side of Christmas then giving your Acers, Birches and Vines a prune is a good thing to do! Pruning will allow you to to create shape and get rid of any dead bits.

3. Summer Flowering Bulbs  - I know that Summer is the last thing on everyone's minds with Christmas in just a few days, but why not start deciding which Summer flowering bulbs
(such as Dahlia's and Gladioli) that you'd like next year whilst the widest choice is available. 

Also if you haven't done so already, order next years seeds!
The sowing season will soon be upon us!

Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait' from my garden in 2014

4. Lawns - Keep off your lawns in frost and wet weather as walking over the grass can damage the grass and result in unsightly patches.

5. Greenhouse - With the extremely mild weather, Botrytis (Grey Mould) can be more of a problem undercover in GH's that have insulation as ventilation isn't as good as when your GH isn't insulated. Make sure you check your plants daily, I have been finding newly affected plant material each time I take a look and remove any of the diseased material straight away. When watering make sure you do it sparingly and try not to catch any of the plants foliage to limit infection.

6. Climbing Plants - Plants such as Ivy, Virginia Creeper and other climbers that are growing on houses can have a little trim if they are approaching windows and guttering. Also check that Climbers elsewhere in the garden are tied into their supports.

7. Autumn / Winter Bedding - Check over any bedding that you have for signs that it is past it's best. Most of my Viola's were looking tired and had caught Black Spot this week so it was time to transfer them to the compost bin! Replace any tired plants with fresh bedding or winter flowering shrubs ... a perfect excuse for a trip to the garden centre! 

As mentioned in my last checklist Primroses can be instantly cheered up by removing fading / discoloured leaves and dead - heading. 

8. Clean Up - Finally if you don't have any of these jobs above to do, keep up with clearing any fallen leaves on lawns and ponds to reduce the spread of disease and give any dirty pots and trays a good clean, it's not the most exciting job but when it comes to sowing seeds and potting on next year good plant hygiene is a must for successful growing!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
For as long as you keep reading I shall be back with the Checklist & Problem Area posts next year along with some more snaps of my Garden, Plants and other Gardening topics next year ... 

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX