Green Fingers...

[red devil]

Some seasonal tips, courtesy of a local garden centre newsletter.

Feel free to add your own tips or anything gardening related...

The days are lengthening and hopefully you have been tempted into the garden, although this strange weather hasn't been conducive to spending time out there very often. At last though, buds are beginning to show colour and green leaves will soon be shooting.

2 key jobs for the month

Protect against late frosts and snow. April can bring very cold temperatures so be ready to protect tender plants and don?t put young seedlings or plug plants out while there is a risk of cold nights.

If you haven't ventured out into the garden yet, pick a warmer day to do a general spring tidy up. This will help you to see how plants have survived the extended winter and to see where there are gaps or areas which need some attention.

Vegetable growing

Growing from seed

April is normally the month to begin seed sowing outside, but only once the temperatures have begun to rise! Carrots, peas, broad beans, lettuce and spinach ? there?s lots that can be sown directly into prepared drills. Always read the instructions on the seed packet. Towards the end of the month, larger seeds such as sweet corn, courgettes, squash and pumpkins, and runner beans can be sown directly outside.

It?s worth warming the soil before sowing or planting, with cloches, sheets of plastic or old carpet. Seeds will germinate more easily in a warm soil.

With tender vegetables, the smaller the seed, the earlier it needs to be sown, so start off aubergines, chilli peppers and tomatoes in April, in seed trays in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.

All tender vegetable seedlings should be hardened off before planting out, and not put outside until the risk of frost has passed.

Potatoes, onions, garlic

Second early and main crop potatoes can be planted this month. Onions, shallots and garlic are all ready to go into the ground during the spring months, ready for a bumper harvest later in the year.

Planting

Bulbs and tubers ? April is normally the time to plant summer flowering bulbs. Lilies, dahlias and gladioli can be planted in containers or directly into the ground. It?s worth having a few pots of lilies, for example, ready to fill a gap in the border later on.

Spring is an ideal time to plant evergreen shrubs and hedges, and to plant herbaceous perennials, shrubs, trees, and climbers. For a reminder of best practice when planting, click here to look at our Planting Instructions on our website.

Fruit

Feed soft fruit bushes and strawberries with a general fertilizer to encourage bumper crops.

Fruit bushes and trees can still be planted, but pinch out flowers and small developing fruit in the first year, so that the plant?s energy goes into building a strong root system.

General maintenance around the garden

Tidy up beds and borders. As a minimum, get rid of weeds which take moisture and nutrients needed by your plants. Dig out perennial weeds, and hoe away young annual weeds before they have a chance to get going.

Or, as I mentioned last month, this is still a good time to apply a good layer of organic mulch such as horse manure or organic compost. This will help to retain moisture around plants, and the nutrients will gradually be pulled down to the roots.

Tie in climbing and rambling roses and other climbers with ties or wire that won?t damage the growing stems. With climbers, tie the long stems as horizontally as possible, which will encourage the plant to produce more flowers.

Place plant supports over and around tall perennials before they need them.

Deadhead daffodils when the flowers have gone over. By doing this, the plant's energy goes into the bulb to form next year?s flower, rather than into producing seeds.

Pruning

Prune late flowering deciduous shrubs such as Hydrangeas and Buddleja if you haven?t done so already ? prune hard back to a leaf shoot or stem.

Prune early flowering Forsythia and Chaenomeles once they have finished flowering.

Lawns

If you haven?t had a chance to prepare the lawn yet, now is the time to do it. Spike compacted areas with an aerator, or a garden fork and apply a fertiliser or top dressing. .

Apply mosskiller if necessary and rake the dead moss out 2 weeks later

Mow the lawn with the blades set high for the first few cuts.

Sow lawn seed on bare patches, and water during dry spells.

Watering pots and containers

Check pots and containers regularly for watering requirements, but don?t be tempted to water already frozen compost.

Garden pests and diseases

Watch out for early insect attacks. Tackling problems early makes it easier to control.

Early infestation of aphids can be squashed by hand if you aren?t too squeamish. Watch out too for Lily beetle, vine weevils and other infestations, remove and dispose of any you see, and treat with an appropriate insecticide.

Look out for blackspot on rose leaves and pick them off ? early removal and control may eliminate the need for fungicide treatment.

Wildlife

People are often worried about feeding the birds as they begin to have young, but as long as you use feeders, it?s fine, and fair, to keep up the feeding routine. Water is really important for birds and other wildlife in the garden, so keep the bird bath or a plant saucer topped up daily.

[uncleglen]

Make sure your tetanus jab is up to date especially if you use horse manure

[red devil]

Yesterday I went and had a look at a couple of localish alternatives to the now defunct ED garden centre, both worth a visit...

West Dulwich... http://www.alleynpark.co.uk/

and North Dulwich... http://www.dulwichpots.co.uk/dulwichpots/dulwich-garden-centre/

Obviously there's Plantnation on Upland Road, but does anyone else have any other local recommendations?...

[Sue]

Shannon's Garden Centre off Stanstead Road in Forest Hill isn't bad.

http://www.shannonsgardencentre.co.uk/

and there's The Secret Garden in Crystal Palace.

http://www.thesecretgardencentre.com/

But if I'm going in the direction of the Purley Way for something else I usually go to Wyevale.

http://www.thegardeningwebsite.co.uk/wyevale-garden-centre-croydon-purley-way-i4929.html

And I've found Crocus excellent for good mail order plants and good customer service.

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/

[david_carnell]

There is an excellent garden centre in Penge too - Alexandra Nurseries - with a nice cafe attached.

Does anyone know where I can get free manure? Does the ED riding school nr Dulwich Pk give the stuff away?

[*Bob*]

Shannons is pretty decent.

Usually get fruit and veg plants online - from Defland Nurseries.

Last year sucked big time on the 'edibles' front though. Apples, crap. Tomatoes, crap. Beans, crap. Bloody nature, eh?

[*Bob*]

Cherries, CRAP

(shakes fist at sky)

[lizbells6]

If you don't mind starting from basics, The Real Seed Company, mail order online, do brilliant veg seeds.

[red devil]

Gooseberries no trouble *Bob*, get the mildew resistant varieties...

[Laddy Muck]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> Does anyone know where I can get free manure? Does

> the ED riding school nr Dulwich Pk give the stuff

> away?

Most of the time it's 50p a (black bin) bag. A bargain! Very occasionally, when they haven't managed to shift the stuff, they do give it away for free. Best to pop in when passing to ascertain the position.

Note, although it's decent material, it's still fairly fresh/raw and I would recommend allowing it to rot for at least a year before using.

Enjoy, DC. Enjoy. And don't forget to take a long, deep sniff...

[Sue]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Last year sucked big time on the 'edibles' front

> though. Apples, crap. Tomatoes, crap. Beans, crap.

> Bloody nature, eh?

xxxxxx

Same here.

I'm not even bothering this year.

Started the f-ing tomatoes from seed in my spare bedroom, nursed them for weeks indoors and out and the whole lot fell at the last fence.

And I got about two beans.

At least I don't have a garden big enough for an apple tree :))

[uncleglen]

Great place where the old Croydon Lido was off Purley Way

[red devil]

Some more seasonal tips, courtesy of a local garden centre newsletter...

Spring is here and with it the promise of months of enjoyment in our gardens. Here is a selection of ideas which will hopefully allow you to enjoy your outside space even more.

My top 2 jobs for the month:

1. The soil has warmed up a bit now and we are all feeling more inclined to get out into the garden. Get planting! This month will be a perfect time to get anything into the ground, from trees to shrubs, fruit trees to strawberries, herbaceous perennials to annual petunias, Mediterranean herbs to hanging baskets, and root vegetables to leafy salads. Whatever the size of your outside space, you will be able to squeeze something in.

2. Start a feeding regime. You can boost plant growth and health tremendously with the right fertilisers, and support them once they finish flowering. I've been asked several times about non performing Camellias, and the problem is invariably that they weren't fed last year. I will start feeding my container grown Camellia this month, through to the end of August, with an ericaceous fertiliser.

General maintenance and planting

Stake and support plants now. If you leave it later than mid May, you will be fighting a losing battle. This is essential for herbaceous plants before they get too tall, or for those, like peonies, that produce heavy blooms.

Continue to tie in shoots on climbers that are growing madly, such as clematis, roses, honeysuckle, jasmine and rhynchospermum. It is particularly important to tie in the shoots of climbing roses as near to horizontal as possible. This suppresses the flow of sap, therefore encouraging the plant to send out more side shoots. More side shoots equals more flowers!

Clematis montana can be pruned after flowering to keep it in check, and to encourage another flush of flowers later.

Plant up troughs, pots and hanging baskets with summer bedding plants. Incorporating water retaining crystals and slow release fertilizer in the compost will help to ensure a continuous display throughout the summer.

Chopping back some perennials in late spring will make bushier plants that flower later on in the season and often flower more prolifically. This technique is known as the ?Chelsea Chop?, because it?s done around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show. To do this, cut or pinch back plants by half. Sedum, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Helenium and Solidago (golden rod) will all respond well to this technique.

Evergreen hedges and topiary can be lightly clipped to keep them neat. Make sure your shears are clean and well oiled before use. Pick an overcast day, or wait until after the sun has set, to avoid leaf scorch.

Keep watering any recently planted shrubs, trees or other plants, even if it has been raining! They won?t have had time to get their roots down yet, so are vulnerable to dehydration. And don?t forget to water your containers regularly too.

Thin out direct sowings of hardy annuals. This is best done in two or three stages at fortnightly intervals.

Sweet peas need training and tying in to their supports to encourage them to climb and make a good display.

Lift clumps of Forget-me-nots once the display starts to fade and before they set too much seed. They can become invasive if left unchecked.

Vegetables

If you haven't got your potatoes in yet, do bury them soon and then check on them regularly and earth up when they need it.

Lots of vegetables can still be sown this month, from quick and easy radish to sweet corn and other later harvesters.

Pot on tomato and other young vegetable plants into larger pots. Begin to harden them off, introducing them to outside weather, but avoiding leaving them out if frost is forecast.

Devise a routine of feeding and weeding your vegetable garden and containers, and water regularly.

Companion planting

Companion planting can really help in the battle against pests, and help with pollination. Many herbs have nectar rich flowers which will attract beneficial insects to the garden. Try planting sage next to cabbage-family plants to repel cabbage-white butterflies, chives next to apples to prevent apple scab, or next to roses to prevent blackspot.

Nasturtiums are one of the plants which will attract black fly away from precious crops.

Carrot fly will start to appear in May. Sow carrots with annual flowers such as Love-in the-mist and Cornflowers in a roughly 50:50 ratio to discourage them.

Lawn maintenance

Continue with your lawn maintenance routine this month, increasing the frequency of cutting as long as the weather allows you to. When using a ?feed and weed? product on your lawn, follow the directions for the amount to use and make sure it has been very well watered in, to avoid risk of scorching.

Garden pests

Protect lily, delphinium, hosta and other susceptible plants from slugs and snails.

Look out for Scarlet Lily Beetle and squish them when you find them.

Encourage natural predators, such as birds, into your garden. Keep feeders topped up, and put up boxes.

Frogs and toads will also eat slugs, and a pond (however small) will encourage these amphibians to take up residence.

Vine weevil larvae can be a serious pest of plants in containers, and become active this month. The adult vine weevil appears more at night and leaves tell-tale notches in leaves. The larvae can cause more damage, by destroying roots under the soil. Tip out the root ball of suspect plants, and inspect for the creamy, orange-headed maggots, which tend to curl up into a ?C? shape. If you find them, take swift action to eradicate them.

Aphids can multiply rapidly during mild spells. Remove early infestations by hand, spray with a mix of washing-up liquid and water, or treat with a pesticide, ensuring that you do this on a still day, late in the evening when fewer beneficial insects are around.

Wildlife

Remember to keep feeding the birds as they begin to nest and raise young. Leave water for them too.

Finally

May is the start of the show season, with Chelsea and the Chelsea Fringe later this month. Another good way to be inspired is to visit open gardens. Dulwich and the surrounding areas have lots of lovely gardens which throw open their gates through the coming months, and often serve tea and scrummy cakes too!

[Annette Curtain]

Now what was the joke that ended with the punchline "Kermit's Fingers"

*scratches head*

[red devil]

Shame on you Netty...oh go on then!

What?s green, slimy and smells like Miss Piggy?

ETA..Switch of italics

[Annette Curtain]

Slimy!

Ew...

[red devil]

Just remembered there's a localish garden centre in Herne Hill.

According to their website they have a standard delivery charge of ?5, which is good value for non-car users.. http://croxtedroadgardencentre.co.uk/

[Sue]

uncleglen Wrote:

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> Great place where the old Croydon Lido was off

> Purley Way

xxxxxx

That's the Wyevale's I mentioned above.

They do usually have a very good selection of bedding plants for windowboxes, hanging baskets etc..

[stacey-lyn]

We still enjoy our trips to Columbia Rd. and always come back with some weird & wonderful plants & bits 'n' bobs.