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Gardening Tips for February 2012

Garden pests
Start the New Year off by not letting garden pests and diseases get you down.
Many pests can survive over winter and lay eggs, these eggs may stick on the stems of plants to hatch out later so pruning now might help remove them.

By checking your plants now and dealing with the problems as they occur, you can help prevent them from getting out of control.
If your fruit trees have had a lot of problems with pests and diseases it’s worth spraying them with tar oil winter wash over the trunk and branches. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully and make sure not to spray on a windy day

Roses
Do not prune roses until next month, as it may encourage new growth and frost will burn the new cuts. On the other hand now is an ideal time for planting new roses, but do not plant roses where they have been growing before and you will avoid Replant disorder.

Containers
Keep picking off the dead heads from winter flowering pansies and primroses to keep them looking attractive. Change any plants such as Cyclamen which have been damaged in the winter months, plants such as Primrose and potted bulbs are very good for filling in the gaps.

Ponds
Garden Ponds are best left alone at this time of year as the frogs and other creatures are hibernating, and should not be disturbed.

In freezing conditions, float a tennis ball on the surface to keep the surface from freezing over completely. Never clear a frozen pond by breaking the ice, you can melt a hole by holding a pan of hot water on the ice.

Cordyline
Tie up Cordyline leaves to enclose and protect the centre. When snow or frost is likely, cover with fleece. Last year’s winter weather damaged a lot of Cordylines. Snow will spread the leaves apart, allowing the frost to enter the plants centre and kill a lot of plants. If there is a heavy snowfall, remove snow from trees and shrubs to prevent damage to branches.

It is a good time to start off the slower-growing half-hardy annuals and perennials. Pelargonium, Begonia can be easy to grow from seed if you have a warm windowsill or some heat in a glasshouse. Some seed may take two to three weeks to germinate, which will bring you into March and the days will be getting longer.

Sow seeds of Broad Beans and Sweet Peas in a cold greenhouse or outdoors in a cold frame with some protection.

Prune Acer and Birch trees now, while they are still dormant. This will avoid the danger of ‘bleeding’ (excessive sap loss) if they are pruned in spring when sap is rising, best to wait until all leaves have fallen

Winter Gardening Tips

Drain the fuel tank of the lawn mower before putting the machine away for the winter.

If your pond freezes frogs can be deprived of oxygen. Floating a small ball in it will keep a small area clear.

Clean away any fallen leaves, if left to rot on the ground, fallen leaves and fruits are great breeding homes for overwintering pests and diseases. Take the time to rake them up and you’ll not only lessen that risk, but you’ll also have some very good composting material.

Plants grow very slowly in winter and use a lot less water than in summer. Those outdoor pots you could barely keep moist in summer may now be thoroughly waterlogged. Check them and if necessary move them up on bricks or small timber blocks to allow them to drain properly.
If that doesn’t work move them to a sunnier or more sheltered position.

Container grown plants are more at risk from frost damage than plants growing in the border. Protect plants by wrapping the pots with a layer of insulation.

Protect your fruit trees from winter moth grubs by applying a grease band to your trees now to stop an infestation next year.

Free-standing fruit trees should be pruned now. Remove dead, dying and diseased branches, as well as branches that are crossing over each other.

Deciduous trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted.

Be on the lookout for any pests on plants over the winter. Small infestations of whitefly, red spider mite and greenfly will soon spread, giving you more problems in the future. Look very closely at the undersides of leaves, at the base of stems, and on new buds for fine webbing. Set any suspicious-looking plants in the shower to wash off the mites, and repeat frequently. Or, if it’s a small plant, you can shake it around upside-down in soapy water. Insecticidal soap also works, you can also Control pests by picking them off the leaves, spraying or disposing of badly infected plants.

The best way of being successful with these indoor plants is to make sure that they never dry out, that their very fine root systems are always kept moist and that they are put in a position where there is a satisfactory amount of light, no droughts and no exposure to excessive heat from radiators or fires. If those few steps are carried out then there should be no problem.

Do not give water to houseplants late in the afternoon. The foliage should not be wet when night comes as they can rot.

The Lawn
Continue to remove fallen leaves from lawns before they block out light and moisture to the grass. Repair damaged lawn edges or patches with turves cut from other areas of the garden. Avoid walking on lawns on frosty mornings. It can damage the grass and often leads to brown footprint-shaped marks. Watch your lawn for signs of water-logging, as the weather gets wetter. You may be able to remedy this with some maintenance – either now, next spring, or the following autumn.

Gardening Tips for November 2011

Maintenance
You should paint fences and pergola’s with a wood preservative, now that leaves have fallen and plants are not obstructing them. You can Plant bare rooted fruit trees from now and until late spring if the soil is not frozen or water logged.

Rake up all leaves and fallen fruit that you missed earlier and compost all disease-free organic waste.

Now is the time to clean the lawnmower thoroughly, remove the fuel, scrape off all soil and old grass. Cover all metal parts with a thin layer of oil or WD40 or grease, then store mower in a dry area.

When digging borders at the edge of lawns, place a plank on the grass to help prevent lawn edges from being broken. It is probably your last chance to plant bulbs to bring spring colour to your garden and containers , bulbs can be very good value as they come up year after year.

If you want, plant up containers or tubs remember that not a lot of plants actually grow during the winter months, to make sure your containers look impressive they will need to be over planted so they look full from the beginning, you can add winter and spring bedding plants to fill any gaps.

Dig out any remaining potatoes or carrots or beetroots before the frost gets them.

All shrubs and climbers will benefit from having their roots protected during persistent cold spells by covering the soil with an insulating mulch of dry leaves or compost or straw. This is most important if the plants are new and not yet established.

November and March are the two best months for planting Azaleas, Rhododendron, Camellia and other peat loving plants. Start rotating your houseplants so they get equal light on all sides.

Check your stored tender bulbs for rot or dryness

Some garden plants will not survive cold or frost or when the soil is too wet. A good material to cover plants is straw, pinus or conifer branches, garden fleece or plastic with perforations in it can be used. Do not use black plastic as it cuts out light and will cause root.
Now is the time to clean the pond, remove leaves from the pond every day, make sure to remove rotting leaves lying on the bottom, remove them with a net.

Water plants should stay in the pond because when the water freezes they can provide oxygen and your fish will survive winter in a better condition.

Water plants that cannot take frost must be taken out of the pond. Water lily can be stored in a box with peat in a shed but, if the pond is deep enough you can leave them in the pond.

If you have a pump in the pond it is best to take it out and clean it and store it inside.it is best not to circulate water in the pond during winter.

If you removed your bird feeder during the summer, now is the time to put the feeder back out.

Don’t deadhead your spent flowers on your roses. Instead, remove the petals only to allow the rose hips to develop and helps start the rose into its winter dormancy.

Remember to spray your fruit trees with a winter wash to help the control of insects, place a grease band around fruit trees to catch the insects that can damage your fruit trees.

If the weather is still mild, fill all gaps in your garden borders with autumn bedding plants, such as winter pansies, violas, bellis, wallflowers, polyanthus for spring colour.

Make sure all of the water is drained out of your garden hose, roll it up, and store it. Do not leave it connected to your house in freezing weather.

Gardening Tips for October 2011

What is the difference between herbaceous, perennial, biennial, hardy and half hardy annuals?

Hardy Annuals – Plant seed, germinate, grow and flower in the same season.
Half Hardy Annuals – Have to be planted indoors and when frost is gone then can be planted outside.
Biennial – Are plants that grow leaves and stems in the first year but do not flower until the following year.
Perennial Flowers and Shrubs – These are plants that flower every year but may die back in winter.
Herbaceous Plants – Are plants that can grow up to several feet in one year, they can be very colourful and die back to the root stock in winter and grow back again the following year.

Maintenance for this time of the year

Lift and divide plants that have finished blooming. Divide and replant Daisies, Callas and Day lilies every few years for best bloom. Lift and store Dahlia Gladiolus and tuberous begonias. Once the first frost has discoloured the foliage, dig out the bulbs, clean off the excess soil, and store them in a box of dry peat moss or old newspapers or vermiculite in a dry place until spring, if you don’t have a frost-free greenhouse or shed, you can keep thetubers in a or unheated porch Make sure your houseplants have been moved inside repotting them if needed in a good compost mix before the temperature dropsbelow 60 degrees at night. Cut back and do not feed for another month or so. Water sparingly. Place near a sunny window but away from cold drafts. Thinkabout planting some spring bulbs in containers for bright winter blooms indoors between December and March.
Do not prune Azaleas, Rhododendrons and other spring flowering shrubs because they have already set their buds for next year’s blooms. If you feel these shrubs do need to be pruned, however, you can prune them now, but you will sacrifice next springflowers.

ROSES

Large bush roses benefit from being lightly cut back to prevent autumn wind damage. If blackspot or rust has been a problem pick off the infected leaves as best as you can anddispose of them but don’t put them on the compost heap.

LAWNS

This is probably your last chance to sow grass seed. Reseed barespots in the lawn as soon as possible so that it will be established before the winter sets in.

Scarify established lawns with a rake, then aerate with a fork if you haven’t got around to it already. There’s still time to use autumn lawn food like Ever Green Autumn feed

PONDS

Reduce the feeding of your fish now as the days are getting shorter and the fish are becoming less active. It is also a good time to take out the submersible pump and give it a good clean up and put away for next year if not in use. Remove dead leaves from the pond. If your pond freezes over frogs can be deprived of oxygen and die. Leaving a small ball in it will keep a small area clear.

Cut down canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries which have finished fruiting and bin to help prevent fungal diseases spreading.

Gardening Tips for September 2011

As published in the September Edition of InTallaght.

ORGANIC GARDEN PEST CONTROL
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water

Peel the garlic cloves and puree the cloves oil and water. Allow to stand over night and then strain the mixture. Add the dishwashing liquid and mix thoroughly. Pour into a spray bottle and use on infected plants.

BLACK SPOT ON ROSES
Mix fat-free milk with water in a 50/50 ratio and apply it using a spray bottle. Spray the mix directly onto the leaves of your roses. The milk-and-water solution coats the leaves and leads to the growth of an invisible fungus that helps to kill black spot.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Rake up leaves, twigs and fruit from apple trees and dispose of them to help control apple scab disease. Continue to pick fresh flowers for indoors. This will also help encourage more blooms on most perennials. Gladioli and Tuberous begonias are normally past their best by the end of September, before the frost comes they should be dug up and stored inside in a dark frost-free area. After lifting they should be dusted with a suitable fungicide to prevent rotting. Also make sure that they are completely dry before storage.

Dahlias should also get the same treatment but not until the first autumn frost has killed off some the foliage, this dries off the stems at soil level and prepares the tuber for winter; dahlias are slightly hardier than begonias and gladioli, all of the above can be stored in dry boxes with one inch of dry peat on top until spring and then started off again in spring.

Plant winter pansy’s violas Bachelor’s Buttons, primulas, Forget-me-nots, wallflowers, ornamental cabbage and sweet alyssum now for earlier blooms next year. It is also the time of year to plant spring flower bulbs like crocuses, daffodils, narcissi and snowdrops in borders and patio pots.

Do not to grow wallflowers and ornamental cabbages in the same spot two years running; as they are brassicas (cabbage family) and need rotation to avoid the root disease called ‘clubfoot’, which can be infectious and can persists in the soilfor a long time.

ROSES
Climbing roses can be pruned once they have finished flowering. Do not prune azaleas, rhododendrons and other spring flowering shrubs because they have already set their buds for next year’s blooms. Pruning now will sacrifice next spring’s flowers.

Gardening Tips for August 2011

As published in the August Edition of InTallaght.

HOW TO MAKE CHEAP WEED KILLER
Pour 4oz of lemon juice concentrate into a 2 pint spray bottle, then fill the bottle up with approximately 28oz of white vinegar. Shake vigorously and spray on to the weeds you may be required to do this again after about a week or so.

HOLIDAYS
Before you go away on holiday try and arrange for somebody to come round and water your containers. If they cannot come every day, take steps to cut down on watering requirements by repositioning all containers and hanging baskets in a shaded area out of the sun. Clay pots can be stood on trays filled with wet gravel. If you have a very elaborate summer display with window-boxes and hanging baskets, it may be worthwhile considering installing an automatic watering system controlled by a timer.

On returning from your holiday you should dead-head the plants in the hanging baskets, dead-head the tubs and generally reviving the garden by this sort of maintenance technique. Deadheading bedding, roses and other plants will all help to bring the garden back to life again after your absence.

MOVING PLANTS
If you are not quite happy with the colour of a certain flower in a specific place, tie a piece of cotton or thread in the colour of the flower around the plant. When the plant has finished flowering, you will be able to remind yourself of the colour the flower was and re-plant it in a more appropriate place. Colourful plastic golf tees can be placed in the ground to mark the location of dormant plants such as spring bulbs or perennials.

HERBS FOR BEGINNERS
Lemon balm and mint are both very good herbs for beginners to grow because they grow well in pots, grow quickly and are easy to keep. If you don’t have much money or space, thyme is also worth a try. It grows to fill small spaces like paving stone
cracks and spreads well on its own so you don’t have to buy lots of plants.

Rosemary and sage are also good choices, because they produce attractive flowers which entice bees. Many herbs self-sow if the flowers are not removed. Dill produces seeds that fall around the parent plant and come up the following spring. Freeze your
herbs. For a continual supply of fresh herbs, like parsley through the winter cut the younger leaves rinse in clean water and after putting them in a plastic bag place in the freezer. There is no need to chop them up simply crush them gently when frozen and
use as required.

Installing Decking

The first step for ‘do it yourself’ decking is to decide where in your garden the decking is going to be placed. Is it going to be coming out from a conservatory or other room at the back of the house, or is it going to be free standing in another part of your garden? It would be a good idea to look at your garden in the morning and evening and identify where the sun is shining most. A Sunny area in your garden is the best location for your deck.

When making your final decision, there are a number of things to keep in mind, these should include privacy from your neighbours gardens or windows, and where and when your chosen area gets the sun. Also, what will your deck be used for, will it be used for a nice quiet place to go and read a book, or to sit and enjoy the fine weather (If we ever get any ☺) or will it be used for parties and barbecues. These are all very important factors to consider when choosing your location.

It is also important to consider what type of furniture you’ll want on it once it’s assembled. Will you have a dining table and chairs? If so, how many? Would you like room for sun loungers and flower pots and plants or any other accessories such as free standing heaters? So don’t make it too small.

The next step is to make sure the area you’ve chosen to lay the decking on is free from obstructions like trees, plants or large stones. This is very important so that you can begin laying the joists that will make the solid foundation of the decking you have chosen. If your deck is to sit directly on top of the existing grass in your garden then, with a basic grasp of DIY and some hard work, you should have no problem with laying decking.

It is important to remove any grass underneath and covering it with a weed barrier to prevent unsightly grass and weeds growing up between the boards of the decking. You will also need to create a drainage system so the area under the deck does not get flooded.

For those of you with a downward sloping garden, it is important to take note whether the deck will be located several feet below the room you wish to enter it from. If this is the case then you may need professional help laying the foundations and support for your deck, or with building the appropriate steps to enter the deck.

Whether or not you want to have your decking installed professionally depends very much on your personal circumstances and budget. If you are confident with major DIY projects then the challenge of installing the decking yourself could be very rewarding. If, however, you just want your decking installed as quickly and professionally as possible and don’t mind paying extra for it then it is probably worthwhile hiring a gardening company to do it for you.

If I can be of any help with any of the above topics please do not hesitate to call me Dave, on 01 4523979 or 0872434211.

Gardening Tips for July 2011

As published in the July Edition of InTallaght.

LAWNS

If you didn’t get around to feeding your lawn in the spring, you may still apply a fast acting lawn feed now, you will really notice the results. Please make sure to follow the instructions on the bag very carefully as to not do so may cause more harm than good.

Keep the lawn mowed even though this is usually a time when grass growth slows. If the weather is dry, mow high, but less often. The key is to only cut one third of the grass at any mowing. Cutting the grass too short, or cutting too much of the grass at one time can reduce the ability of grass to survive drought stress.

APHIDS
In a jar, put 1 teaspoon washing up liquid and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Shake well. In an empty spray bottle, put 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup of water. Spray every week or up to ten days or more often if required to help rid plants of whitefly, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

SLUGS
As the weather warms up, perennials will start growing vigorously. To control slugs and snails, use beer traps, crushed shells or grit. Be careful slug pellets can be effective on slugs, but they may also poison birds that eat the pellets or the slugs. Container grown plants, such as hostas, which are prone to slug damage, can be protected by coating the rim of the pot with Vaseline. The slugs won’t crawl
through it.

HANGING BASKETS
Be sure to check the hanging baskets and container grown plants every day during hot weather and about every second day on overcast summer days, preferably when the sun isn’t on them. Don’t just check the surface, push your finger into the compost to make sure there is enough moisture below throughout the root area. Water them thoroughly each time you water, but be careful not to over water them.

Clay pots can be positioned on trays filled with wet gravel. If you have a lot of window-boxes and hanging baskets, you should consider installing an automatic watering system controlled by a timer. You can also water hanging baskets by putting ice cubes on the top, moisture is slowly released as the ice cubes melt. Ensure these do not touch the plants as this may cause damage.

PRUNING
Prune back your rose bushes after the first bloom. You can either dead head the spent blooms or do a major cutting back to keep them neat and tidy and under control. I tend to do the latter.

Cut back all weak and dead wood as well. Lastly, clean up all dead leaves, especially if they suffered from black spot. Plus, if black spot is a problem, use the following homemade formula: Mix one tablespoon of baking soda and a 1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent in one gallon of water and spray as needed. Many spring flowering shrubs will benefit from pruning in early summer as this will give them time to make the new growth necessary for next year’s flowers before the end of the season.

FAQ

Q. What is the difference between herbaceous, perennial, biennial, hardy and half hardy annuals?

• Hardy Annuals – Plant seed, Germinate, grow and flower in the same season
• Half Hardy Annuals – Have to be planted indoors and when frost is gone then can be planted outside.
• Biennial – Are plants that grow leaves and stems in the first year but do not flower until the following year.
• Perennial Flowers and Shrubs – These are plants that flower every year but may die back in winter.
• Herbaceous Plants – Are plants that can grow up to several feet in one year, they can be very colourful and die back to the root stock in winter and grow back again the following year

Q. How do I keep insect numbers down in my garden without using chemicals?

• Slugs can be kept in check and die happy, Near vegetables and bedding plants, bury empty yogurt cartons in the soil to the neck and pour in stale beer, at night snails and slugs will climb in and have a going away party.
• In flower beds where there are a lot of earwigs, they are normally found in tops of Dahlias etc, Stand a bamboo cane near the head of the plant and fill a small plastic pot with dry straw put the pot on the top of the bamboo cane upside down and at night the earwigs will climb in and in the morning you can dispose of them.
• Aphids are greenfly and black fly, and are a pest that need a lot of work to keep them at bay, one way that helps is to get washing up liquid an egg cup full to a litre of water, mix together and spray regularly on plants that have green fly or you can put some nettles in boiling water for 10 minutes, allow to cool and then strain and pour into a sprayer and spray green fly.

Q. Any advice you can give me about hanging baskets?

The fertilizer added to most potting composts only lasts for 6 weeks as it is washed out every time you water them, therefore you should add a slow release fertilizer like osmocote, or growmore, you could also add tomato feed or miraclegrow.
Osmocote will last all summer so only has to be put in at the start.

The best plants for the container/basket are, for the centre, geraniums or fuchsias and for the sides Begonia, Impatiens (Busy Lizzie), Mimulus (Monkey Flowers), Trailing Lobelia, Nasturtiums, Ivy-Leaf Geraniums, Tomato (Tumbler), Trailing Petunia (Surfinia).

Always remember to remove the dead heads from the flowers as this encourages more growth of flowers, Water in the evening time, but not to late as plants wouldn’t have time to try out before dark. Never water the plants in full sun as this will burn them.

Hanging Baskets (Plastic or Wire)

Plastic baskets are not very big, therefore not very heavy when they are filled and watered, but they are not as showy as wire baskets which can be much bigger, up to 20” with liner, moss compost, plants can look stunning but will need a strong bracket, good wall plugs, woodscrews and a sound wall.

The fertilizer added to most potting composts only lasts for 6 weeks as it is washed out every time you water them, therefore you have to add a slow release fertilizer like osmocote, or grow more, you could also add tomato feed or miracle grow.Osmocote will last all summer so only has to be put in at the start.

Always remember to remove the dead heads from the flowers as this encourages more growth of flowers. Water in the evening time, but not too late as plants wouldn’t have time to dry out before dark. Never water the plants in full sun as this will burn them.

Lawn

If putting down a new lawn the most important thing is preparation, the best time to sow a new lawn is April or October.
Firstly remove all roots of trees if any, large rocks and weeds.
Dig with fork or hire a rotavator but be careful with this as they are extremely dangerous and very tough on your back, rake level if necessary.
Get soil if necessary, add peat and sharp sand (Use brand name peat, as peat sold from back of vans is removed from top of bogs and is full of weeds) branded peat is sterilized.
Rake into top 3” as this will help to lighten heavy soil.

Seed Mixes

For best lawns with no children playing on it and a lot of maintenance and feeding, use number one mix.
For most people, use number 2 mix as it gives reasonable wear, no problem with children playing on it.
Number 3 is very hard wearing but it needs more cutting, it is also a bit corse.
The other option is instant lawn, which comes in a 1 sq meter roll with no weeds and you would need to be cutting this within 3 weeks.

Some of the words you will hear used in gardening

Bulbs like daffodils and tulips that have finished flowering, remove dead heads but not green leaves, this should be left until the leaves go brown, or they can be lifted and stored dry until end of September and replanted.

In this time of recession with all the doom and gloom, how about a garden project that is not that hard to do and you do not even have to have soil. It is to make a trough for plants, herbs or vegetables.

Pick up some decking boards, from 6ft to 15ft, you will need 3 lengths for one box, cut 6” off each and keep for the two ends.
Sit one board on the ground and put one in front and one behind and fix with woodscrews, now put in the two end bits.
Drill some holes in the bottom deck board to allow for drainage and fix the box to a wall or timer panels 4ft from the ground.
Buy some multi purpose compost and place in the box.
If you wish you can plant up with summer bedding such as Geranium, Petunia, Lobelia, Busy Lizzie, Candytuft, Begonia, Viola and so on. Another choice could be to plant such things as nasturshims, tomato tumbler, lettuce, strawberries, chives, thyme, sage, mint, parsley, basil or rosemary and many more all edible.
Do not forget to water these.

Happy planting