'Garden Column - April 2008'

Plant Tomatoes in unheated greenhouses.

This month is the earliest that those of you with an unheated greenhouse can start cropping tomatoes.
First of all you�ll need to sterilise the greenhouse by washing the glass and frame down with Jeyes Fluid or Growing Success Natures Disinfectant and then use a Growing Success Sulphur Candle to cleanse the greenhouse of any over-wintering pests.
Now if you are planting directly into the soil inside your glasshouse then you will need to add some goodness to the soil as it can be very barren and stale, especially if you have grown tomatoes in the same soil year after year.
Ideally dig in some organic material mixed with Growing Success Organic Tomato & Cucumber Fertiliser to increase the fertility of the soil.
Plant your plants but do not over water them as whilst they are in the early stages of growth the soil will be kept cold and this can hamper their progress.
Of course most of you will prefer to use grow-bags if this is the case then only plant a maximum of 3 plants per grow-bag.
For the best results use a Levington Tomorite Giant Planter � this has the right depth and volume for the even growth of your plants.
Again keep watering to a minimum. Sometimes it can be worth planting your plants into 10-12� pots this allows the tomato plant to produce a good root system to support the plant.
In an unheated greenhouse the weather is your worst enemy. If the weather takes a turn or the worst it can be useful to keep some fleece handy to insulate the plants against the cold evenings.
If you have bubble insulation leave it up until late May as this will also help to protect the plants from any cold spells.

Prune early flowering shrubs.

Shrubs like Forsythia and Mahonia which have now finished flowering need to be pruned.
Prune all flowering stems back to half their height.
Prune just above a bud or leaf and prune at a 45 degree angle away from the bud.
Thin out any weak or unwanted stems and also remove any stems that are growing into the plant.
Once pruned feed your plants with Vitax Pelleted Conifer & Shrub Fertiliser and top dress with some fresh compost.

Start feeding the lawn.

Up and down the country people will be getting ready to start applying some high-nitrogen feeds to their lawns to help keep the turf thick and green.
If you are applying some fertiliser please follow the manufacturer�s instructions to the letter. If you apply too much to one area you may end up harming the lawn.
It is also worth finding a product that will help control any weed and moss problems that you have in your turf.
These granular lawn feeds can be applied by hand or by using a spreader. If you are a serious about your lawn then it is worth purchasing one.
Most manufacturers of lawn chemicals usually sell a spreader for applying the chemical. The only problem is that most spreaders only can be used for the application of lawn feeds and end up at the back of the shed collecting dust.
If you want to buy a lawn spreader then purchase a Greenkey Hand Held Lawn Spreader.
This spreader can not only be used for lawn fertilisers but can also be used through the year for over-seeding, applying garden fertilisers and in the winter can be used for salting paths and driveways.
Please watch the weather carefully. If it doesn�t rain within 2-3 days after the applying your lawn care product then water in using a hose.
If you don�t want to double work and knowing our English weather it can be useful applying a feed that is watered in. This can save you time but on large areas of grass it can seem an uphill struggle.