'Garden Column - December 2009'

 

 

Draw up the plan for next season.

 

 

This month is an ideal opportunity to plan ahead for next season. Using your notes of successes and failures sketch up which varieties you wish to re-grow and of failings that you want another crack at.

Once you’ve decided - scan through your literature making a list of the seed you require.

Then head off to your potting shed and see how many pieces of equipment (i.e. Seed trays; Pots etc.) that may need to be replaced.

With this noted down - take a trip to the garden centre and do your purchases this side of Christmas before next years prices take affect.

By purchasing your seed early you will avoid the disappointment of key varieties being sold out.

 

 

Plant Cob-Nuts.

 

 

With the festive season looming nearer - hazels, filberts and cob-nuts are widely available in supermarkets and green grocers up and down the country and many of us are completely unaware how easy they are to grow.

There are several varieties available to grow and at the garden centre we stock Nottingham & Webb’s Prize Cobb.

The Corylus (Hazel) family make a great screening plant for the fruit garden; though if you are limited for space then why not fill a gap in the back of a mixed border as the hazels produce a beautiful catkin in the early spring and all varieties are self-fertile.

Make sure that the soil is well-prepared with Vitax Tree & Shrub Compost and plant around 60cm apart if growing as screen/hedge or 90-120cm if being grown in a border/row. After care is rather simple; trim out any old and exhausted branches in March.

 

 

Start moving bulbs into the house.

 

 

Those of you who have forced on some bulbs on for Christmas flowering should now start to bring them into the house to hasten the flowering growth.

As the forced bulbs start to show move them into their final flowering positions to help brighten and cheer up the festive season.

 

Stop your prize Christmas tree from bald.

 

 

After spending several minutes or even hours choosing your real Christmas tree it can be disheartening when after a week or so the needles start to shed and by the time Christmas Eve hits us all you have left is stem with twigs.

To stop this happening to you must follow the following instructions.

First of all pick a tree which has been cut more than a tree which still has its roots on it.

These rooted trees very rarely re-root as all the fibrous roots which do the work for the plant are still sitting in the field where it was growing.

With a cut tree you have to make sure that you put a fresh cut taking at least 25mm off the bottom of its original cut.

This fresh cut will make sure your tree will take up some moisture - leave it in a bucket full of water over night or until you are ready to bring the tree inside to decorate.

Place your tree into its stand (use a stand that will hold water) and give it at least 568ml of water a day.

This will insure your tree stays fresh throughout its life inside the house.

 

 

Check summer flowering bulbs.

 

 

Any over-wintering summer flowering bulbs which are in storage should be checked regularly for signs of mildew.

If a bluish, grey mould is present then apply some green or yellow sulphur. This will hopefully control the spread.

Make sure that their storage area is free from damp and frost.

Any badly diseased tubers or corms should be thrown immediately before the disease can spread to any uninfected bulbs in the tray.

Then scrutinise your bulbs regularly for any further cases of the disease.

 

Protect pots.

 

With the festive season kicking in this week, containerised plants could do with some attention.

Plants in pots will have to have some protection throughout the winter months.

Containers will need to be lifted off the ground using bricks or pot feet.

Bubble wrap can be placed around pots for insulation and then move them to sheltered areas on the patio until the bad weather has past.

 

Prune Newly Planted Currants.

 

Newly planted currant bushes will need to be pruned this side of Christmas.

Prune the new bushes by at least half their height, just above a bud and trim at a forty-five degree angle away from the bud.

If the pieces you trim are the thickness of a pencil and about 30cm in length then produce a trench and insert these prunings into the ground for hard wood cutting material which if they take you’ll be able to increase your stocks.