TAPIEN POLICE

I used to be behind before, but now I’m first at last. Well not first exactly, but I do feel as though I’m on top of planting vegetable seeds this year.

Last week I decided now was a good time to open the polythene tunnel door. This will allow any returning frogs access to their pond so they can lay their spawn. At the time I didn’t realise the amount of work that would come out of that one simple act. When I was in there I couldn’t help but notice that the propagator was looking sad as it hadn’t been used since last year. This made me realise that I should be buying and sowing seeds. The fact that I’m not growing plants to sell this year has freed me up to concentrate on vegetables. In the past it was the flowers that got preference and I didn’t have the time, or space in the propagator to accommodate anything edible.

So it was off to the shops to do some serious seed shopping.

As I’m not growing large quantities of plants this year I decided to refrain from buying from catalogues and venture out locally to see what was available. I had no preference where to buy from so I did the rounds. I managed to get most of the seeds that were on my list but as yet I can’t get hold of vegetable spaghetti squashes or pumpkins. As well as the regular vegetables such as carrots, peas, beetroot and the like I have also gone for a few greenhouse plants now that I will have room in the tunnel. I am having a go at growing cucumbers and sweet corn. I couldn’t resist buying a few flower seeds though, old habits die hard. I was drawn to Impatiens, the Busy Lizzie. These are always good in summer, especially for giving the greenfly something to suck on. Sweet peas and Nasturtiums also went into the shopping basket. I’m holding on for Surfinias until the small plants are in the shops, as you can’t buy the seed. These plants have a copyright control on them; I think it works out at about 15 cent paid to a large company for each plant sold, which makes it illegal to propagate them without permission. Hey I like to live on the edge, out of one plant, (which will cost under one euro) I will be able to produce at least ten new plants, maybe more, as they take very easily from cuttings. When they are large plants they can cost anything up to three euro each in the garden centres…I will be having a look at propagating other copyright control plants as well. Plants such as Tapien (a vigorous type or verbena), is another one that springs to mind. Wow, things can get pretty exciting in the world of horticulture, if the Surfinia or Tapien police are reading this you know where I am… “I ain’t dealin’ in ‘em or nuffin, I was just growin’ em for me own use, honest guv!

So the seeds were bought and I have spent a few happy hours filling up seed trays. I go for the trays that have 80 individual cells in them as I find that this gives the seeds a better chance of survival. Also, when it comes to potting them on there isn’t any root disturbance as they are neat little plugs. They don’t get leggy either as they do when they are planted close together. I wouldn’t recommend this method for Lobelia and Nemesia though as the seeds are so small and they are best grown in clumps. I have saved the seed of carrots and parsnips so that I can plant them straight outside- they don’t like their roots being disturbed. I have a few old fish boxes in the tunnel, they have “Property of…and prosecution” written on the sides, (I told you gardening was exciting). I found these washed up on the beach though so I think I’m all right handling hot merchandise. Into these I have planted some radish seeds. I must confess I usually put slug pellets down after planting these up, but I can’t this year. Our next-door neighbours ducks have been visiting us on a regular basis. They are very bold and tend to stick their beaks into everything, so I’m not going to risk putting down pellets. The ducks are doing a better job at keeping the slug population down anyway and they have even taken to tapping on the back door when they want some bread to go with their meal.
As I was saying earlier, opening the tunnel door was to start off a chain of events. After the seeds were sown I realised that the plants will eventually need a home outside in the vegetable plot. I have had to come up with a planting scheme for the beds to ensure that I stick to some form of crop rotation system. If the same sort of vegetable is grown on the same ground for a couple of years, all sorts of pests and diseases appear. Some plants like fresh compost and manure, such as peas and beans, so I have been preparing beds by adding horse muck and mushroom compost to them. Other plants like the carrots prefer beds that had muck put on them in the previous year, the roots tend to fork if the ground is too rich, so I am just clearing away the weeds to make a clean seed bed. Then there is also the big expansion plan. I have had carpet down in the garden to kill off the grass onto which I can build raised beds. This is all ready to be done so …I’m off…

Horticultural.

SPRING SEED SOWING

I see that this years seeds are in the shops. I haven’t put an order in for seeds this year yet as I am hanging on for another few weeks or so. I am doing this mainly because I’m not growing plants for sale this year, so there isn’t any urgency to get the seeds germinated. Over the last few years I had to get my order in before Christmas and get planting by January. I had to have an early start with the annuals for them to be ready in time for the rush of eager gardeners in late spring planting up their containers. I will still be using my propagator in the polythene tunnel and by waiting until the weather warms up a bit will save a fortune in heating costs. The heater cables are cheap enough to run, requiring just 300 watts to keep the soil at an optimum temperature, that’s equivalent to three light bulbs being left on. The biggest saving will come from keeping the gas heating off which would have been used a lot to keep the frost off the tender plants. The tunnel isn’t insulated so all the heat went straight through the roof! By leaving the sowing for a while I’m hoping to keep the cost of growing down to a minimum. This year I’m mostly growing vegetables. These can be planted a bit later as they have a tendency to “catch up” with plants that are planted earlier in the season. A lot of vegetable seeds can also be planted straight outdoors as well.


Of course if you are thinking of growing seed of either flowers or vegetables on the windowsill, then heating will probably not be a factor as the heating will be on in the house anyway. Most annual seeds will germinate on the windowsill, but having a small propagator with a bit of heat in the soil really increases the chances of success. They are pretty reasonable to buy from garden centres. My only reservation for growing the tender annuals now is that the weather will still be too cold to put them outside to harden them off when they get to a decent size. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the weather will be mild enough, a makeshift cold frame can always be constructed out of glass or plastic sheeting to protect the tender plants from any frost.


When you are looking for your favourite seeds in the shops, make sure that the packets aren’t damaged and the sow by date is still valid. There shouldn’t be a problem with this as, horror of horror, the large seed companies empty the shelves at the end of every year and burn all the unsold stock -a waste of course, but it does ensure you are getting this years stock.
Pick good quality compost that is very fine grade to sow the seeds. If you don’t have seed trays to plant into then try being inventive with different types of containers. I have sliced plastic milk cartons in two putting drainage holes on the bottom and they did all right. Some people recommend using old egg boxes to plant into. I have always had problems with these though and everything that I tried to grow went mouldy on me, so I wouldn’t advise you using those. Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts to get you started. The seed packets will tell you their exact requirements.


TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SEED SOWING:

Always use fresh seed compost.

Always use clean seed trays and containers, this will prevent all sorts of nasty diseases

Always label the seeds, I didn’t one year as I thought I’d remember…. I didn’t.

Don’t let the seed dry out.

Don’t keep them too wet, this also causes the seed to fail or damp off.

Watch out for predators, slugs and snails can get practically anywhere!

Improvise with containers to give the seeds the correct environment to flourish.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, even the experts in gardening can’t always agree on the best methods for germinating seeds.

Finally…. they wont grow if you don’t sow them!

Horticultural.

SHAMROCK HISTORY

I’ve been enjoying the outdoor life this week. Colour is coming back into the garden with the start of some of the smaller flowers, aubretia and vincas to name two. The fresh green growth is slowly unfurling. I’ve cut back the old growth of the herbs and am enjoying my first fresh herb teas of the year. We’ve even made our first batch of nettle soup – true it was bulked up with kale and spinach, but it’s a start. I’ve been planning the new vegetable beds in the garden and coppicing hazel rods for new structures for my climbers, such as beans and peas (yes I’m working well in advance). My first veggie seeds are germinating and the kids have been in the polytunnel before school planting cress seeds. Yes spring has sprung.


Tidying the borders
A very satisfying job at this time of the year is clearing the beds and borders. Weeding out the perennial creeping buttercup and docks and clearing away the old growth to see the new growth underneath is a wonderful spring activity. Don’t forget to wear gloves as those baby nettles can sting you before you even notice them. For me having a clear space is a bit like an empty canvas, full of potential for the months ahead. It’s a good start to getting out into the garden again, renewing old friendships with plants you’ve forgotten were there –Happy spring cleaning.

History of the shamrock
With local lapels being adorned with shamrock, I thought I would delve into the history and symbolism of the shamrock. Shamrock (seamrog), the emblem synonomous with St Patrick has a long and colourful history. It means many different things to different people and can evoke messages relating to national pride, religion, celebration etc. In horticultural terms what is shamrock and why do we wear it on St Patricks day. Shamrock can be found growing wild throughout Ireland and is worn on the feast day of St Patrick. It is said that St Patrick used the three leaved shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to the pagan Irish during the 5th Century. The tradition of wearing a shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's, before '98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in Queen Victoria's time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to wear a little paper cross coloured red and green. As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the symbol of the United Kingdom, along with the Rose, the Thistle and the Leek of England, Scotland and Wales. So today, on St. Patrick's Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army.

Irish research in the late 1980’s highlighted a number of plants that were traditionally considered to be Shamrock. The plant most widely considered to be shamrock was Trifolium dubium (the lesser clover, seamair bhui), other plants that were used as Shamrock included, Trifolium repens (white clover, seamair bhui), Trifolium pratense (red clover, seamair dhearg) and oxalis acetosella(wood sorrel, seamog).
Shamrock is grown commercially to meet the domestic and international demands for wearing a spring of the three leafed clover during the St patrick day festivities. It is grown from seed and can be cultivated in pots, open ground or in a special water retaining gel. Water your potted and gel shamrock to maintain freshness. Sprig shamrock can be placed in water or moistened and kept in a cool location for best freshness.

Horticutural.

ONIONS

There’s been a potting frenzy going on in my polythene tunnel this week. With the weather improving, I made the decision to empty the tunnel of the spring plants. Plants such as pansies tend to get leggy if they are left in the cosy environment for too long, so I thought the time was right for them to fend for themselves. This left me with a lot of space to fill, so I peeked into the heated propagator and saw there were plants ready to pot on to larger containers. The first batch is well on the way to filling all the available space. I have decided to use nine packs this year for plants such as marigolds, stocks and lobelia, these I hope will give customers better value for money and fill their containers more effectively. The summer flowering plants will still need a lot of attention to keep them properly watered and protected until they have grown up a bit, but in a month or so they are destined for a life outdoors to make way for the second phase of more tender plants like petunias and Impatiens.

CUTTINGS
To keep the momentum up with the plants, I have been taking cuttings of flowering perennials for use in hanging baskets in mid summer. I was happily snipping away at my parent plants getting some choice cuttings when my youngest lad walked into the tunnel brandishing his pair of scissors. Michael, as he is called decided that he wanted to help me with my work, which I thought was very endearing. Unfortunatly Michaels idea of taking cuttings differ from my own, he proceeded to cut up my herb labels then moved on to reduce the cuttings I had taken into tiny pieces. I thought his time would be better spent with his mother indoors so I escorted him into the house only to find that he had already been hard at work with the scissors cutting up one of my cheques that needed cashing. After a happy half hour with a roll of sellotape I managed to piece the cheque together again. The woman at the bank was very nice about it. She has seen Michael’s handywork with a pen so it came as no surprise. Anyway on my way back from the bank I popped into the Co-op and bought myself a few bags of onion sets to cheer me up a bit.

ONIONS
Onions can be very easy to grow and are quite undemanding, they are an ideal vegetable for the novice gardener, and you could even plant them straight into your herbaceous borders. I have decided to grow the onion sets (small immature onions), as they are easier to handle than seed. The sets have a better resistance to pests and disease and I can assure you there are plenty of them, onion fly, bolting, onion thrips and plenty of nasty viruses too. I find that companion planting usually keeps most things at bay. Plant onions with carrots for example, the carrots confuse the onion fly and the onions confuse the carrot fly, throw a few Calendulas in there to attract the hoverfly too. The bulbs do best in a sunny, well-drained site, on a sloping garden for example. Plant them up on the higher ground, this will prevent them rotting in the wet soil. Onions do well in fertile soil, but like garlic they don’t need high nitrogen, so it is not necessary to put on fresh compost or manure.

PLANTING
I tend to cram my onions in because I very rarely let them get to maturity before I’m pulling them up to use in cooking, the recommended distances are10 inches (25cm) between the rows and 5-10 inches (2-4cm) between each bulb. Press the bulb gently into the ground so the top is just showing, that way if a bird thinks it’s spotted a juicy worm it will have a tough job trying to get it out of the ground. You will find that the bulb will push its way to the surface of the soil when it has rooted.

CROP CARE
Try to keep weeds to a minimum around the bulbs. Their upright growth isn’t effective at suppressing weeds, and these will take away nutrients that the onions need. Watering isn’t usually necessary, infact if they get too wet in the middle of July they don’t store as well.

HARVESTING
As soon as the leaves start turning yellow you can either pull the onions up and leave them to dry naturally in a warm, dry place or leave them in place and bend the necks over, they should be ready for storing after a couple of weeks. If the necks are large then use these onions first as they have a high water content and don’t store well. The ones for storing can be platted together like garlic or you could use a pair of old tights to do the same job. Put in an onion and tie a knot then put in another onion and so on until the leg is full!

Horticultural.

CAMELLIA

As usual at this time of year, I remember that I didn’t take any cuttings of camellias last spring. Camellias are one of those plats that really let you know that spring is here, then forget all about.
These plants need a bit of nurturing if you take cuttings, but the rewards are great. Of course if you want one now the garden centres will supply you with fine examples of colours from red through to pink and white, for a price, but well worth the investment. Grow them in a shady spot, north facing will do, but make sure they are sheltered from early morning sunlight as this will damage the young buds. These plants like an acid or lime free soil. We are lucky around here that most of our gardens are acid, if yours isn’t then the plants can be grown in a container containing ericaceous compost.


When you’re buying the plant look out for tell tale signs that the plants have been well looked after:
Make sure the plant is rounded and bushy with lots of strong buds. If the plant is just one stem it will probably be only one year old and hopefully this will reflect in the price. These shrubs will need to be cut back to promote bushy growth.

Make sure the leaves are a rich dark green and glossy. Yellowing leaves means they have either been in their pots too long, they have been starved of nutrition or vine weevils have eaten the roots.
Try not to buy the plants that are in flower. Go for the ones that are still in bud.If you grow the plant in a container, make sure the compost stays moist and feed well from April through to July.

CAMELLIA IN CONTAINERS

Ian. I want to grow a specimen plant in a tub but don’t want to use the usual cordyline or conifer. Have you a suggestion what would look good, especially early on in the year before the bedding plants come out. Thanks G.T by e-mail

Reply. Try a camellia. They come in pinks or reds and they are ideal plants for containers. They need a bit of shelter from the wind and frost. They also need an acid soil, much the same as rhododendrons. When established the shrub doesn’t really need pruning. You will be rewarded with glossy dark green leaves all year and fabulous blooms from now until May

Horticultural.

JOBS TO DO IN SPRING

Photo: Lightly prune Hydrangea.

Lightly prune mophead and lacecap hydrangeas, taking off the old flower heads and cutting just above a strong pair of buds. Remove very spindly twigs. On old, congested bushes, take out some of the oldest stems at ground level. Hard prune Hydrangea paniculata and its cultivars, such as 'Kyushu' and 'Grandiflora', to leave two or three pairs of buds on each branch.

Evergreen hedges such as yew and cypress should also be planted now. Pot-grown hedging evergreens can be planted at any time, but they will establish better if planted now or in the autumn. Bare-rooted evergreen hedging should be planted now, and should be watered well over the next three months. Cold winds can burn plants whose root systems have been recently disturbed, and it pays to protect very exposed plants from wind until they are established.

MOVING EVERGREENS
Now is a good time to plant or move evergreens. The weather is warming up a little and root activity has started. New growth hasn’t appeared yet but it won’t be long. Look how long the grass is on your lawn to see that thing are coming on.

Prune the butterfly bush Buddleia davidii hard back to a framework of older wood at 60-120cm. Shoots will already be starting to grow. No matter. Cut hard back to the size you require, even if it leaves the plant entirely leafless. Flowers will be on the ends of this year's growth. Buddleia globosa, which has orange spherical flowers, and the delicate weeping Buddleia alternifolia both flower on old wood, and should be more lightly pruned after flowering in late spring.

BE PATIENT
Be patient still, and wait to prune back grey and tender shrubs damaged by winter cold, such as ceanothus, phlomis, helichrysum, salvia, artemisia, etc. Sage (Salvia officinalis) and many artemisias tend to layer themselves down, producing roots from twigs touching the ground. These can be severed and planted elsewhere next month

Cut out thin and crossing twigs of Spiraea 'Goldflame', and shorten back the main branches, to ensure a more telling flush of coppery spring foliage.

Horticultural.

GOURDS

(Click on the title for a link to Johnson Seeds)

GOURDS
Gourds, or as they are more commonly known, ugly fruit, are a staple product in many societies. They were one of the first plants to be cultivated throughout the world and have been in use for thousands of years. The gourd is the only plant that experts believe to have spanned the entire globe, which is surprising, as you can’t eat them. For thousands of years people have decorated gourds by cutting and scraping images using the sharp edge or tip of a hot stick. This method of incising and burning is still being used in some South American countries. Many cultures have been and are still using gourds for; bowls, vessels, hats, musical instruments and many other utilitarian purposes. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes and vary in thickness from eggshell thin to an inch or more in thickness.

GROWING GOURDS
Hard-shelled gourds are members of the squash and pumpkin family. Instead of having a soft skin like a pumpkin, hard-shelled gourds have a very tough outer skin. When dry, the exterior of these gourds turn into a wood like surface.

Gourds are easily grown in temperate climates such as ours; however, there are specialty farms that plant hard-shelled gourd crops specifically for artistic purposes. These growers ship their gourds worldwide to artists, crafts people and a variety of businesses.

GOURD ART
Today, as was true many centuries ago, artists combine their talents and perspectives in combination with the gourd shapes and textures, to create unique works of art from nature. Artists embellish gourds by painting, wood burning and carving designs into the hard surface.

When you plan the vegetable patch this year why not try to grow a few gourds. Johnson’s Seeds are selling packs of seeds this year and they are aiming them at children to buy. When they are grown they can be painted to make weird and wacky animals

EASY TO GROW
Sow seeds indoors: April and May. Sow seeds in pots or trays and place on a warm windowsill. Keep warm. Place the young seedlings outdoors for a few days in late May and avoid frosts. Plant out 60cm (24in) apart. Keep well watered. The plants will flower from August to October. Allow the gourds to dry for a few days and then varnish or paint them to look like animals.

Horticultural.