LATE SPRING IN THE FLOWER GARDEN

I was lucky enough to have the time to walk in Porthaw woods on the outskirts of Buncrana last week. They are usually rather impenetrable for most of the year, due to either the weather or the fact that the brambles and bracken grow way over your head in summer. This area is such an unspoiled part of the peninsula and hopefully it will stay that way for a long time. The woodland has a wide variety of native trees and a strong diversity of smaller wildflowers such as orchids and bluebells that were looking a treat contrasting beautifully with the fresh growth of the tree leaves. I am bathing stinging legs that have been brambled, but it was worth the effort. If you are not feeling as adventurous there are lots of things to be getting on with in your own garden this week, apart from trying to keep the weeds in check.

Lilies
Potted lilies will be growing quickly now and as their flowers start developing they will need some support. Push several canes into the compost around the edge of the pot, linking them up with string to provide stability. If border lilies are not supported by neighbouring plants, use stakes around these too.

Roses
Sprinkle rose fertiliser around roots to encourage strong growth and a good flower display. Water in if rain does not fall within a couple of weeks (Hmmmm) or hoe into the soil, taking care not to harm the roots.

Bearded iris
Once irises have finished flowering in June, congested clumps can be lifted, divided and replanted. Reduce the leaf area by half and replant so that the rhizomes rest at the soil surface.

Primulas
Dig up large clumps now and divide into individual plants, each with leaves and roots. Replant into newly prepared soil

Horticultural.

HOT AND COLD MANURE

Ian
I have been told to put cold manure into the vegetable patch. What is “cold manure”? T.L. by e-mail.

Reply
Manure can fall into two categories, “hot” and “cold”. "Hot" manures such as horse, pig and poultry are high in nitrogen and need composting to prevent burning plants. “cold” manures are manures from cow, sheep or rabbit origin and can be added directly to the soil. I think it would still be a good idea to let them rot down a bit before you pour them directly around the plants.

Horticultural.

FRUITY BUSINESS

Yet again as the weather is warming up, we have been overrun with fruit flies from the compost bin. I think that I have sorted the problem out by incorporating ripped up newspaper and layers of grass clippings to the pile. This is drying out the mush and making it less hospitable for the pests. They do not really cause any damage to anything - they are just so irritating. As soon as the lid is lifted off they swarm straight into the house and spend the rest of their lives either resting on the fruit bowl or flying around your head. Some people have actually put sticky flytraps into the compost bin, but I think that is going a bit far. Keeping the compost dry and covering it with paper should do the trick.




WORSE OFFENDERS
There are far more pests in the garden that will need your attention more that the fruit fly. As the weather warms up, and spring moves into summer, the garden becomes a real battleground, with pests attacking flowers, fruits and vegetables as soon as your back is turned. Be on the lookout for the first signs of attack, picking off any pests found or mixing up the soapy spray for greenfly. Weigh up the pros and cons of leaving plants to look after themselves and putting up with some damage, or applying regular preventive sprays to stop pests taking hold. Sawfly caterpillars almost always attack gooseberries and a preventive spray will stop leaves being eaten away to their skeletons. Broccoli on the other hand, has the opportunity to revitalise itself in the following spring, even if some leaves get eaten. If you really do not want to use chemical sprays in the garden then place the vegetables carefully. You can avoid a carrot fly infestation by planting them in a raised container. The flies can only reach a height of about 90cm so the carrots would be safe. The other safeguard against pests is to practice companion planting. Onions and garlic next to vegetables can confuse pests and flowers such as calendulas attract greenfly from other more vulnerable crops.

Horticultural.

CARRIER BAG LEVY

AND A CARRIER BAG AS WELL PLEASE

(Click on the title for a link to Friends of the Earth)

Ian

As the effects of the plastic bag tax wears off, the latest figures show that the number of bags being paid for are up almost 15% year on year. Add this to widespread reports of shops issuing bags without any charge, and Ireland’s pioneering tax is in trouble. FIE supports Friends of the Earth's call for a doubling of the tax. There is added disappointment on the streets too because the government have failed to carry through with the chewing gum levy and the cash machine receipts. One issue that will become more high profile this year will be the push for bottles to be made returnable by introducing the deposits on the bottles. This used to keep loads of children in pocket money years ago when they used to collect them up and take them back to the shops. Recycling glass bottles actually uses up more energy that producing them from the raw materials so to be able to use them again would be a great saving in energy.

Environmental.

EGG LABELS

READY EGGY GO

Have you seen all of the red ink on your shop bought eggs? Well this idea comes from the organisation that brought you straight bananas and a set number of peas in a pod. It’s the egg code. Arriving soon through a letterbox near you will be a beginner's guide to cracking the scrambled new EU egg code. A total of €150,000 will be spent teaching us how to read eggs in order to trace their country, and even farm, of orgin. The campaign - funded by the EU, the Department of Agriculture and Irish Egg Marketing - will help consumers track their egg from chicken to plate. A series of numbers stamped on the egg will reveal whether it is free range or barn, which country and county it came from, the ID of the individual farm and the "best before" date. Numbers rather than words are used, as the code must be intelligible in every EU country. Hence, 1IED12 means the egg is free range (1), from Ireland (IE), from Donegal and from farm number 12. The "best before" date is printed beneath. The publicity campaign will include newspaper advertisements and leaflets sent to homes and supermarkets. "The public want transparent information about the food they are eating and they will benefit from this campaign," said John Mohan of the Irish Egg Association.

Environmental.