HAZEL STAKING

ANNUAL STAKEOUT
One of the jobs I particularly enjoy every year in the garden is building plant supports. I have been creating some fancy structures out of hazel rods that I cut from the coppiced trees in a friend’s garden. For the sweet pea structure I have gone for a round wigwam shape and left the inside unplanted, I thought it would be a good place for the children to hide and make a den. In the vegetable patch I’ve gone for a more traditional look with two lines of sticks held together at the top with a horizontal pole tied together with garden twine these will hold up my peas and beans.

Usually the idea of putting supports around plants is so you only see the plants and not the structure that is supporting them, but I think if you use attractive material such as hazel it really doesn’t matter if it is showing. Bamboo is a convenient option as you can buy them from the shops, they should last a couple of years as well. I would not recommend using willow rods, I did this a few years ago in my vegetable patch and they all rooted and grew far better than the vegetables did!

The stakes can be put into place even before the plants go into the ground, this means less root disturbance for the plants. If you have Delphiniums or perennial plants that need staking then these can be pushed into the ground near the new growth. A cautionary note with the shorter supports is to put some form of cover over the top of them, such as an old pot or a made to measure plastic cover. If it wasn’t for me wearing glasses I would have caught myself in the eye with a bamboo stake many a time. Watch out for bamboo splintering when they are pushed into the ground as well, it would be a good idea to wear gloves.

It can be a dangerous business being out in the garden!

Horticultural.

SLUG PELLETS

I’ve had a few customers running out of the polythene tunnel screaming this week. This wasn’t because I was boring them senseless with my sales patter; it was more of an amphibian nature. Even though my lad’s frogs are only the size of a fingernail they can instill fear on those that they jump out at. I might loose out on a few plant sales but the frogs are certainly doing a magnificent job at keeping the slug population down, so much so that I don’t have to go searching around the pots at midnight with a torch and a pointy stick anymore. Since they have come out of the pond the damage to the plants has been minimal, with only the great big king slugs that are too big for the frogs to handle making the odd appearance.

The one big disadvantage of the frogs occupying the tunnel is that I can’t spray anything to get rid of greenfly. They are a real problem this year, I have to take out any affected plant, spray it, leave it to dry and then put it back, which is proving to be very time consuming. The greenfly killer I’m using this year has an extract of chrysanthemum in it called pyrethrin, so it is classed as being organic, but it is still deadly to pond life. I wouldn’t even use the washing up liquid spray around the frogs for fear of messing up the happy balance of nature.

While I’m on the subject of pests, this reminds me I heard a report a couple of weeks ago about slug pellets. The claim was that they are not harmful to the bird population in any way. Now I don’t know who actually sponsored the research, it may well have been a multinational company who produce the pellets in the first place, but it was just the information I needed as an excuse to buy my first container of pellets. These were then thrown around the young vegetable plants that I have planted. What a difference they have made, usually at this time of year most of my vegetable plants are ravaged and all but disappear, but this year all the plants I put out are thriving. I do try my best to have an organic approach in the garden when tackling slugs, beer traps, sharp sand; eggshells,garlic spray and salt have all been tried, with little success. So it’s slug pellets for me from now on (although they will be placed under protection away from wildlife)

I can see some weeds, forget hand weeding and mulching, where’s the D.D.T.!

Horticultural.

SPROUTING SEEDS

Before I begin my usual ramblings on all things green, I’m happy to announce that the Inishowen Co-op now have the colourant for changing Hydrangeas from pink to blue. It comes in powder form and is easy to apply, the time is right for applying it to the shrubs now, and at just £2.76 you can’t go wrong.

My friend Paul is visiting again from England. He took over the article for me in the summer when I headed to the wilds of West Donegal on a camping trip. He will be helping me with a few jobs on his trip, (starting with writing about mulching for this weeks article). Before he pushes me off the page though I’d like to mention a few things.

I have been rooting around in my scullery this week in an effort to find some long lost tree ties. I didn’t find them, but I did come across an old bean sprouter that was gathering dust. This small propagator holds seeds with a small amount of water and after three or four days the seeds are ready for eating, either raw or in stirfrys and soups. These sprouters aren’t really necessary as most seeds can be sprouted on a tray or an old jar. Sprouted seeds are surprisingly rich in vitamins, minerals proteins and polyunsaturated oils. Growing seeds in this way can be done at any time of year as well so they are always in season. Apart from mustard and cress you may be familiar with the sprouted mung beans that are sold in packs at the supermarkets. There are plenty more to grow besides these but if you are in any doubt check them out first. Some seeds can be bitter or tasteless, or, as in tomato positively harmful (They are a member of the potato family).
I was down at the whole food shop Food for thought, in Buncrana recently to have a look at their choice of seeds suitable for sprouting and they have a good selection to get you going (they even have a seed sprouter priced at £6.99 if you don’t want to use a jar)

Mung beans: these are the familiar Chinese bean sprouts; they will take 4-6 days and are ready when the shoots are about 2in long.

Fenugreek: These are familiar in curries; they are spicy and go well in soups and salads. They are ready in 4-8 days or when they are ½” long.

Alfalfa: Don’t be put off by the fact that farmers grow alfalfa to maturity and feed them to cattle. The young sprouts have a sweet pea like flavour and are healthy additions to salads. These will only take 3 –5 days or when they reach 1-2” in length.

Sprouting the seeds
The seeds will need washing in cold water for a start and then let them soak overnight in tepid water. If you use a jar, place the seeds in then cover the end with a piece of cloth or a square cut out of old tights, secure with a rubber band then tip the jar on it’s side, put it on a plate if you don’t want it rolling around the kitchen worktop. Remember that the seed will increase in size four or five times by the time they are ready, so don’t put too many in the jar. They will need rinsing at least twice a day with fresh water; it’s as easy as that.If you are feeling really adventurous then why not give some of these a try too: Soya beans (sometimes used as a mung bean substitute), Barley, Chick peas, Adzuki beans (crisp and nutty) Green lentils (my personal favourite) and Radishes (peppery).

Horticulural.

MULCH

Paul’s Ponderings
Here are a few words about a favourite gardening technique of mine that I share with other lazy or some would like to think, efficient gardeners. After all, who wants a garden that looks wonderful but has left you with a slipped disc through digging?

Gardens are for sitting in, eating and drinking in and playing in. They are for pleasures to be enjoyed, not in my opinion trials to be endured. To make as much time available for the fun activities and to reduce the need for hard labour think MULCH.

What a great word it is. Use it in Scrabble to score lots of points! Say it out loud a few times and you will find yourself starting to relax and feeling calmer. (The people around you however may start to worry about you and suggest professional help!) Once you have caught the mulching bug and seen the results you can achieve, you will want to pass it on and when your friends see what happens they will want to catch it too.

Horticultural.

COMPOST BINS

Last week I found myself putting a Busy Lizzy (Impatiens) houseplant in the microwave to see if it got rid of a nasty attack of greenfly. (I wouldn’t recommend this course of action as the greenfly seem to survive longer than the plants!) I came to the conclusion this action was telling me to get back into the garden and take advantage of the dry, sunny weather. The ground was dry enough to strim marsh reeds that have taken over the back garden as I don’t like using chemical weed killers. I could install a drainage system, but keeping them well cut down will eventually kill them off. And will prepare the area for a pond. I’ve put rotted manure on the vegetable patch, pruned the fruit bushes and warmed my hands on a bonfire that’s reducing the tree thinnings into ashes ready for the compost bin. It’s great to be working outside again.




COMPOST BINS
With all the controversy about landfill sites these days, composting your kitchen waste can help for a start. It is good for the environment and good for your garden. But how exactly can this be done? The word compost denotes two different products. The first is a mixture of soil, peat and sand used in potting plants. The second is all types of vegetable waste rotted in a heap together with an activator to produce a blackish brown, crumbly material, resembling moist peat. This odourless material can be used to feed the vegetable plot, help fill containers and added to the beds and borders will help retain water and give valuable nutrients to the plants. Its this kind of compost I’ve dealt with here.

Find a space in the garden for your bottomless bin. Two sections would be better. This could be made from 5 pallets tied together to form a W shape adding loose boards at the front to add as the bin fills. Slatted timber, posts and wire netting or even bricks can be used as long as enough air can circulate around the contents of the bin. Ready made bins can be bought if needs be.

Loosen the soil at the base of the container. The bacteria and worms in the soil will start the rotting process.

Put in a layer of garden rubbish or vegetable kitchen waste. I would only include uncooked waste from the kitchen, as anything cooked or of meat origin will attract rodents. Any other material such as fluff from the vacuum cleaner, straw or well-soaked newspaper can be added.

A spade full of soil can be added. The activator is then sprinkled on top of this. The activator can be bought from a garden centre or alternatively a spade full of horse or cow manure can be used. Continue filling in this manner, adding the loose board at the front to keep things tidy, until the section is full.

Cover the bin with a sheet of polythene or board if the weather is very wet, if not leave it open to allow water in.

In early autumn turn the material from one container to the other. This speeds up the rotting process by allowing more air to circulate.

By the following spring or summer the compost is ready for use. Avoid using material from the top and edges, as the weed seeds may not have been killed. This can be recomposed for the next year.
If grass clippings are added, make sure no weed killer has been used and don’t put diseased plants into the compost bin.

Horticultural.

COMPANION PLANTING

Photo: Bees love Rosemary in flower.

This week I ventured out of my polythene tunnel and stepped out into the big wide world. Well I made it to Carndonagh anyway. I went over to the organic farm just out of the town to take herb cuttings. The cuttings are going to be grown on and planted in some raised beds that are being built at the Cashel na Cor centre. The idea is to make a raised sensory garden, which will be low maintenance. Other aromatic plants will be included eventually to fill out the spaces. The organic farm, I noticed uses companion planting. I mentioned a bit about this idea last week planting carrots and onions together to confuse the pests. There are many other plants that will thrive next to each other. Like people I suppose, plants benefit by a bit of company

COMPANION PLANTING
There are lots of varieties of herbs, flowers and shrubs that can be used for companion planting. Many plants have natural substances in their roots; flowers and leaves that can either repel unwanted pests or attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds to keep the greenfly at bay. Companion planting can also improve the flavour of your fruit and vegetables, for example if Basil is planted next to tomatoes this improves the growth as well as the flavour. The basil also repels flies.

Below is a list of the more common plants that are effective for companion planting.

PLANT GUIDE

Borage: A good companion plant for tomatoes and strawberries. The plant attracts bees and wasps though so don’t put them too close to where you sit and sunbathe. A good plant for adding minerals to the soil and when it is cut down it is a good addition to the compost heap.

Catnip: This fast growing plant keeps away a large number of pests such as beetles, ants and mice, it smells nice too. Your cat will love you for it!

Chives: These improve the growth and flavour of carrots and tomatoes. Planted among apple trees it is said to prevent scab. A tea made from chives helps to keep downy mildew off cucumbers.

Clover: This plant has long been used as a green manure as it brings up nutrients from deep in the soil, a lot of people spend all summer trying to get it out of their lawns though as it can be invasive.

Comfrey: This plant accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium from deep in the soil. Slugs like to hide under the leaves, so you know where to catch them. Mix equal quantities of nettle and comfrey leaves together and add water. Leave for a few days then use the liquid as a very effective plant food, you’ll never need to buy any ever again!

Coriander: Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetle

Garlic: A spray made from as little as a 6-8% concentration kills greenfly, it also keeps beetles and snails off other plants. It keeps greenfly off roses if it is planted near the bushes.

Lavender: Repels moths and fleas, use dried sprigs in the house to keep the moths out.

Lemon balm: Lemon balm contains citronella which most insects find distasteful, some people use the crushed leaves as a skin rub to keep away insects in summer

Lovage: Improves the flavour and health of most vegetables. It is a large plant and makes an attractive backdrop for the borders. It is similar to celery in flavour.

Marigolds: These are the Calendula types that will self-seed around the garden. They keep the soil free from nematodes and discourage many other pests; the downside is that they attract slugs.

Marjoram: This plant improves the flavour of vegetables
Mint: If you dare plant this invasive plant in your garden you will see the benefits. It improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes, attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps. Cut the plant down and use as mulch around brassica plants to keep pests away. Earthworms are attracted to the plant as well which is good news for a healthy soil.

Rosemary: Companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. It deters moths, beetles and flies.

Sage: Use as a companion to broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage and carrots. This plant also keeps away moths, beetles and flies. Allowing them to flower attracts many beneficial insects into the garden.

Tarragon: Plant this throughout the garden as not many pests like this plant. It also improves the flavour of vegetables if planted nearby.

Yarrow: Yarrow has insect repelling properties and is an excellent natural fertilizer. A handful of cut leaves speeds up the compost bin. It seems to increase the natural oils in herbs when planted nearby

With a bit of trial and error the plants can be positioned in such a way that the garden will be virtually free of most of the pests and disease that can take over plants and it’s all done without the use of chemicals.

Horticultural.