The Night Shift

 

The late John Cushnie was once asked, “What was the best way to introduce wild life into the garden?” His reply still makes me smile I quote” plant out and water in your strip of bedding plants or lettuce retreat to the kitchen window and just wait for all manner of wild life to show up and devour your precious plants.

 

So what with the trend for more naturalistic and meadow planting schemes.

Also the new phrase coined at this years Chelsea flower show of “ English Natives” that’s weeds to you and I, all helping raise awareness of the depletion of habitat the decrease in numbers of the native bee and other such concerns, we should be pleased if our efforts in our own gardens do make a difference?

 

That really does depend on who shows up….

 

I’ve heard tell of several gardens not necessarily being over run with Moles, but just one can cause enough problems. One molehill filling a wheelbarrow! Standing on the lawn and being over whelmed by that sinking feeling, honest. Trying to encourage the gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat to move on to pastures new is not always easy. Pouring jays fluid in the run has had some effect, though almost totally blind the moles sense of smell is very acute. Sonic mole alarms having little affect!

 

I have herd tell of one land owner plumbing his land rover exhaust to a hose and inserting said hose into a mole hill, resulting in a scene from the land that time forgot, as the exhaust fumes emanated from the other hole in the network.

 

The most destructive of nocturnal garden visitors is the badger; I was talking to a farmer friend of mine about how one badger had striped back 100 sq meters of pristine lawn in a night, resulting in the gardener rigging at great expense around the whole garden. “That’s nothing,” said my friend “just look at one of our fields on Weeke hill it looks as if its been ploughed”

 

Both the badger and Mr Mole are in search of food that resides beneath the green sward, mostly worms and the larva of the crane fly commonly know as leather jackets. This marauding gang of none motorbike-riding hoodlums are intent on devouring the roots of your lawn, leading to yellowing and dead thatch in the spring.

Though there are commercially treatments available an effective solution is to cover part of the affected area with heavy black plastic over night and remove is mid morning. The lava comes to the surface at night and the black plastic lengthen the night time, the result is a mid morning meal for the birds.

 

Despite the devastation inflicted by the above, the most curious damage I have seen was the small tufts of grass plucked from the lawn each lying at a foot or so apart.

Squirrels will dig in a lawn looking for misplaced food buried last autumn, but this was not the same sort of damage.

 

This I later discovered was “Zirkelm” from the German Zerkel ‘ a pair of compasses’-translated ‘ open bill probing. The culprit the Rook as described in Mark Cockers book Crow Country,” who uses its stiletto like bill with its gnarled hilt of bone coloured skin to probe 5-6 cm beneath the surface in search of invertebrates and arthropods. The bird waddling along then seemingly at random punch its beak down with some force, then shifts its body around for better to prise open a cavity in which to search.”

 

 

 

 

 

General care

Summer prune side shoots on restricted fruit trees (such as espaliers and fans) to three to four leaves to form fruiting spurs. If necessary, prune nectarines, apricots and peaches after they have fruited, and prune plums, gages and damsons immediately after harvest.

 

• Irregular watering can lead to problems with blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting of root vegetables and flower abortion in runner beans. Help prevent this by watering well during dry spells.
• Weeds can also compete with vegetables for water, and act as hosts for pests and diseases, so remove regularly by hoeing.
• Marrows should be raised off the ground slightly, to prevent them discolouring from contact with the soil.
• Take care when thinning out any late-sown carrot seedlings to prevent the scent released attracting carrot fly females

For more garden notes go to http://dartmouthgarden.blogspot.co.uk/

 

And photos of beautiful Devon gardens go to. http://earthgardencareanddesign.moonfruit.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feels Like Summer

Feels Like Summer

 

Well here we are again, early July and wondering what the weather is going to do?

As I write the long-range forecast seems to show that things are going to be changeable in July with high pressure in August hopefully bringing warm dryer weather. So don’t put the wellies away and keep the sun block handy is all we gardeners can hope for.

So watering will probably be needed at some point, always remembering not to over water. Onions are best not watered unless under drought conditions, this is because onions grown hard keep much better through the winter.

I have found the best way to have the weather work for you is to have plenty of organic matter in the ground or on it if you practice the no dig method. This helps to retain moisture as apposed to watering, roots head out into this moisture retentive layer in search of nutrients and a good root system leads to healthier and better vegetables.

Of coarse in wet spells watering by hand (far more better than using a sprinkler, this wastes more than is of benefit) is avoided, though weeds also thrive, so during dryer weather keep the hoe busy knocking back the worst.

I do bang on about the use of the hoe, it is one of my favoured tools, my current one resembles a flattened out 9 iron golf club, has sharp edges on three sides and is near perfect for the job of weed eradication. Hoeing in dry weather can save hours of hand weeding it also keeps the top layer of soil friable cutting out capillary action, so acts as a mulch preventing the drying affect of the sun and wind.

And of coarse there is so much said in the adage if you hoe when you don’t have weed you wont get any.

Another way to prevent moisture loss is by adding an organic mulch of well-rotted compost at a depth of 2-3 inches.

It used to be that July was thought to late to sow any more vegetables, but see the list below for some last minuet options.

I have seen Rocket sown in spring and bolt by late June or early July and though the seed packet recommends an early sowing the problem is that Rocket flowers at this time of year so it would seem that a later sowing about now or even as late as August would provide better results, with wild rocket being a better option, as it will survive a mild winter as a perennial especially if grown under cover.

 

 

Sowing and planting

• Sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel, and autumn/winter salads.
• Carrots can still be sown, but beware of carrot fly when thinning existing seedlings.
• Last chance to sow French beans and runner beans (south of England only).
• Plant out leeks and brassicas for a winter supply, if not yet done.

General care

• Ensure all vegetables get a regular, consistent supply of water. This will aid healthy development, and help to avoid diseases, disorders and bolting.
• Continue to hoe off weeds in dry weather. Done in wet weather, the weeds are liable to re-root.
• Climbing beans may also need stopping, to maximise cropping on existing side shoots. Stop them when they reach the tops of their supports.
• Beans need sufficient watering to help the seedpods set.
• Check climbing vegetables are securely tied to supports.

 

Higher Ground

Higher Ground

 

I was recently talking to some one who was interested in getting an allotment,and as the conversation ensued it came to light that they had the impression that once all the digging and planting was done it was just a case of popping back once a week to harvest bucket loads of lovely fresh veg.

After pointing out that it was not that simple, the talk turned to vegetables that could be planted and left to get on with it. So as time went on the list started to get longer and longer.

As a matter of fact there are dozens of perennial vegetables from every corner of the vegetable world to choose from, and to suit all sizes of garden, including salad leaves, brassicas, roots, onions and edible flowers.

If you’re looking for something architectural, you could do worse than globe artichokes, with their ragged grey/green leaves and towering flowers. It not only looks a treat, but the flesh of the immature flower heads is delicious.

There are wonderful perennial alternatives to the staples – of the many perennial onions, my favorite is the welsh onion. Similar to a spring onion but a real perennial prop forward of an onion.

And if you’re looking for an alternative to the potato, try oca, another South American tuber that resembles a new potato but tastes a little lemony when just picked, sweetening if matured in the sun, and immune to blight. Beware though Oca is a member of the Oxalis family and though having pretty flowers it can be invasive. 

Jerusalem artichokes are a member of the sun flower family though the flower is much smaller. I once grew these as a wind break to help shelter an exposed plot, but as you might know once eaten you tend to end up with break wind.

Ruby or rainbow chard can bring a splash of colour to and garden plot, it makes a good alternative to spinach.

Most of the herb family are generally considered perennial or of coarse shrubby. With Bay,Rosemary and sage giving colour to the garden in winter.

Then there is the matter of soft fruit. Rhubarb, an old favorite of mine gives one of the first harvests in the spring. Then on to the berry and current families and not forgetting the queen of summer fruit the strawberry.

Of coarse there is no point growing food that you don’t eat or even like but with some planning and initial ground work followed by copious mulching.

So one could have a plot that need minimal care through the season. But also be a thing of beauty and even be planted amongst the flower border

 

Sowing and planting

• Sow French beans, runner beans, squash, cucumbers and pumpkin seeds directly into prepared beds outside. Be alert to late frosts (for which a covering of horticultural fleece should provide sufficient protection).
• Sow sweet corn outside in blocks, at least 45cm (18in) spacing, with two seeds per hole. The strongest seedling can be selected later.
• Sow purple sprouting broccoli for harvesting next winter.
• Other young plants can be planted out once conditions are suitable, and once they've been hardened off

 

General care

• Earth up potatoes when the shoots are 23cm (9in) high, in order to prevent the new tubers going green
• Start to remove side shoots from cordon tomatoes as you see them. The side shoots develop in the leaf axils (i.e. between the stem and leaf), and if allowed to develop will sap the energy of the plant and reduce the quality of the yield.
• Peas need staking with pea sticks, netting, or pruned twigs from the garden.

 

 

General tasks in the fruit garden

• Make sure fruit isn’t drought stressed, especially those in containers, against a wall or newly planted.
• Make sure bees can access caged and cloched fruit flowers to ensure pollination.

Go Wild in the country

Go Wild in the country

 

Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. It's time to get busy preparing seedbeds, sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and not all ready done so, generally tidying up around the garden.

The long winter that seems to have lasted since way back in August, remember all that cold wet weather. And yet despite the bone chilling east wind through Febuary our gardens are trying to inform us that spring has sprung. Daffodils have been flowering for two to three weeks and I spotted a Forsythia and Prunus showing colour in mid Febuary.

The cold dry weather can provide opportunity to get on the flowerbeds and finish of any pruning and cutting back of things such as perennial grasses like Miscanthus. Spot weeding is also a good idea picking out those weeds before they get chance to flower and set seed. After one has tidied the bed remember if the bed borders a lawn, get out the edging shears you sharpened and oiled last autumn and trim the lawn edge. It is not to early to top off the lawn, leaving the setting of the blades one or two notches higher than your normal summer cutting length.

In the vegetable garden as long as the conditions permit below you will find a long list of tasks that could be undertaken.

I have often been asked when is the best time to dig over the veg patch?

I usually take the lead from the farmers as when, I’m driving along one of the areas many lanes looking at the back end of a tractor and plow, then its time to flash up the Renovator.

 

 

Top 10 jobs this month

1.     Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes

2.     Protect new spring shoots from slugs

3.     Plant summer-flowering bulbs

4.     Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials

5.     Top dress containers with fresh compost

6.     Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed)

7.     Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems

8.     Weeds come back in to growth - deal with them before they get out of hand

9.     Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters

10. Open the greenhouse or conservatory doors and vents on warm days

Sowing and planting

• Plant onions, shallots.
• Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers.
• Chit early and main crop potatoes.
• Sow seed outdoors in mild areas with light soil, eg: broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, onions, lettuces, radish, peas, spinach, summer cabbage, salad leaves, leeks, Swiss chard, kohl rabi, turnip and summer cauliflower. Be guided by the weather, and sow only if conditions are suitable.
• Sow seed indoors of sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, celery, salads and globe artichokes.

General care

• Cultivate and prepare seedbeds, covering them with clear polythene or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.
• Protect early outdoor sowings with fleece and polythene.
• Feed crops that have been standing all winter.
• Put supports in place for peas.
• Start preparing runner bean supports and trenches for sowing (in May) or planting out (in June).
• Try to avoid digging in wet weather, but if gardening on wet soil, work from a plank of wood, to avoid treading on the bed and compacting the soil.