Top 10 gardening tips for April

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for April:

1. As the milder weather continues, take control of the weeds.

2. The lawn will need a Spring feed to control the weeds and to kill off the moss that has built up over the wet months. Once the moss has died, scarifying and then oversow the bare patches with the relevant grass seed.

3. Begin to tie in all the new growth on your climbers and rambling/climber roses to ensure they are secure for the season.

4. Your shrubs and trees may need the extra food boost, so feed them with a general purpose fertilizer such as Fish, Blood and Bone. Acid-loving plants will require an Ericaceous feed as well as sequestered iron to promote lush green growth and good flowering.

5. Mulching with bark, leafmould or compost after a wet spell, will ensure the soil is more moisture retentive and is also a good way of keeping the weeds at bay.

6. Choose your desired method, but try to keep the slugs and snails off the fleshy young growth.

7. Keep dead-heading your Daffodils and Tulips as well as feeding them with a liquid feed so they can store that food for the following year as the flowers begin to fade.

8. Plums and Cherry trees can be pruned now the risk of Silver leaf infection has gone.

9. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and protect tender plants, seedlings and blossom of fruit trees such as nectarines, apricots and peaches from those late frosts.

10. Sow your hardy annual and herb seeds and keep them under cover outside or in a greenhouse.

Happy Gardening!

Gardening chores for March

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for March:

1. With all the new growth emerging, make sure you protect the growth from the nasty slugs.

2. It’s the time of the year to plant the early potatoes, onions and shallots.

3. Make sure you get your Summer flower bulbs planted to ensure a Summer garden that is full of colour.

4. Those clumps of perennials that are getting out of hand need lifting and dividing now.

5. If you have appreciated the wonderful Winter colour of the stems of Cornus, unfortunately it’s time to cut them back now, as they will be coming into leaf.

6. If you are a big fan of container gardening, they could benefit from having a good top dressing with some fresh compost. Begin feeding from April onwards as they begin actively growing.

7. If you stand still long enough, you may see the weeds growing. Make sure you remove them before it gets out of control.

8. If we are blessed with some dry days, you may need to get the mower out to begin your Spring lawncare regime.

9. Sow the half-hardy annuals and vegetable under cover or in the greenhouse to get ahead of the game. Just don’t be tempted to plant out later in the month if the weather is warmer. March can be very unpredictable.

10. If you have not already done so, prune your roses and mulch them with a decent layer of compost and some slow release food granules mixed in.

Happy Gardening!

Gardening chores for February

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for February:

1. Still ensure that all your tender plants are securely protected by fleece.

2. If not already done, its your last chance to prune the dormant shrubs and trees that require a good shaping up. Any Winter flowering shrubs must be pruned after they have finished flowering. Take care not to cut the Spring flowering shrubs back otherwise you may miss the show this year.

3. Any bareroot plants such as roses and trees can be planted, as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. This gets them off to the best start in Spring.

4. Net your fruit and vegetables to keep the birds away.

5. Plant onion, shallots and garlic towards the end of this month.

6. Late flowering clematis can be cut back to the lowest and strongest buds followed by a good mulch and feed.

7. The ornamental grasses that have been left over Winter, can now be cut back, as you would have noticed the new shoots emerging.

8. Mowing may be necessary if the weather is mild, but do not mow if the conditions are very wet as you may damage the lawn.

9. A lighter form of lawn scarification can be done with a leaf rake to begin clearing the remaining moss for preparation of overseeding your bare patches.

10. Chit your potato tubers in preparation for planting.

Happy Gardening!

Beneficial and essential Winter pruning

With all the Autumn hues gone, the garden is now a mix of evergreens, leafless trees/shrubs and perennials that have died back. Get those secateurs out, as it is time for some Winter pruning…

Winter pruning best prepares our shrubs,trees and perennials for good growth and flowering.

Winter pruning is highly beneficial and has a huge impact on the growth and flowering of your shrubs, trees and perennials for the coming season and even, well beyond that. With most plants being leafless, it’s also the best time to enhance the shape through the correct pruning. One thing you want to avoid, is the pruning of shrubs that may be Winter or early Spring flowering as you may miss the show!

Waiting until mid-Winter, after we have had several hard frosts, means that the plant are most certainly dormant. Any time before the onset of Winter, you will be encouraging a flush of new growth which will be harmed by the inevitable hard frosts to come.

Start by cutting back any perennials which have completely browned-off. It may be worth leaving more tender perennials with the Winter growth still on, to offer protection for the plant against severe frosts. I always start with this as it is the most rewarding…

Grasses are an exception to the rule and are best left for late February, as the brown seed heads attract birds and the foliage may even provide shelter for them on a cold night.

You can then move on to pruning any diseased, damaged or dead branches off shrubs and trees. After this is done, more structured pruning will be necessary with some trees and shrubs requiring specialised pruning – such as some fruit trees and Wisteria.

Make sure that after all the pruning is done, that you do a thorough clearance of all debris and leaves, as this may blow up against smaller evergreens and cause rotting. It’s also the ideal hideout for… slugs and snails!

Happy pruning!

Gardening chores for December

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for December:

1. With the frosts and the icy weather on the doorstep, make sure all your frost protection is secure and functional. Depending on the temperature, you may require more than one layer of fleece. Helpful hint – one layer of fleece can increase the temperature by approximate 2 degrees.

2. Switch off any water features; keep the bases empty and remove the pumps where possible. Roll up and store hosepipes in a frost free area and insulate your exterior pipes from freezing conditions using bubblewrap.

3. It’s now time to prune bush apples and pears while they are in a dormant state. Espalier forms should not be pruned at this stage.

4. Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs can still be done at this stage as long as the ground is not frozen.

5. As it is cooler indoors, the watering of your houseplants can be reduced to avoid rotting.

6. Try to keep ponds free of frozen ice and if necessary, place a plastic saucer or two on the surface so they can be lifted to allow access to the pond water for feeding, if required.

7. Continue harvesting any of your Winter crops such as leeks, parsnips, winter cabbages and sprouts.

8. Now is a good time to begin carrying out servicing, cleaning and sharpening of your tools.

9. Continue clearing leaves and debris from the lawns and lower growing plants such as groundcovers and alpines to ensure the dampness does not cause rotting.

10. Get festive and make your own Christmas wreath for your front door.

Wishing all my readers, followers, fellow gardeners, horticulturists and customers a festive Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Happy Gardening in the New Year!

Gardening chores for November

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for November:

1. Continue to clear leaves on lawns (most importantly), flower beds and ponds.

2. This month is traditionally the month when frosts begin, so begin insulating your containers with bubblewrap and fleecing your more tender plants when there is the risk of frost.

3. It’s now time to finish off your Spring bulb planting scheme with planting of Tulips. They will provide you with colour until June next year.

4. Roses will require a pruning now as they have lost all or most of their leaves. The pruning also helps to reduce wind-rock as well. It’s also the best time of the year to plant Roses, with the garden centres usually stocking up with the new season batch.

5. Plant up your beds and containers with Winter bedding such as Pansy and Viola which will provide plenty of colour until May next year.

6. Place greasebands around the trunks of fruit trees to stop any Winter moth damage.

7. Prune Apple, Pears, Quinces and Medlars.

8. Place some bird seed out to attract Winter birds into your garden.

9. Rise up containers by using pot feet, to prevent water-logging.

10. You have until the end of the year to take hardwood cuttings.

Happy gardening!

Top 10 gardening tips for May

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for the month of May:

1. Most importantly watch out for the late frosts and protect tender plants when necessary.

2. It’s an exciting month, as all Summer bedding can be planted out by the end of the month as the risk of frost decreases – don’t drop the guard,…still keep an eye on those night temperatures using 5 degrees or less, no wind and clear night skies as your indicator for a risk of frost.

3. Earth up potatoes in the ground and plant any remaining potatoes still to be planted.

4. Begin to mow lawns on a weekly basis to ensure the best quality – feed with a grass feed containing weed-killer and moss-killer to maintain strong growth for the grass.

5. Tie up climbers that have put on good growth.

6. Apply bulb fertiliser to the Spring bulbs so they can store the feed for the following season.

7. Keep on top of weeding – easy to say of course…  

8. Some perennials may even require the ‘Chelsea chop’ (a good cut back around the time of Chelsea Flower Show) to encourage a second flush of growth and flowering.

9. Recently planted trees and shrubs will need to be well watered until they establish.

10. Sowing seeds directly outside can now begin.

Lastly…go to your local Garden Centre… buy plants… and plant them. There is always space… When the weather is great, go out and enjoy your garden. After all, the garden is an extension of your home and can be seen as your outdoor living room. Decorate it.

Happy gardening!

Gardening chores for October

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for October:

1. As leaf fall increases, make sure you clear the leaves on a regular basis. Use the leaves to create your own leaf mould as a soil conditioner, as long as they are not diseased.

2. This month is ideal for moving or planting any plants as the soil temperature is cooler ensuring less stress to the plants. It also gives them enough time to settle in before the onset of the colder weather.

3. Start planting your Winter bedding as well as bare-root wallflowers for a fantastic colourful display in Spring.

4. Continue to divide clumps of perennials for re-planting or donating to friends and family.

5. Plant Spring flowering bulbs such as Daffodils, Tulips and Alliums.

6. Now is a good time to improve your soil by adding organic matter such as leaf mould or well rotted manure, before the soil becomes too wet or frozen.

7. Feed your lawn with an Autumn feed which is high in Potassium and low in Nitrogen. They also contain a moss killer which helps control moss build up during the wet Winter months.

8. Make sure you keep an eye on the weather for frosts and protect the half-hardy plants with a protective layer or two of fleece.

9. Net your ponds to ensure the water is kept free of leaves and debris.

10. Conserve water this Autumn/Winter by placing water butts at the base of your downpipes. Ericaceous plants such as Camellia, Azalea and Rhododendron benefit from being watered with rainwater.

Happy gardening!

Gardening chores for September

What to focus on, as your gardening chores for September:

1. Its a great month for harvesting. Continue harvesting your vegetables and fruit and if there is too much to deal with, share with neighbours, friends and family.

2. Collect seeds from flowering plants and edibles which you may want to keep for future sowings or even to swap out with other friends and family.

3. Prune any shrubs that might need some tidying up and take cuttings of your personal favourites. Rambling roses stems that have flowered will need pruning out as well as the blackberry stems and raspberry canes that have produced fruit. Some perennials that are doing the splits may need to be cut back.

4. The Summer pruning of trained apples and pears should be completed this month.

5. Lift any tender perennials and pot them up for a more sheltered position elsewhere or move them to the glasshouse/greenhouse.

6. The leaves are slowly beginning to fall, so collect them as they fall and begin creating your own leafmould for the following season.

7. Flower bulbs will be available in the garden centres so make sure you buy early for the best range. Alliums sell out quickly, so if they appeal to you, shop while there is still good stock in the garden centres. Daffodils and crocus bulbs can go in the ground now, but you have until November for the Tulips.

8. Dig up strawberry runners and pot them up for next year.

9. Raise the height of your mower now to encourage thicker grass.

10. Growth on hedges will begin to slow down now, so give them a good cut to neaten them up.

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Happy gardening!