TIME TO ORDER SEEDS AND PLANTS
Although
the winter has been very mild and allowed us to continue with a few outdoor
gardening tasks, the days are short so there is plenty of time to sit down in
the evening and browse through this year’s new seed and plant catalogues as we
decide what new plants to grow in 2014.
There are
always plenty of new plants to try if you can find room. New vegetables can
replace any unsuccessful ones tried in previous years, but new shrubs, roses,
fruit bushes and grape vines are a bit harder to find room for.
Vegetables
Last
year’s success with clubroot resistant cabbage, cauliflower and swedes will be
repeated this year, but the range of varieties will be extended. Cabbage
Kilaton was brilliant, but this year I will also try Kilaxy, another late
summer and autumn cabbage. Cauliflower Clapton gave an excellent crop but they
all came at once and two people can only eat so much cauliflower in a cheese
sauce. This year I will try different sowing dates to extend my season. Last
year I sowed cauliflower Aalsmeer in summer so the plants can overwinter to
produce heads in spring. Growth has been terrific and I have two rows of strong
plants showing great potential. If they keep their promise I will be growing
them again this year for cropping in spring 2015.
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I have
only recently started to use my winter hardy swede Gowrie which is also
clubroot resistant. One row of large roots will keep my supplied for another
couple of months. It is well worth growing again, but I would also like to try
Marion, another clubroot resistant variety, and see how they compare.
As my
gale damaged greenhouse is in a serious state and may not be replaced till
spring, plans will have to be modified. Thus this year I will buy in sets of
onion Hytech rather than seed which I normally sow in late February, but they
need protection when very young.
Both
beetroot Boltardy and Detroit were great last year, but new varieties Bettolo
and Rhonda are worthy of a trial as they are said to be sweeter than normal.
Fruit
I have
heard that the new autumn fruiting raspberry Joan J is superior to Autumn
Bliss. It has spine free canes and much larger fruit producing a heavier crop,
so I will order in some plants.
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The new
blackberry Reuben is a primocane type, i.e. it fruits on new canes produced in
the same year. It is thorn free and very popular, but however, I will wait a
year or so to see how others find it. It was bred in USA, and our climate is a
wee bit damper and cooler so I want to be sure botrytis is not going to be a
problem.
Grape Regent was excellent outdoors last year, but I would also like to try Muscat Bleu and Polo Muscat to see how they like our Scottish conditions.
Grape Regent was excellent outdoors last year, but I would also like to try Muscat Bleu and Polo Muscat to see how they like our Scottish conditions.
More
information on these and other fruits can be seen at www.PomonaFruits.co.uk
Ornamentals
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Greenhouse plants
Last year
I tried Cape gooseberries and pepper Habanero, but this year, assuming I get
the glasshouse back into production, I will try the new yellow cherry tomato
Lldi, as well as my favourites Alicante and Gardeners Delight or Sweet Million.
Sweet Million appeared less hardy when we got a poor spring and suffered root
rots.
Plant of the week
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END
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