SERIOUS PLANTING AND SOWING

SERIOUS PLANTING AND SOWING

Planting the broad beans

In a normal year we make a start to sowing and planting on the allotment in March. Timing always depends on getting a few dry sunny days to warm up the soil, so plants can get started even if this is followed by a return to cooler weather. This year there has been a total lack of any warm days right up until Easter Sunday when the sun shone, the cold icy winds abated and it lasted for a whole week. Although we are now running a few weeks late the soil has warmed up enough to make a start. Potatoes are now all in the ground but I don’t expect to see shoots till the end of April, and that will be fine just in case we get a late frost. Broad beans Giant Exhibition Longpod are now well established as they are quite hardy and won’t be affected by cooler temperatures.

Sophie watering the salads

Similarly, onion Hytech seedlings were planted out in mid April after hardening off, and now look just fine. Onion seed sown in cellular trays germinate in groups of one to three plants and are then planted about four inches apart. Do not separate plants from cells with several seedlings as these will grow quite happily in clumps or singly.

Leek Musselburgh has now been sown in between a couple of rows of new strawberries. The strawberries are spaced at three feet apart so there is plenty of space for my leeks to grow and bulk up before they are lifted for transplanting a few weeks later.

Carrot, parsnip and turnip have now been sown in the root crop section for rotation.

Good sweet corn germination

The space allocated for sweet corn has been sown with clover to catch a green manure crop which will get dug in two weeks ahead of planting. The sweet corn has been sown in cellular trays and placed on a warm windowsill. Germination takes about two weeks, then the seedlings grown on for a few more weeks before potting up into 7cms pots. They then grow for a further three weeks or so before planting out in early June.

An early batch of salads, (lettuce, spring onion, radish and beetroot) raised on a windowsill in cellular trays are now well established on the allotment under a low polythene tunnel. However they need watering with this dry weather.

Early peas Kelvedon Wonder is now sown, but Alderman peas will be sown a few weeks later to give me a succession of fresh peas.

Sowing peas

Fruit crops

Strawberry Mae under tunnels is flowering, but lack of warm weather has held back growth so plants do not look very strong at present. Other strawberries have only just started to grow.

Other fruit trees and bushes are all running a good couple of weeks later than usual.

Peach Peregrine growing outdoors on a south facing fence was in full flower in mid April. This year there has been plenty flowers on the tree, but considerably later than normal. This should, theoretically, help pollination as there are now plenty bees around, but unfortunately there is also plenty other flowers everywhere so bees being spoilt for choice, are ignoring my peaches. Hand pollination is carried out every second day, but cold temperatures affect pollen production and fertilisation so time will tell how successful this has been.

Apples, cherries and my pear tree are all flowering profusely so it could be a good year for fruit, provided there are no climatic abnormalities still to come.

Wee jobs to do this week

Snowdrops and aconites usually produce a lot of seed. Do not lose this as it can be gathered and spread around drifts to increase there size. I have a drift of aconites of well over one thousand plants that started of several years ago from a purchase of a small container of six plants.

Earth up potato shoots as they appear as a late frost is still likely at this time of year. Global warming seems to be a bit late this year, so don’t take any chances.

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DUNDEE BOTANICAL GARDENS

DUNDEE BOTANICAL GARDENS

Dundee Botanical Gardens were started in 1971 by Dundee University to meet the needs of the botany staff. The first curator was Edward Kemp who established a natural Scottish environment at the gardens using the south facing slope. It is one of the great pleasures of being in Dundee that it is possible to take a walk from the Highlands to the seashore without ever leaving the city. This ramble can also take you all the way from the Mediterranean to Asia, and still without crossing the city boundaries. Set in 21 acres in the west end of Dundee, the Garden includes large tropical and temperate glasshouses and an outstanding range of plant life.

Here the plants are arranged geographically so that visitors can walk through the world’s temperate regions from the Mediterranean to East Asia. The British Native Plant area contains plant communities adapted to conditions high in the Angus glens down through woodlands to the seashore. Enter the Glasshouses and you find contrasting rainforest and desert habitats, while the historical development of plant adaptations is shown in the Evolution Garden.

It is an endlessly fascinating journey, one which highlights how various flora and fauna might be associated with each other when they are in their natural environment. It can also be spectacular, such as when the rhododendrons are in full flower in April, although the emphasis, as Alasdair Hood, Curator of the garden, points out. “I always think the most significant thing we do is we encourage people to observe the diversity of nature. So, when they walk around and take time to look at the plants they will see things like Sycamore flowers and Southern Beach flowers and realise that trees flower too. The Garden has now matured, though forty years ago it was just a hayfield with one tree in it. That original sycamore is still here but the gardens have grown by a third and there are more than 5500 different species of plants.”

The Garden changes all the time. A new herb garden is being placed just outside the windows of the coffee shop. By next Spring, visitors will be able to take their refreshments with all the scents of the herb garden lingering in the background. The Garden’s was founded as a place where science, education and conservation could take centre stage, as well as providing a garden for the entire community of Dundee. Those goals are being carried forward by the University, the Friends of the Botanic Garden and now with the help of the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust.

The Trust was formed in 2013 to assist and support the Garden as it continues to create a vital centre of knowledge and appreciation of plant life. The income generated by the Endowment Trust will contribute and support the development, enhancement and annual running costs of the Botanic Garden. The Trust will also help inspire community involvement in the garden, with a regular programme of public events. If you would like further information on how you can support the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust or if you would like to make a donation online through BT MyDonate please contact: Gordon Ramsay – Development Officer

Telephone 01382 381136 or Email: g.w.ramsay@dundee.ac.uk

Wee jobs to do this week

Plant out early cabbage, cauliflowers and sprouts raised from seed sown in early March. Place collars around the stem to prevent cabbage root flies from laying eggs next to the stems. These plants will also need to be netted from pigeons looking out for some fresh young greens.

Check over young shoots on roses for the first generation of greenfly and if not too severe they can be rubbed off with your fingers. Greenfly can also be a pest on the tips of young  blackcurrants shoots and gooseberries.

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CLIMBERS

CLIMBERS

Our gardens are either surrounded by fences and walls, or they encompass buildings which are sure to have some bare wall that can be enhanced with plants. There are plants for all walls no matter which way they face. Some are self clinging such as ivies and Virginian creeper, others need a support to cling to such as clematis and honeysuckle and others need to be supported and tied in as with jasmine, roses, grapes and other fruits. As well as blending buildings into the landscape many have very attractive foliage, autumn colour and flowers some of which may be highly scented. Some types are excellent for giving security to vulnerable windows on account of possessing thorns such as the firethorn, (Pyracantha). Then again if you are into edible landscapes then choose a fruiting form of climber such as outdoor grape Brant or a thornless bramble.

Pruning outdoor grape Brant

The difficult walls and fences are those facing north as they get precious little sunshine, but it does seem to suit hydrangea petiolaris, camellias, jasmine, ivies and pyracantha.

Climbing rose Morning Jewel

It is the south facing walls where you can really excel with something a bit more exotic. This is where I try out a range of outdoor grapes to see if I can come up with one that will ripen up in our unpredictable climate. The variety Brant is brilliant, but is more ornamental rather than commercial as the bunches are quite small, however Phoenix looks quite promising as does Solaris. These vines can be very vigorous so make sure you have the pruning technique sorted out.

Another good plant for the sunny south wall is the common passion flower. I tried this one next to my climbing rose Dublin Bay. It just loved it and gave me plenty of curious flowers, but then it tried to take over the whole wall. It was too rampant so it got the chop.

Climbing rose New Dawn

For a good scented climber honeysuckle in many different varieties will fill the bill, but they don’t need a south wall, so try the exotically scented common Jasminum officinale. Another one to try is Jasminum polyanthum, but it is not the hardiest and will be killed if it gets a severe frost. I tried one which was very successful for about six years then one bad winter sorted it out. It never recovered.

It is very popular as a climbing houseplant up a small cane and it sells as the scent is terrific, but it soon outgrows its space.

If you want a good display of flowers it is hard to beat climbing roses and clematis.

The common Clematis Montana may be very rampant but it just covers itself in flowers in spring so is well worth finding a spot for one where it can grow unrestricted. The large flowered hybrids can also be show stealers and are easier to contain.

There are numerous climbing roses to try out but the secret to good flowering is some late summer pruning after the first flush, then another more severe prune in winter.

Grape vine Brant on house walls

Edible climbers

Grapes have still to prove themselves in Scotland, but many other plants can be very successful.

Fences and walls are also popular places to grow a wide range fruit trees and bushes. Apples, pears, peaches, figs and cherries can be grown as fan trained trees and blackberries, tayberries and loganberries will all enjoy support on a wall or fence.

Wee jobs to do this week

Weeds will now start to grow into a serious problem, so hoe if the ground is dry enough or hand weed. Annual weeds can go on the compost heap, but perennial weeds must be disposed off. For large areas and paths glyphosate weedkiller is still the best and only herbicide available, especially to control pernicious perennial weeds. Some types such as mares tail will need sprayed two or three times at monthly intervals for a complete control. Spray on a dry day when no rain is forecast for the next day or even longer, and do not cut back weed growth prior to spraying as the chemical is absorbed by the foliage only, not the roots. In fact it is inactivated on contact with the soil which makes it a safe chemical to use in the garden.

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GREEN MANURES

GREEN MANURES

The urban gardener of today has a greater problem keeping his soil fertile compared to yesterday, when I was just a wee laddie. The town was smaller, which meant the countryside was nearer and access to farm manures was never a problem. We all had some contact with a local farmer who kept cows, pigs, hens and horses so using farmyard manure was part of normal garden practise. Life has evolved and now organic manure harder to come by so we build up our fertility by other means.

The compost heap is essential for all allotment gardens if you want to grow a worthwhile crop, and there are numerous things you can add to the heap. Annual weeds, vegetable kitchen waste, grass cuttings, shredded paper, wood shreddings from pruned bushes, autumn leaves, old bedding plants and old compost from tubs and hanging baskets.

However we do not need to stop there as soil improvements can continue all year long by using green manure practises. This involves sowing a fast maturing crop from seed which is then dug in as it comes into flower but before it gets a chance to seed. In spring you only need a couple of months to get a good green manure cover, and in autumn crops sown in September can be left as long as

possible as the ground is not needed till the following year. Some types of green manure such as the vetches (tares) are winter hardy so are great if you want to leave a ground cover over winter. The foliage is still active so no nutrients are lost from leaching in a wet winter, in fact they are absorbed by the plants and stored, to be released after the crop is dug in and it rots down.

Green manure crops used tend to have strong deep roots which break up the soil then add humus as

they rot down. A dense vegetative layer will help to suppress weeds. Clover, field beans and tares are very popular as they have root nodules which absorb nitrogen from the air and store it to be released later as nitrogenous fertiliser when the roots rot down. Mustard is also very popular as it is so reliable and quite vigorous, growing up to five feet tall giving plenty of green matter to dig in. However if your digging skills are a wee bit rough it might be easier to cut the tops down at ground level, rake them off and add them to the compost heap so digging can proceed without leaving a lot of green shoots sticking up. Mustard unfortunately is in the same family as all brassicas, so if you have a clubroot problem on your plot do not use mustard as it will carry the fungus over to the next year. This will also affect radish, turnips and swedes.

You can get two green manure crops in with a wee bit of planning. Late planted crops such as runner beans, sweet corn, courgettes and pumpkins, which don’t get planted till June, allow enough time from a March sowing to get a good green manure crop to grow sufficiently big before getting dug in at least two weeks ahead of planting. Then in late summer after harvesting your early potatoes, sweet corn, onions and broad beans and other crops there is still plenty of time for another green manure sowing. This is when tares are best used as these overwinter just fine. Use clover, field beans or phacelia for a spring sowing.

Always prepare the ground as normal for sowing a seed crop raking to a deep tilth and adding some general fertiliser. This boosts growth and the fertiliser is not wasted as it will be returned to the soil when the green manure crop is dug in and starts to rot.

Wee jobs to do this week

Start to mow the lawn if the mild winter has given the grass a growth boost, but keep the blades set high for the first couple of cuts. Remove the old grass from the lawn and compost it. Any bare patches can be scarified, adding a dusting of fine top soil and reseeded with a lawn seed mix.

Cut back dogwood, willows, and other shrubs grown for their coloured bark. I take mine right back to ground level and although this may seem severe at the time they soon regrow and by the end of the season they are four to ten feet tall.

Stake any tall growing herbaceous plants such as delphiniums, oriental poppies, peonias and pyrethrum before they get too big.

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