Amateur Gardening 7-Apr-2018

THANKS to The Beast from the East Mk I and II, spring had a false start this year. Luckily, the second blast was relatively short-lived, and after 48 hours of biting cold and snow the thaw began and the garden re-emerged from its pristine white blanket. I had been concerned about our young deciduous trees, which took quite a battering. Once the elements had quietened I went out to check they had all survived and carry out any necessary remedial work At this time of year there will be an abundance of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs for sale in nurseries, garden centres and supermarkets. I bought several fruit trees from a well-known German outlet and they have thrived and cropped well, even in their early years. They will be sold in…

ONCE the garden starts to warm up, young trees will surge back into growth. Make sure you tie back new shoots to prevent them being damaged by high winds, and to stop them causing damage if they are whipped around by gales. Climbers and rambling roses will also be taking off now, so make sure you also tie them in to whatever supports they have in place. As well as keeping them in their allotted space, this lets you train them in the desired shape and direction. Growing trees and shrubs need feeding as they come back into growth. Give them a balanced fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone or Growmore now, especially if they are young, weak-looking or were recently hard pruned. This should give them several months of nutrition. It…

1 Clear the planting area of weeds and debris, and dig a hole as deep as and slightly wider than the tree’s container rootball. 2 Fork up the bottom and sides of the hole to help the roots spread and add some well-rotted manure or compost. 3 After standing the tree in water for as long as possible, slide it from its container and gently tease out any circling roots. 4 Place it in the hole. Holding it straight, infill with soil and compost. Tread down the ground to firm it in and support the tree. 5 Add a stake and secure the tree using a rubber tie. Make sure it does not chafe the bark and lets the tree move in the wind. 6 Water well and add a 3in (7cm) layer of mulch.…

EVERY year the gardening market is flooded with new products. But which ones really work and which are just gimmicks? AG gardening editor Ruth Hayes and reader Lesley Upton have sifted through 2018’s haul and come up with the ones they think will improve your gardening experience over the next 12 months and beyond. The Pure Bokashi Composter Hozelock has unveiled a new indoor composter. The Pure Bokashi Composter recycles most kitchen waste, including cooked food, meat, fish and small bones. The addition of special bran reduces the waste anaerobically. The compost produced can be added to your compost bin to act as an accelerator or dug directly into beds or used for potting housplants. Measuring 27x32x39cm and weighing 1kg, the composter will be available from April, priced £55. Fruit picker If you have…

HERBACEOUS perennials should be growing well, so now is the time to put their supports in place. Supports come in many shapes, sizes and materials, from traditional willow wigwams (ideal for annuals such as sweet peas) to metal frames, bamboo stakes and pea sticks that can be inserted among plants to create an attractive network of supports. If you wait much longer you will find yourself inching through burgeoning borders, trying to avoid treading on plants that are already almost full-sized. Placed now, they may look a little bare and unsightly, but will be completely hidden once the plants grow and fill the borders. Plants are supported for several reasons, the most obvious being to create an attractive garden and protect blooms from summer winds and storms. Keeping them upright also prevents them from falling…

• Staking perennials gives you a good opportunity to assess their health and sort any potential problems. • Check them over for pests and cut away any old foliage and stems still remaining from last year. • Give them a head start by feeding with a granular fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bone and then forking it into the soil. Water it in if the forecast is set dry. • Late frosts can still catch the garden unawares, so make sure you have some sort of protection readily at hand. Remove it once the morning starts to warm up.…