Amateur Gardening 23-Mar-2019

“Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions for an apple tree to replace the one in my garden that died. I was caught between a traditional variety like Newton Wonder, which many suggested, and trying a modern variety. In the end, reading Lesley Upton’s ‘Grow Something New for 2019Õ article (9 Feb) prompted me to get ‘Eden’ from Pomona Fruits. This is a cooker as well as an eater, and the flesh doesn’t discolour when cut, so it appears to be very versatile. It will be a while before I can let you know how it turns out, but I promise I will. My second ‘thank you’ is to all our subscribers – both regular and more recent members of the AG family, who contributed to a 30 per cent…

NOW the weather is improving and the soil is warming up and drying out, it is time to pay attention to perennials. Most of these border mainstays will have died back in autumn and lain dormant through winter. This can take its toll, especially if the weather has been extremely cold or wet, and mature plants will need some TLC before they really spring back to life. Check more tender varieties, such as evergreen agapanthus, that you mulched in autumn. Their old foliage may be looking woebegone, but fresh new shoots should be coming through. Some plants may have succumbed during winter, making spring a good time to re-think your border layouts, buy new plants or divide old and overgrown ones. Before buying perennials, take into account the space you have – some…

1 Make room for this year’s fresh growth by removing old, dead and damaged foliage and any flower heads left from last year, as they won’t mature. 2 Give mature plants a boost with a granular feed such as Growmore, Vitax Q4 or chicken manure pellets. Fork them in around the plant and water well. 3 De-congest your borders. Weed seedlings can be hoed down and left to rot; perennial weeds with sturdy taproots need complete removal. 4 It is easier to place plant supports now than later on in the season, when flowerheads are already starting to grow tall.…

Some varieties self-seed freely too close to the parent plant. On the one hand, this can create a attractive clump of colour, but it can also lead to congestion and under-performance. Use a trowel to carefully lift the offsets from the ground, making sure their roots are undamaged. If there is a runner attaching the rooted juvenile to the parent, cut it using clean secateurs. Re-plant the offsets at the same depth as before, making sure their roots are all accommodated. Firm in and water well, and keep free of pests and weeds.…

1 Dig right round the plant, wider than the roots, and carefully lever it out of the ground and onto a board, tarpaulin or bin liner. 2 Chop the plant into segments using a spade or sharp knife. Make sure each piece has healthy roots and top growth. 3 Dig your planting holes and also enrich them with well-rotted organic matter and a handful of Growmore or a proprietary feed. 4 Settle the plant in the hole at the same depth as before. Infill with soil and compost, firming the soil to knock out air pockets. 5 Water generously, even if rain is due. If the forecast is set to be dry, make sure the plants don’t dry out while they get established. 6 Mulch around the plant to keep the root area nourished, retain…

AS well as toasting the magazine’s landmark anniversary, AG staff members have been raising a glass to you, our cherished readers both new and well-established, whose support has seen AG’s magazine subscriptions rise by 30 per cent from last year. Editor Garry Coward-Williams said: “I’d like to thank all of our current subscribers for their faith and trust in our work, and I welcome the legion of new subscribers to the burgeoning AG family. “Together, we will continue in our aims to make Britain a greener, more colourful and more wildlife-friendly place – to benefit us and the planet as a whole.”…