Action plan: Nigel Colborn's essential jobs for your garden this week
Public Group active 3 years, 2 months agoAND SOW TO BED…This is the optimum weekend for setting out all your most tender plants.Whether for bedding or containers, tender summer varieties such as petunias, calibrachoa, lobelias and zinnias (pictured) will provide a colourful show until mid autumn.For the southern half of Britain, frost is unlikely — though still possible.
For colder regions, there is a greater risk, but less with each passing day. If your plants have been hardened off, they will be quick to settle after planting and will flower for the whole of the summer. Nigel Colborn shares this is the optimum weekend for setting out all your most tender plants such as petunias and zinnias (pictured) which will provide a colourful show until mid autumnIf your plants are fresh from a garden centre and have not been hardened off, they’ll need extra care after planting.
Smaller, immature plants will be especially vulnerable for their first week outside. But with longer days and higher temperatures, recovery should be rapid.When planting up formal beds, it’s wise to place all your plants before putting them into the ground.
Once you’re happy with the arrangement, plant each and water them in. If the weather becomes hot or your soil dries, water your plants again in a week’s time. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share With container plants, use peat-free growing medium if you can. Watering may be done more frequently but all pots and containers must drain freely.
Plants will languish in any compost that is waterlogged. Peat’s ability to absorb and hold moisture makes it excellent as a growing medium, however, using peat leaves a massive carbon footprint.SPILL THE BEANS The British gardening expert says it’s now safe to sow seeds of French or runner beans, outdoor cucumbers, courgettes, marrows and squashesIt’s now safe to sow seeds of French or runner beans, outdoor cucumbers, courgettes, marrows and squashes.
Make sure your ground is well prepared with fertile soil which crumbles readily in your hand. Sow bean seeds in rows; and for marrows or courgettes, plant seeds where each plant will grow to full maturity. Feed developing marrows or courgettes and make sure they are regularly watered. WATCH THOSE BLOOMING PESTS!Roses should be budding for the first flush, but their young leaves and stems are vulnerable to sap-sucking insects such as aphids.
If you use chemical pesticides to kill those, other insects could also be affected. Ladybirds, lacewings, soldier beetles and other beneficial insect predators consume vast numbers of aphids. Roses should be budding for the first flush, but their young leaves and stems are vulnerable to sap-sucking insects such as aphidsSo when you find dense colonies of aphids, these are easy to ‘rub out’ between finger and thumb.
However, growing roses in isolation or at least widely spaced will result in reduced diseases and fewer pests. ON THE BALL Here’s a fun way to get children — and adults — interested in gardening for nature.Seedballs are little ‘life-bombs’ made from clay impregnated with flower seeds.They can be placed in pots, https://www.cruisewhat.com/is-optimum-nutrition-mass-gainer-good/ planted in beds or just scattered over bare ground.The clay protects the seeds which soon germinate and grow.Seedballs come with several wildflower mixes including seeds of bee-friendly plants and meadow flowers and there’s even one for hedgehogs.
Instructions are included with the products. They’re available online from seedball.co.uk and from outlets including the National Trust and Kew Gardens.PLANT OF THE WEEK: NYMPHAEA PYGMAEA ‘HELVOLA’ Water lilies can come in dwarf varieties.
Nigel’s favourite is Nymphaea pygmaea Helvola, (pictured) whose custard yellow petals contrast with the intense golden flower centresWater lilies are almost essential in a garden pond. Apart from the summer flowers, their floating leaves cool and shade the water. That benefits all pond life, including fish.
But water lilies can be invasive in a small pond.Luckily, there are charming dwarf varieties. These come in several colours including white and dark pink. My favourite is Nymphaea pygmaea Helvola, whose custard yellow petals contrast with the intense golden flower centres.N.
pygmaea Helvola is easy to grow and requires minimal maintenance. Use aquatic potting compost and place a layer of gravel at the top of your basket after planting.
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