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Plug Plants for July delivery will be despatched from 1st July.

August is usually a busy month bringing in the harvest. But there are still plants and crops to get going in readiness for next years display.

1. This month I like to keep a check over any soft succulent leaves on my bedding plants for any signs of Caterpillar damage. Caterpillars can eat the leaves of Nasturtiums and Geraniums to shreds in about two days. Caterpillars love to feed on these leaves and can quickly spoil your plants. If seen in the early stages they can be picked off, and any eggs rubbed off the leaves. If however you get a bad attack, you may need to spray with a suitable insecticide.
2. If you have an old strawberry bed that needs regenerating or you want to increase the size of your strawberry bed next year, this is best done during early August. Your old established plants should be producing plenty of runners; these can be pegged down with a wire hoop into pots or trays. These will quickly root and then once rooted; they can be cut away from the mother plants ready for planting your new strawberry bed this autumn. Alternatively you can order new plants from Mail order companies to plant up a new area.
3. August is the ideal time to plant Colchicums (misleadingly called the autumn crocus). The attractive flowers of these bulbs appear before its foliage. I always think these look best if planted in grass areas. These bulbs will be available for sale from most good garden centres.
4. This month is the time to lift and store early and second early potatoes for future use. I always take my time to carefully fork out the tubers and dry them in the sun for about 1 hour, and then I put them into potato sacks. You can leave main crop potatoes for harvesting early next month. If you have cut the foliage down from your potatoes because they were affected by blight last month, do not lift the tubers for at least three weeks after cutting the foliage down. Otherwise the blight fungal spores could still affect the tubers you store as they are lifted through the soil and ruin your crop.
5. All gardeners like to plan ahead, so if you want to grow Hyacinths for Christmas, the ‘Prepared Hyacinth’ bulbs will be on sale in Garden Centres this month. These should be purchased and potted up into containers of bulb fibre as soon as possible. Once potted up place in a cool dark place outside (Covered up with peat against a north-facing wall is ideal). Start inspecting the pots for developing shoots in 6-8 weeks time. When the growth is 2.5cm (1in) high, containers can be moved indoors into cool conditions.
6. Often at this time of year many of my early flowering annuals and perennial plants start to look tied or have already finished flowering. I like to cut these back hard or sometimes remove them totally from the borders during the month. Then to ensure there is still colour in the garden, I stand some of my flowering patio containers in their place to fill the gaps and prolong my colourful display.
7. Sweet corn will be ready to harvest later this month. An easy way to check if it is ready to eat is when the Silks (tassels) turn brown and the cobs look swollen. Then pull back a little of the sheath around the cob, push your fingernail into one of the kernels, and if a milky juice comes out they are in perfect condition for eating.
8. If you have some very good baskets of Trailing Geraniums or Pots of Zonal Geraniums, why not take your own cuttings. Geranium cuttings taken now root very easily. Simply trim off shoots about 2.5 cm (2in) long, and cut just below a pair of leaves. Then remove the bottom pair of leaves and any flower buds. This cutting is now ready, I then like to dip the cut end into Hormone Rooting Powder, this is now ready for inserting into pots or trays filled with moist Multipurpose Compost. Cuttings taken at this time of year root very easily if placed on the bench in a greenhouse or even stood outside in a semi shaded part of the garden (Unlike other cuttings, Geranium cuttings Do Not need covering with polythene to aid rooting). After initial watering, keep trays of compost on the dry side whilst rooting, this will help prevent stem rot (Blackleg) occurring. Plants should be rooted in 14-21 days.
9. As space comes available from early harvested crops and where Potatoes were, make sure you fill it up again, as now is a good time to sow some over wintering Japanese Onions. Sown now outside in drills these will quickly germinate and will be ready for thinning early next year as spring onions then I leave the rest to mature as full sized onions for use from June onwards. I find these a useful crop to grow as; you will have onions ready to use just as your stored onions have finished. I think one of the best varieties to grow is Onion Hi Keeper F1 Hybrid.
10. For a continuous supply of salad leaves going into the autumn, I will be making another sowing of Mixed salad leaves into pots on the patio this month. These will quickly germinate and produce fresh mixed leaves ready to pick as baby leaves in around 28-30 days. The advantage of sowing these leaves in pots at this time of year is that they can always be moved to a cool glasshouse or sheltered part of the garden if the weather turns bad.

Gardening Tips for October

November is here and autumn has well and truly arrived but there is no time to sit back and relax as there are still plenty of crops to plant and tidying up jobs to be done in preparation for next years displays.

1. One job that can be done, whatever the weather is planting Amaryllis bulbs early this month and you will be able to enjoy them indoors from Christmas, going into January. I like to simply plant a single bulb, in a 13-15cm (5-6in) pot, so it is sitting on the high side, so only the bottom 1/3 of the bulb is covered with compost. Give the compost a little water, stand it on a warm windowsill and watch it grow.
2. Before we get any very cold and frosty weather, it is important to protect pot grown Fig plants. These should be moved into a cold glasshouse or under a carport, as this will help protect any small embryo figs from frost damage. As these small figs will produce your fig crop next year.
3. Seed and plant catalogues are falling through the letterbox each week at the moment. Take advantage of the long winter evenings and browse through the pages and plan your display for the year ahead. Early ordering is always advisable to guarantee you get the seeds and plants you require.
4. Any containers you have plants growing in for the winter months are best raised slightly off the ground from now through to the spring. By standing your pots on some stones, bricks or laths of wood will help to keep the drainage hole off the ground and allow free drainage, and help prevent your containers becoming waterlogged during very wet spells of weather.
5. This month is the ideal time for planting Roses. When planting always make sure the hole is large enough, to spread the roots out sufficiently and then add some home made compost to the planting hole and a dusting of Bone meal before planting, Always plant roses at the correct depth, so the soil level is 8cm (3in) above the knuckle of the plant (where the stems join the root of the plant), then gently backfill with soil and lightly tread in to firm, then water them in well after planting.
6. November is the best month to plant Tulip bulbs. These should be planted at least twice the bulb depth. Plant in an open sunny site in borders or containers. There is also still plenty of time to plant Daffodils and Crocus as well if not already done. Many garden centres will have these on offer at the moment so you can fill your garden and containers with some real bargains.
7. If like me you enjoy growing fresh vegetables, well this month is the perfect time to sow some Broad beans and Peas outside on the vegetable plot, provided the soil is not waterlogged. When Sowing Broad beans at this time of year, you will need a hardy variety like Aquadulce Claudia, and a hardy variety of Peas like Meteor. Both Peas and Beans should be sown in drills, on the vegetable plot, and are best sown under cloches for early winter protection. Sowing these this month will give you an early harvest next spring.
8. Many of the marginal plants growing beside ponds are looking past there best this month. These can be cut down to just above soil or water level. This will give the plants a rest for the winter, as well as tidy up the look of your pond. At the same time you can remove any leaves that may have fallen into the water, improving the water quality.
9. Soft fruit bushes at this time of year will benefit from having a thick mulch of well-rotted farmyard manure or old compost put around the base of each plant. This will help keep the ground free from weeds as well as add nutrients to the soil, and increase your crop next year.
10. One very quick but very important job at this time of year is to check Potatoes, Carrots and Beetroot that are stored for winter use. Make sure you remove any tubers or roots that are showing any signs of decay. This will stop any fungal disease spreading through the whole of your stored crop, and ruining your hard-earned harvest.

Although the festive season is just around the corner, there are still a few jobs that need attending in readiness for the New Year ahead.

1. During the summer climbing Wisteria’s have put on a lot of growth, so this month is the ideal time to tie in the new shoots to build up the framework of branches. First prune back each side shoot so it is 2-3 buds long, then cut out any unwanted straggly growth back to the main stems. Once this is done no more pruning will be required until next summer. These vigorous plants will also benefit from having a winter mulch of old compost or well-rotted manure placed around the base of their stems.
2. If the weather is too cold or wet to do any jobs outside, then there are plenty of jobs to do in the warmth of the greenhouse or shed. All the pots and seed trays need washing in soapy water, so they are clean and ready for use early next year. Propagators and benches can also be washed down so they are clean from any pests or fungal diseases that may be hiding in those tiny crevices. This will give us all a clean start to the year ahead.
3. Remember during very cold weather to feed the Birds regularly in the garden. And top up the birdbath so they have some fresh water to drink. If you encourage the birds into your garden at this time of year, hopefully they will also return next spring to nest and feed on some of the aphids and other pests that can cause us gardener’s problems.
4. I will be busy on Christmas day sowing my Large Onions. Christmas or Boxing Day is the traditional time for sowing this vegetable, plus it will give me a good excuse for getting out of the washing up. I sow the variety Globo, as these will grow into whoppers over 1-2lb in weight. Onion Seeds need sowing onto the surface of moist seed sowing compost, and then they should be lightly covered with fine grade vermiculite. Once sown place in a heated propagator set at 20C (70F). Germination usually takes 10-14 days.
5. Bush Roses are best pruned in March and this has not changed over the years, but during wet summers, many roses put on a lot of additional tall growth. This growth would be best reduced down by about half during December. This will stop this tall growth being caught by any strong winds, as this may cause wind rock, or may even uproot or loosen your plants. Once tops have been reduced leave them alone until you need to prune your Roses again next March as usual.
6. December has arrived and this is the ideal month for pruning Blackcurrants. Now that all the leaves have fallen off the plants it makes it easier to see what you are doing. When pruning Blackcurrants you should cut out as much old wood as possible to leave just young growth, that is less than 3 years old. The younger shoots will grow more vigorously and will produce more fruit. The older wood is easily recognised because it is much darker in colour, than the younger shoots and often the bark is a lot rougher. Always try to prune down to a healthy new bud as close to the base of the plant as you can. This will help encourage new shoots to grow from the base. Once pruned give plants generous mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost.
7. Make sure you regularly inspect your harvest of apples and pears in store this winter. Make sure you remove any fruits showing signs of damage or going rotten, as this will stop any of the fungal spores spreading, and affecting the rest of your harvest.
8. When the weather is cool and dry, take advantage of these nice days to dig the vegetable plot. If this job is done from now until the New Year you will have a neat and tidy plot ready for the new season. I always dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or mushroom compost to help add some nutrients and structure to the soil. I find digging pleasurable as well as a great way of keeping fit and it helps burn off any of those calories that I may have put on over the festive period.
9. If you have some large clumps of Rhubarb, why not cut a piece off and leave it lying on the top of the ground this month to get frosted. This cold period will spur the growth buds into developing sooner. Leave it laying there for several weeks until it has been frosted several times, then pot it up and move it into a warm (Not hot) greenhouse or shed. This will then start to produce some tender sticks of Rhubarb for you to enjoy next spring.
10. It always surprises me how much colour and scent there is in the garden at this time of year. Rather than leave this scent outdoors why not cut a few stems of winter flowering Honeysuckle, Viburnum and Mahonia as they show colour and place them in a vase of water indoors. Then as the buds open they will fill your rooms with their colour and fragrance.

What a fantastic achievement winning Gold Award Certificates, the Annual Cup and Shield, using "Kings Seeds" :-)

Gerry Edwards, author of Growing Fruit published by the Vegetable Society, put me on to the wonderful ways of Autumn Treasure.

The problem I had. I could not get 'Summer Raspberries ' to grow successfully on the land I acquired in 2007. These raspberries were fine until their second fruiting year at which point they collapsed, young spring growth simply withered and died. RHS advised virus in soil, grow in raised beds. Bad idea, cost of soil bought in would have been £600 plus, cost of raised beds heaven knows, lots of watering and I have no head for heights.

For me your Autumn Treasures have totally solved the problem of virus damage. Not only that but they provide crops early June / July and then August to first frost if you follow this plan:

Do NOT cut canes down until they have produced crop one in the Autumn and crop two in following June /July and

Repeat this procedure for each following growth of canes.

Other points...It is said that autumn raspberry fruits are inferior to summer ones. My autumn raspberries have won prizes in Summer shows! Following this plan it has to be admitted that in the second and subsequent years of fruiting the Autumn crop will be lighter but no worry for me as summer crop is massive and who wants mushy raspberries in November.

For me all this is a plus, plus and plus and I am very grateful to Kings Seeds for supplying these splendid plants. Sadly, the Gardening World does not seem to want to know the above which saddens me because folk and perhaps the birds are being denied the opportunity of getting second crops.

I also work this plan with Joan J reasonably successfully! Please feel free to discuss with others and tell your customers as you see fit.

Very best regards,

Andrew Beer

Now June has arrived, it is all systems go in the garden, this month we will be busy keeping on top of the planting and early harvests.

1. June has arrived which usually means the end of any frost problems, meaning you can now safely plant out all your summer bedding plants into their final positions. Before planting lightly fork over the ground and give it a light dressing of Fish, Blood and Bone fertiliser and rake it in. Give your bedding plants a good watering before you can start to plant your bedding, then you can create your display. Once planted give them another good watering which will give them a good start and enable them to almost look after themselves from now on.
2. Around the second week of June, I make my last sowing of Runner Beans. For this later sowing I choose a white flowered variety like White Lady. White flowered varieties are more heat tolerant and will produce you a bumper harvest, which will often continue well into October depending on the weather.
3. Perennial borders come to life this month as the Delphiniums, Foxgloves and Lupins begin to flower. As these plants have tall flower spikes that can easily snap in the wind it is important that these stems are well supported with canes. This will prevent them from getting damaged by any strong winds or heavy rain showers, which can often occur at this time of year and can quickly spoil your display.
4. Once late spring flowering shrubs have finished flowering, they'll need pruning. These shrubs flower each year on new shoots produced the previous year, so it is important to prune them back once they have finished flowering. All these shrubs respond well to hard pruning so don’t be afraid to give them a good haircut, provided you are not cutting back into very old wood.
5. As space comes available on the vegetable plot, or if you have some spare containers fill these areas up with further sowings of summer salads like Rocket, Lettuce, Radish, Beetroot, and mixed salad leaves.
6. Many Trees and shrubs demand closer inspection at this time of year, because often aphids or scale insects are hiding under the leaves. It is important to spray aphids when first seen to stop them spreading to other plants; otherwise they may take over the garden. Another sure sign aphids may be present, is if you see a high activity of Ants running up and down tree trunks. These will be feeding on the sugary solution excreted by aphids, so watch for this as well. If you get rid of the aphids the ants will go as well.
7. This month the soft fruit bushes will be producing a bumper crop of fruit, so it is important to erect some nets over the bushes, to stop any birds having a feed of your Raspberries and Blackcurrants or your Strawberries before you do.
8. Once the greenhouses are empty from all that summer bedding, you can now fill this space once more. I will be filling this space with my Tomatoes and Cucumbers in grow bags and pots, making my cold Greenhouse productive once more.
9. This month is the ideal time to sow another decorative vegetable the Swiss Chard for a late crop of succulent leaves. These can be grown in borders, the vegetable plot or in large containers, and their decorative brightly coloured stems will make an attractive feature late in the season.
10. Keep a close watch out for black fly on broad beans, which if seen can be treated with an insecticide. Also keep a close eye on bedding Dahlias and Salvias as black fly also love to take up residence on these plants as well. It is always best to keep a close watch over your plants and if these pests are seen, they should be dealt with as soon as possible, otherwise they can quickly take over and make your plants a mess.

Plug plants for June delivery.

On the Kings Plot in September, October & November - by Andrew Tokely, Seed Purchasing manager for Kings Seeds

September started off very busy, as this is when I enter some of the produce from the plot into the Local Capel St Mary Allotment show. The show is always well supported by plot holders and surrounding villages with over 600 entries. This was a good year for me as I Won 10-firsts, 10-seconds and 7 thirds. Amongst the winners was the longest Runner bean (22 inches), Best in the vegetable section with Shirley Tomatoes, Best in the Flower section with a Begonia, Best vegetable collection that contained Globo Onions, Parsnip Gladiator, Carrot Sweet Candle, Tomato Shirley all available from Kings Seeds. This collection also won the best exhibit in Show. The Plot also came 2nd in the best kept allotment competition, judged throughout the year. I have always loved entering shows and if you too have that interest, look out for the wide range of Exhibition seeds in your Kings Seed catalogue.

After the show, tidying up the plot was the main job through September, followed by bringing in the last of the Main crop Potatoes, and harvesting crops of runner beans, courgettes and various salad crops still available.

I must admit I have had some superb lettuces this year. I always grow Lettuce Little Gem, but this year to add a little colour to salads I tried New 2016 Lettuce Intred; a red little gem that shows its colour all the way through the heart with that same tasty little gem flavour. Another I’ve grown is a New 2016 butterhead type Analena; this has a wonder flavour, solid heart and stands for a long time, it also wins prizes on the show bench. All are available in your Kings Seed catalogue.

October was such a mild month; I found it surprising how many crops normally over that were still being harvested this month. Runner and French beans were still flourishing as were courgettes. This year I sowed my Courgettes in May as usual, but I also made a later sowing the beginning of July, these later plants were still producing a good crop up until the end of the month.

Many plot holders have given up on growing outdoor Tomatoes due to them being ruined by Blight. Well this year I trialled several varieties on the plot including the variety Mountain Magic. I picked the last fruits from the plants at the end of October and they were still blight free. The flavour and crop was superb, this is new for 2016 and features in your Kings Seed catalogue, and I recommend you give it a try.

Although the days have become shorter, time must still be spent checking crops for any pest damage; I noticed a bad attack of whitefly on the leaves of my Brussels sprout plants. A quick spray now with a suitable insecticide like Py Spray which is Pyrethrum based, or a good organic soft soap will soon have this pest under control before it ruins the tight buttons. I have been growing the new 2016 variety Brussels Sprout Brodie F1, they are over a meter tall, and look very impressive. I tasted a few in October and the flavour is very sweet, so I am looking forward to enjoying these with my festive dinner.

November again was mild but quite wet, so much of the time has been spent clearing old crops and preparing the ground for winter digging. Compost bins have been emptied and a load of mushroom compost delivered and spread. I like to start digging in December and try to have the majority finished by the New Year.

The last sowings of the year have been made of Broad bean Aquadulce Claudia and Pea Meteor. Autumn Onion sets have come through well and the shallots will be planted on the shortest day (22nd December).

Don’t forget if any Kings Seed Customer has a seed problem and needs some advice, the team at Kings Seeds are always at the end of a phone to help.