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What to do in your garden...

What to do in your garden in September...

What to do in your garden in August...

What to do in your garden in July...

What to do in your garden in June...

Occasionally a courgette plant will produce extremely bitter, inedible fruit with high levels of cucurbitacin, which if they were to be eaten could make a person unwell.


Although rare, it can occur when a courgette plant is cross-pollinated by pollen from a wild or ornamental bitter gourd which naturally contains high levels of cucurbitacin to deter predators. This problem is only likely to occur with ‘open pollinated’ courgette varieties, where insect pollination produces crops in an open field environment. Although all possible precautions are taken to prevent cross-pollination, the arbitrary nature of this natural process means a small possibility remains.


A few cross-pollinated seeds could grow to produce plants that share the trait of the bitter gourd parent and it is this generation of plants which may then go on to produce fruit with high levels of cucurbitacin. These plants should be discarded as they will only produce inedible fruit.


The initial fruit from the cucurbitacin free, pure bred parent is still perfectly edible even if its seeds have been cross-fertilised. This means that all squashes and courgettes can be grown together without affecting the quality of their crops. However, because it is not possible to tell if the seed within a fruit has been cross-fertilised, it is best not to save these seeds for future plants.


We would always recommend using high quality, bought seeds, as commercial courgette growers will take all possible precautions to reduce the risk to an absolute minimum.


F1 hybrid varieties are pollinated in a controlled way and therefore their seeds are not at the same risk from accidental cross-pollination, although on rare occasions higher levels of cucurbitacin can be caused by a spontaneous mutation, as a response to injury or other external factors such as severe water stress.


Although exceptionally unusual in commercially available seeds, cross-pollination with bitter wild types was a phenomenon traditionally known to smallholders and kitchen gardeners who regularly saved seeds from harvested fruit. It was common practice for the first fruit from a plant to be checked by cutting a slice and touching it with the tip of the tongue. Fruit that is high in cucurbitacin is so very bitter it is instantly recognisable. The offending plant would then be removed and discarded. If the first fruit tastes fine, then the likelihood is that all other fruit from that plant will also be good.

Few gardeners these days save seeds from courgette harvests and the practice of the a ‘tongue tip taste test’ has become less well known, however it is easy to do and still good practice when harvesting the first fruit from a new plant.

 

What to do in your garden in May...

May usually brings us warmer weather and hopefully the end of too many night frosts, which will help us keep on top of those little gardening jobs. But just in case we get a cold night keep a piece of fleece close by to protect any of those tender plants.

1. Now that May has arrived, I like to make my first sowing of Runner Beans and Dwarf French Beans. I sow the seeds into 9cm (3 1/2 in) pots of multipurpose compost and place on the bench in a heated glasshouse or on a warm windowsill. This early sowing can then be moved into a cold frame once germinated, so the plants acclimatise gradually, before being planted outside towards the end of this month.
2. Further sowings of late Peas, Radish, carrot, lettuce and beetroot can be made into drills outside. This will ensure you get a continuous supply to harvest throughout the year.
3. If you didn’t find the time to sow some Half Hardy annual summer bedding earlier in the year, but you would still like a quick colourful display? The answer is sowing some Hardy Annuals. These seeds can be sown direct into the garden soil where they are to flower. These seeds can be sown anytime this month up to the beginning of June and will reward you with a colourful summer display. Try sowing some Nasturtiums, Sunflowers, Cornflowers, Godetia or Calendulas you won’t be disappointed.
4. Some of the early spring flowering shrubs will finish producing flowers this month and will soon begin to look untidy. To be sure of flowers next spring prune these shrubs quite hard after flowering. The reason for hard pruning is to encourage new young growth, which will help produce plenty of new flowers early next spring.
5. I love adding herbs to various dishes and salads. This month is the ideal time to sow some of the hardy and quick growing herbs like Dill, Coriander, Rocket, and Parsley. At this time of year the soil is warmer, so you can sow these seeds direct into the herb or vegetable garden outside in shallow drills, or into containers on the patio ready for harvesting later in the year.
6. If you are growing Strawberry plants in containers or the ground, this month they will start to produce a lot of flower. To encourage a good fruit harvest, I suggest you feed your plants with high Potash granular feed. Carefully work the feed into the soil in-between the plants, or the tops of the containers. Plants in the ground can then have some straw mulch placed around the plants to protect the developing fruit as it grows.
7. If you are growing Lilies in borders or containers, make sure you are vigilant this month as the dreaded Lily Beetles will be active munching on the foliage of Lilies. Adult Lily beetles are easily recognisable as they are an attractive bright red colour .The best method of control I have found is to keep a close watch over your plants and pick the lily beetles off with finger and thumb as soon as they are seen. Alternatively you can spray them with a suitable insecticide like the Ultimate bug killer (Provado). Remember Lily Beetle will attack any of the Lily Family including Snakes Head Fritillary.
8. Perennials are putting on a lot of growth this month, but before they get too large, it is wise to support them. Supporting them early when they are still only about 1/3 grown, will enable the new growth to grow through the supports and hide it, as well as stop any stems being damaged. I like to use old chicken wire, twiggy sticks or one of the manufactured plant supports for this job.
9. Around the middle of this month I will be planting up my containers and baskets with bedding plants. This will make space in the greenhouse and save a job later. I will then stand these pots and baskets outside on nice days and during mild evenings. If the weather turns bad they are put back in the greenhouse, shed or garage over night. When planting containers make sure you use good compost and add some slow release fertiliser, as these plants will be in this same container for several months. The slow release fertiliser will feed your containers and baskets for 6 months; so reducing the amount of liquid feeding you will need to do.
10. Towards the end of the month I will start to plant out some of my summer bedding plants into their final positions. This is only done once the plants have been hardened them off properly for a few weeks in a cold frame so they are acclimatised to outdoor conditions before planting

Cultural tips for your growing asparagus....From preparation to planting and general tips.

The lighter evenings have arrived and as they get longer as the month progresses, this will give us all more time to pamper our flower and vegetable gardens. Happy Gardening!

1. Hopefully last autumn you left the old flower heads on your Hydrangeas. This was done to protect the young growth and buds during the cold frosty winter months. Towards the end of this month it is the best time to cut those old flower heads off, and prune the plants into shape. I like to prune my Hydrangea down to 3-4 buds, as this helps to keep the plants at a manageable size and still rewards me every year with plenty of new flowers. Don’t be tempted to prune any lower than this otherwise you will get bushy plants but with a few or no flowers.
2. If gardening on a budget, or if time is precious, but you still want a colourful display around your home, then there is nothing easier to grow than hardy Annuals. These can be sown direct into the garden any time from this month up to the first week of June, as soon as the soil is dry and warm enough. These are easy to grow and will reward you with a glorious display this summer from very little time and effort as well as leave a few pounds in your pocket.
3. If you are planning to have a bumper harvest of Cucumbers or Courgettes this year, then towards the end of the month is an ideal time to sow some under glass in a heated propagator at 21C (70F). I like to sow seeds into individual 9cm (3 1/2in) pots filled with multipurpose compost. All these vegetables are of the same family so when you sow them, always push the seeds in on their edge, rather than flat. This is so the water runs away from the sides of the seeds. This is important because if the seeds are sown flat, there is always a danger the seeds may get too wet and rot rather than germinate. Both these vegetables can be grown very well in containers on a sunny patio.
4. Towards the middle of this month, I will be sowing the last of my summer bedding in the propagator. This month is the time to sow African and French Marigolds, Cosmos, Tagetes and Zinnias. These will quickly germinate and will be ready for pricking out in about 7-10 days time. If you haven’t got a propagator sow the seeds on a warm windowsill. Although sown later than a lot of summer bedding, they will still be ready for planting out at the end of May along with your summer bedding plants.
5. By the end of this month hopefully the majority of the hard frosts will have past, so it will be time to prune back the old growth of Penstemons and Hardy Fuchsias. These can be pruned back quite hard, down to about 15cm (6in) from the ground. This will encourage the new young shoots at the base of the plants to grow and replace the old woody growth you are cutting away.
6. As the weather improves and the soil dries out and gets warmer you can really get started on the Vegetable plot. This month you can make sowings of some of the smaller vegetable seeds like Carrots, Parsnips, Beetroot, Radish and Spring onions. You can also make further sowings of Peas & Broad Beans, plus this month I will be planting my early and Second Early Potatoes.
7. This month Perennials really put on a spurt of growth, so before they get too large, put some Blood, Fish & Bone fertiliser around the plants and work this into the soil. This will give the plants a boost, rewarding you with a bigger and better display this summer. As the plants grow add some twiggy sticks or the wire frames you can buy to support the plants as they grow. Putting these supports in early will allow the plants to grow through them, allowing there leaves to disguise them, still giving your borders that natural look.
8. Over the winter if your lawns have been sitting damp and in the shade, or if your soil is not very well drained, then you may now have some patches of moss spoiling its appearance. This moss can be raked out (Scarified). You can either do this with a spring tined moss rake and a bit of elbow grease or use an electric Scarifier. Once scarified, mow the lawn again to tidy it up and leave for 1-2 weeks to recover, before applying a summer lawn feed.
9. If you are planning to grow a giant Sunflower, for competition or fun with the Children or grandchildren, then towards the middle of this month is a good time start. Sow the seeds into individual pots of multipurpose compost in the greenhouse or on a warm windowsill. If you are trying to grow the tallest plant or biggest flower head there is no better variety than Giant Single.
10. As Daffodils finish flowering it is wise to deadhead them, removing any old flowers. This is simply done by pinching off the old flowers, preventing them from turning into seedpods. This will encourage the plants to gradually die down and return some of the goodness back into the bulbs. Do not cut down the foliage until it has yellowed, and is at least 6-8 weeks after they have finished flowering. Cutting down too soon will result in blind bulbs (no flowers) next year. It is also wise at this time of year to feed your bulbs with a high potash feed (like tomato food); this will also encourage stronger better flowers next spring.

What to do in your garden in March!