Topical Tips February 2019
As winter draws to a close, things are beginning to awaken in the garden - snowdrops are in flower, other bulbs are beginning to pop up throughout the garden, there are many shrubs that are in flower at the moment, one of them being Sarcococca with its heady scent filling the air. February is a variable month with a warming sun one day and a winter chill the next. There are however a few more jobs in the garden compared to last month so read on…
Flowers
& Shrubs
Top Tip: Hellebore will be looking amazing at the moment, make sure they are seen
at their best by removing any diseased foliage and any leaves hiding the
flowers.
Top Tip: Most plants seem to be
growing very slowly at this time of year but if you venture out you will see
that already the weeds have started to grow, slice them off at ground level
with a swoe or hoe to save work later in the year. Check out the range of Wolf Garten tools from our sister company, World of Wolf - https://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/search/hoe
Top Tip: Prune Wisteria now, cutting back the side shoots to 2 or 3 buds. Click
below for an easy to follow video.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/pruning-wisteria
Top Tip: Split crowded clumps of snowdrops once they have finished flowering to
increase their numbers.
Top Tip: There are a few plants that need pruning now, firstly those that have
finished flowering such as Jasminum nudiflorum, Viburnum bdnanatense and
Mahonia, also cut back plants that are grown for their attractive stems such as
cornus and salix.
Top Tip: Although the remains of ornamental grasses maybe looking good it’s time
to cut them back to the ground being careful of any new growth appearing to
encourage new and strong growth.
Top Tip: Trim winter flowering heathers as they finish flowering, this will keep them nice and stocky and not too leggy.
Top Tip: Hardy Fuchsias live up to their name and are hardy!
cut them back now to 2 or 3 buds above soil level.
Top Tip: This is a job every month: dead head your
bedding to encourage further flowering.
Top tip:
Visit Fiona who is in charge of our fantastic, award winning bulb room, there
are over 230 varieties available . Choose your bulbs now and plant soon for a fantastic
display this summer. Fiona is always available (she does occasionally have a day
off though!) to give bulb advice, do come and have a chat with her.
Top Tip: If your pots are looking a bit dull liven
them up with some bedding, we have violas, pansies, cyclamen and small bulbs
looking fab!
Top Tip: All proper gardeners are never happy with the position of their plants
and are always moving them, if you fit into this category then do it now for it
is the ideal time to move plants whilst they are dormant just as long as they
are not too large.
Top Tip: We have a massive selection of seeds available to peruse from Thompson
& Morgan (they’ve got a royal warrant you know) and Franchi, the world’s oldest family run seed company (they’re Italian you
know).
Grow Your Own
Top Tip: If you haven’t
pruned your apple and pear trees yet, you should have so do it now! Pruning
encourages new growth and fruiting spurs on which the new fruit is borne. For
further advice come and talk to our experts in the plant department.
Top
Tip: Sow broad beans and peas directly
in the ground from mid to late February, they’ll be ready to harvest in early
summer.
Top
Tip: Plant garlic cloves 15cm apart,
2cm deep in well drained soil, if it is still cold or very wet delay planting
until better conditions prevail.
Top
Tip: Plant Rhubarb now and force any you
may have already for an early crop using a rhubarb forcer, we have them in
stock from £19.99
Top
Tip: Prepare vegetable seed beds by
removing all weeds and forking in plenty
of farmyard manure (£5.99 each 3 for £12)
Top
Tip: Protect the flowers of peaches
and nectarines with clear polythene to prevent peach leaf curl and cold damage.
Top
Tip: Chit your potatoes, click on the
link below for info on how to grow delicious potatoes:
https://www.lovethegarden.com/advice/gardening/grow-your-own/how-grow-potatoes
Top
Tip: We said that you should prune
your top fruit (apples and pears) now, and indeed you should but hold off with
the pruning of plums, cherries and apricots.
Top
Tip: Carry on planting raspberry
canes for this summer, remember how nice ripe raspberries are straight from the
bush!
Top
Tip: Whilst it’s always good to get
ahead don’t plant your seeds too early in the green house as they become weak
and leggy with the low light levels.
Top Tip: if you’re thinking of growing potatoes this year but don’t have a lot of room try a potato growing bag they take up no more floor space than three large bags of crisps.
QI: We sell a variety of potato called ‘International Kidney,’ not a great name but a great potato because if you were to grow it in soil from Jersey you could call your potatoes Jersey Royals, it’s the same variety which I’m sure tastes just as good when grown in north London’s finest soil!