Tokely's Tips: Week Commencing

Listen to Andrew on BBC Radio Suffolk on Saturdays between 12.00 and 2.00pm.

The large exhibition onions Bunton’s Showstopper that I sowed at Christmas, are now big enough to plant out into their final positions. Before planting I give the soil a good dressing of Vitax Q4 fertiliser at 2oz per square yard. I like to plant my large onions 15in (38cm) apart along the row, and space rows 18in (45cm) between the rows. When planting onions, try to plant them so that all the leaves run down the row the same way, this will make hoeing between plants easier later in the season, and will hopefully eliminate the chance of breaking off any leaves. Every leaf you break is a skin you will lose and your onions won't be quite as big. I will also be planting out my exhibition leeks raised from leek pips last November.

Pinching Out Petunias

If some of your early sown summer bedding such as Petunias, Impatiens, Geraniums and Nemesia is getting leggy, then pinch out the growing tips. This pinching will encourage the plants to bush out making bigger and better plants. Also if you move the plants into cold frames and reduce the growing temperature this will also encourage stronger sturdier plant growth.

If you have lavender plants or a lavender hedge in your garden, now is a good time to give it a trim. I find that if you trim lavender plants each spring, cutting back the growth by about 5cm (2in) all over the plant, will keep these plants looking neat and tidy. It is important to prune lavender regularly, as they don't like being cut back into old wood. Once lavender plants get old, woody and out of shape there is no hope of bringing them back to former glory.

Sowing Brassicas

Regular readers of my Tips will know that I have a habit of looking ahead, and although we haven't had summer yet I am already looking towards the autumn. This weekend I will be sowing some autumn & winter Brassicas. I like to sow seed of Savoy cabbages, calabrese, sprouting broccoli and autumn and winter cauliflowers. I sow mine into pots under glass and then prick them out into cell trays. I find this helps later when planting out, as the plants do not suffer a check and will keep on growing. Traditionally these plants were sown direct outside in a seedbed and transplanted into their final positions. As this method produces bare root plants, I found that they suffered if the weather was very warm. I feel my method gives you better control as well as better quality plants to plant out with no signs of a check to their growth. I also believe that cell tray grown plants, have more chance of fighting Club Root. To see the range of brassicas available from T&M please CLICK HERE.

If you didn't pot up your new or saved Dahlia tubers and grow them on under glass for taking cuttings, now is the ideal time to plant your dormant Dahlia tubers outside in their final planting positions. Plant the tubers into holes that are big enough and deep enough so that when they are back-filled with soil, the crown of the tuber is at least 10cm (4in) below the surface.

Courgette Seedlings

The courgette, marrow, cucumber and pumpkin seeds sown two weeks ago have all germinated well. As these were sown into pots only half-filled with compost, now the seed leaves have reached the tops of the pots, these can now be filled up to the top. This will support the seedling, as well as encouraging more side roots to form from the stems.

The Begonia corms I started off earlier this year are filling their first pots with roots. If you are planning to grow some on as specimen plants in the greenhouse throughout the summer, then plants should be moved into larger pots. I like to grow my specimen plants in large 20cm (8in) clay pots. It is also a good time to plant up trailing Begonias into baskets.

Antirrhinum Dianthus

Many of my early sown perennials such as Hollyhocks, Digitalis, Delphiniums, Lupins, and Aquilegia as well as my hardier summer bedding of Antirrhinums, Gazania and Dianthus are now all large enough to be planted out into their final positions. These plants have been hardening off for 2-3 weeks in my cold frames so have toughened up to happily withstand any cooler conditions that may still be around the corner. This will also free up space in the cold frame as well as giving your plants an early start.

Los Consejos de Tokely

Declaración de Privacidad - Contáctenos
Boletín Informativo: Suscríbase - Eliminar la Suscripción

Thompson & Morgan Stockists

Site Map - Useful Links - Contact Us