Sunday 12 March 2017

Growing cucumbers.

Outdoor cucumbers can be sown directly into the soil in late May and early June – or you can buy small plants from the garden centre.
Growing outdoors
Either sow seeds or plant out young plants in early June, ideally under fleece or cloches. Any fertile garden soil in full sun is satisfactory.
Dig in up to two bucketfuls of rotted organic matter, such as garden compost, and rake in 100g per square metre (3½oz per square yard) of general purpose fertiliser.
Pinch out the growing tip when the plants have developed seven leaves. The developing sideshoots can be left to trail over the ground or trained up stout netting. Pinch out the tips of flowerless sideshoots after seven leaves.
Don't remove the male flowers, and keep the soil constantly moist by watering around the plants – not over them.

When planting out cucumber seedlings or seeds, choose a sunny, sheltered spot.
Turn the soil over about 6in deep, adding compost or well-rotted manure as you go.
Leave 15in between each seedling, or put three seeds in each hole and thin to the strongest.
They can grow to 6ft so allow space between rows.
A layer of mulch minimises weeds and helps the soil retain water: cucumbers hate standing in water but the more moisture they absorb the sweeter they will be.
Weed them often but lightly, so as not to damage the roots.
Water weekly.

As far as crop rotation is concerned, ridge cucumbers can be grown anywhere in the garden or allotment. It's best not to grow them in the same position every year but they really don't encourage soil pests or diseases.

Except in very warm parts of the UK the best method for sowing ridge cucumber seed is in pots, indoors.
The best time to do this is in the second week of April 2017.
If you really want to sow seed directly outside:
Sow seed outside in open ground - The third week of May 2017.
Expert advice on growing ridge cucumbers outside:
CALENDAR FOR GROWING OUTDOOR CUCUMBERS IN THE BOURNEMOUTH, DORSET AREA
Sow seeds indoors - The second week of April 2017
Sow seed under cloches outside - The last week of April 2017
Sow seed outside in open ground - The third week of May 2017
Harden off indoor grown seedlings - The second week of May 2017
Transplant plants to open ground - The last week of May 2017
Prune main stem - The second week of June 2017

Harvest ridge cucumbers from - The second week of July 2017 

'via Blog this'

Tuesday 21 February 2017

February in your garden and greenhouse.

Flowers:
Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter, before fresh shoots appear.
Divide large clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites after flowering and replant to start new colonies.
Prune late summer-flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base.
Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free.
Transplant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place, while they are dormant.
Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses, wallflowers and forget-me-nots.
Prune winter-blooming shrubs, such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers, once they've finished flowering.
Cut back wisteria sideshoots to three buds from the base, to encourage abundant flowers in spring.
Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood.
Prune buddleia and elder to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size.
Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting.
Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with shears, before the spring flowers start to develop.
Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs.

Fruit and veg:
Finish winter pruning fruit trees and soft fruits, including apples, autumn raspberries and blackcurrants.
Chit first-early potato tubers, such as 'Foremost', by standing them in trays in a light, frost-free place.
Prepare veg beds for sowing by weeding thoroughly, then cover with a thick layer of garden compost.
Feed fruit trees and bushes by sprinkling sulphate of potash fertiliser around the base to encourage fruiting.
Sow mustard and cress in a small seed tray on a warm windowsill for pickings in just a few weeks.
Put cloches or fleece over strawberry plants to start them into growth and encourage an early crop.
Hunt out overwintering snails huddled in empty pots and hidden corners, to reduce populations.
Plant rhubarb into enriched soil or lift and divide established clumps.
Check if old seed packets are worth keeping by sowing a few seeds on damp kitchen paper to see if they germinate.
Protect the blossom of outdoor peaches, nectarines and apricots with fleece if frost is forecast.
Plant bare-root fruit bushes, trees and canes, as long as the ground isn't frozen.
Inspect Mediterranean herbs for metallic-green rosemary beetles if they start to look nibbled and tatty.

Greenhouse:
Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost free in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill.
Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons.
Pot on and pinch out autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage sideshoots to form.
Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator or on a warm sunny windowsill.
Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop, which you can then use as cuttings.
Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently.
Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including liatris, begonias, gloxinias, lilies, eucomis and agapanthus.
Cut off hippeastrum (amaryllis) flowerheads once they fade, but leave the stalk to die down naturally.
Hand-pollinate the blossom of peaches and nectarines in the greenhouse using a soft paintbrush.
Cut back overwintered fuchsias and increase the frequency of watering to spur them into growth.
Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants to prevent fungal diseases.
Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in as much light as possible.

Garden maintenance:
Install a nest box with a camera, so you can watch birds raising their broods this spring.
If snow falls, knock it off evergreen shrubs, hedges and conifers to prevent branches snapping under the weight.
Make or buy a cold frame to use when hardening off young plants this spring.
Check fleece or other insulation is still in place around pots and borderline-tender plants.
Firm back down any plants that have been lifted by frost or loosened by wind-rock.
Make fat-ball feeders and hang them among roses to attract blue tits, which will also forage for overwintering pests.
Improve the soil by spreading garden compost or well-rotted manure over beds and forking in.
Sort out and clean up canes, plant supports and cloches, ready for use in spring.
Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses, before growth restarts.
Clear away old plant debris from pond margins and scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water.
Clean and service mowers and garden power tools, so they're in good order for spring.
Coppice hazel, cutting to the base, to encourage a flush of new stems that you can use for plant supports in a few years.
Spread a layer of well-rotted manure around roses and shrubs.
Remove netting placed over ponds to prevent autumn leaves falling in the water.
From: http://www.gardenersworld.com/what-to-do-now/checklist/february/

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Lovage.

Lovage: A big plant with an even bigger flavor: "Lovage is not one of the Mediterranean herbs, happiest in dry, lean earth. It loves the rich, organic, moisture-retentive soil of my garden. About now, the leaves are starting to yellow as the plant puts all its effort into making seeds. Gardeners who treasured the leaves above all would have cut it back at this point to encourage ones to grow. But by doing so they'd miss the chance to harvest the seeds. These, too, have a celery taste and aroma, and since lovage leaves do not dry very well, the seeds are an excellent medium for keeping the flavor year-round. When the tiny fruits start to open, cut bunches of the seed stalks and hang them upside down in a paper bag to collect the seeds. Dried and ground, they can be tossed into anything as a seasoning, and are a traditional addition to baked goods such as muffins, biscuits, cakes and breads."

Monday 5 December 2016

Однолетние цветы, однолетники.

Однолетние цветы, однолетники. Названия, фото | ЗАГОРОДНАЯ ЖИЗНЬ (CountrysideLiving.net):
Для экономии времени и усилий я выращиваю только те однолетние цветы, которые не требуют никаких особых хлопот и цветут долго, некоторые — почти все лето.
Это петуния, анютины глазки, пеларгония, алиссум, вербена, календула, настурция, лобелия, мак, бархатцы (тагетес), нигелла, незабудки, фуксия, васильки.

Что сажают под зиму?

Что сажают под зиму? | Дачникам:

'via Blog this'