Plants ready to go ideal for renters
December has arrived and I’m sure most of us will be glad to see the back of 2020. It hasn’t been the best. Enjoy your friends and family over Christmas. Give a thought for those not as free as ourselves here.
A few people have mentioned that as renters they find it difficult to have a garden. Perhaps I can help by suggesting plants in containers that do very well and can be taken with you if you move.
Dwarf fruit trees do very well in 20 litre pots for a few years. Use plastic pots as they are light and easy to move. If you can put castors on the base this makes life super easy.
Just remember to give them plenty of water, not just a sprinkle. Water until the water runs out of the bottom and use a liquid feed between spring and summer
Strawberries are a must and trough-type planters work best as they are easy to cover in bird netting. Choose a selection of those early fruiting and late to extend the season. Other berry fruits you might like to try are boysenberries and blackberries. You will need a vertical support. Wire netting is good wrapped around three bamboo stakes. Try zucchini and cucumber too, these do better with some vertical support. Add to this a few buckets of lettuce — assorted colours look good — and some dwarf beans. Best of all is a bucket of cherry tomatoes. You can buy these with fruit already on them.
These can all be planted now so don’t delay, you could be eating your own food by Christmas even if it’s a lettuce sandwich.
December is the time to feed our tomatoes once a week with a weak liquid feed. Home made is best. Water well, a good deep water not a sprinkle. Make sure the soil is not just dry on the surface as the tomato roots will only grow on the surface not down deep where the nutrients and sugars are. This keeps plants healthy and sweet.
The peas you planted in early autumn have probably finished by now. Put the spent vines in the compost (this is what pea straw is) but if the vines have a fungal disease which peas are susceptible to, just shell out the remaining pods and discard the vines, don’t put them in the compost.
Going into the festive season, the vegetable garden isn’t on the top of your list, but try and spend an hour or so planting a few summer crops while the weather is its best. For a constant supply plant some French or dwarf beans as they are quicker, cucumber and lettuce rocket before it gets too hot as rocket will go to seed. Put in another chilli as they can be dried and used in casseroles during the cooler months.
Herbs will be putting on a surge of growth. Cut plenty and often because if you don’t bother they stop growing. If you can’t use your cuttings like thyme, sage, mint, and parsley, dry them in the oven on a very low heat and use them dry again in casseroles and rub on winter roasts.
Merry Christmas. Keep healthy and be glad we live in this special part of the world.