Don’t wait till the shortest day
Weekend gardener
Beat garlic rust Traditionally garlic is planted on the shortest day of the year (June 21, this year) but actually you can plant it at any point from late autumn to mid-winter.
Early planting means early harvesting in late spring or early summer. This is an advantage if allium rust is a problem in your area. Allium rust is prevalent in warmer parts of the country and usually strikes in warm, humid weather from mid to late summer. It appears as orange pustules all over the foliage. The leaves turn yellow and shrivel up, bulb formation ceases and the bulbs are ruined for storage.
Even if you don’t plan to plant your garlic until June, it’s a good idea to get the bed prepared now. Dig in well-rotted manure, compost or sheep pellets and work it in to a depth of 20cm.
Hunt for hellebore shoots
Hellebores start to put on new growth in late autumn. They push lush, fat buds out of the soil at the base of the plants. This is the perfect time to give hellebores some loving care to help enhance their flowering.
As soon as you see buds poking through, cut off the tatty old foliage – wear gloves and long sleeves as the leaves can cause skin irritation.
Removing the foliage allows light into the centre of the clump which increases the strength and number of the flower stems.
Spread sheep pellets thickly around the plants, making sure they don’t cover any of the buds. The pellets provide nutrients over a long period of time and are still effective in early spring when the soil starts to warm up, giving your plants an extra boost and lengthening the flowering period.
Cutting back the old foliage also means there is better air circulation around the crown of the plant which in turn makes them less susceptible to hellebore black spot. Black flowers and bracts are a sign of mild black spot but a serious infection can cause the entire plant to suddenly collapse and die.
Hellebores self-seed prolifically each season, creating a carpet of babies around the parent plants. If you don’t want lots of extra plants it’s a good idea to deadhead before the seed capsules dry and open.
Seedlings are best transplanted when they are small – larger seedlings resent having to move.
Plant fruit trees
Bareroot fruit trees will be available at your garden centre now (or very soon). That’s the cheapest way to buy fruit trees and bareroot trees are far easier to transport so take the chance to extend your home orchard.
Which fruit trees should you plant? Choose the fruit you and your family like to eat and varieties that grow well in your area.
Make sure you have pollination covered by either planting self-fertile varieties, or choosing compatible pollinating partners.
Self-fertile varieties produce fruit without a cross-pollinating partner nearby but often fruit better when pollinator trees are nearby. Other fruit trees require a different variety to crosspollinate, so both get fruit. For example, some plum varieties and most pears require a crosspollinator that flowers at the same time.