PICTURE PERFECT IN SPRING
The photo sharing website Instagram is proving a great way to connect to gardeners
Spring 2020 is, I hope, the oddest season we will ever experience. The world is on lockdown. We are isolated, cocooning in our homes. A joy for me and a relief from the news is the tonic that is gardening. When I get out and dig, water or weed, I concentrate on the project in hand.
Two weeks ago, aware of what was coming, I suggested to some friends that we should do something, even if only from our own homes. So we made use of modern technology, an app called Instagram.
It’s a place in the clouds where people share images that inspire them.
For gardeners it’s a godsend. But Instagram allows you to do something else – you can broadcast on it, so every night from 7-8pm and every weekend from 11am-noon I host a garden conversation. People send in their questions and myself and my friends answer them.
We give tips on roses, daffodils and design.
We talk to nurserymen and estate gardeners. We ask them how they are coping, but also, ask what inspires them.
So today I thought I’d share a little bit of that with you. These are among the most frequently asked questions and if you’d like to join us, to participate, even just by watching, you’ll find me at 11am this morning on Instagram @diarmuidgavin.
What’s the best way to stop snails devouring my hostas?
Snails love hostas and new leafy growth so you need to prepare now. Beer traps are good, or any barrier that makes it difficult for snails to traverse, for example, crushed egg shells, bark or grit.
The best way is to seek them out at night is with a torch and remove by hand. Avoid slug pellets as they are harmful to wildlife, though there are some eco-friendly versions available.
When should I prune my hydrangeas?
You can remove old flower heads now and prune just above the top pair of healthy buds. If it’s old, rejuvenation pruning will help as well – completely remove about one-third of all stems right back to the ground and remove any dead or diseased growth. I have a camellia which is in full bloom at the moment but I notice there is lots of black stuff on all of the leaves. Should I prune it?
No there’s no need to cut or prune your camellias. The foliage is suffering a common problem of sooty mould. This is a fungus that grows on the excretions of aphids and scale insects.
You can clean the mould off with water but really you want to prevent the pests that are feeding off your camellia. Cushion scale insect is often the culprit – check the undersides of the leaves to see if there are any eggs or insects.
You can spray in June to break the cycle of these little pests – organic sprays are available if you don’t like using chemicals.
I want to grow potatoes in pots. What soil should I use?
Use a multi-purpose peat-free compost mixed with some garden soil. Add farmyard manure as well if you can get it – spuds are heavy feeders so the richer the soil, the better.
My daffodils are not flowering this year – why?
They are probably congested, so they don’t have enough room to form a strong bulb. So dig them up, pull them apart, and replant with more space. Importantly, you should allow foliage to die back naturally so the bulb can be replenished.
How do I green up my lawn?
Any nitrogen-based feed will green up your lawn. General lawn maintenance commences at this time of year so scarify to remove thatch and dead moss, and commence mowing.
How do you remove moss from a lawn?
The traditional method for treating moss on lawns is sulphate of iron – when applied the moss will go black which you then rake up.
I work with a company that has developed a non-biocide treatment, Moss Off, that is safe to apply if your lawn is used by children and pets.
You spray it on your lawn on a dry day and an invisible biodegradable microcoating forms to stops moss and algae growth and it’s completely harmless to other plants.