Gardening: Week by week
Your guide on what to do in the garden this week, brought to you by Earlston Horticultural Society
Flowers
SWEET PEAS. Plant out autumn sown sweet peas at the first favourable opportunity. Contrary to general practice when planting from pots, no attempt should be made to keep intact the ball of compost, instead, very carefully shake the roots clear of compost and plant equally carefully in deep holes prepared with a trowel. Spread the roots out and work fine soil around them and firm in thoroughly.
FUCHSIAS. The ideal time to take fuchsia cuttings is from March through April. The best cuttings are the tips of new-growing shoots (one pair of leaves and the growing tip). Cut off just below the next set of leaves and cut those leaves off as well and trim the lower leaves of your cuttings to half their size. Dip the cutting in a rooting compound and insert around the edge of a pot of good compost mixed with vermiculite or sharp sand. Place in a propagator set at 15c (60F) maximum and keep in a light area but out of direct sun. Don’t worry if you’ve not got a propagator, a clear plastic cup turned upside down on your pot will be fine and cuttings will root in about four weeks.
Vegetables/Fruit
POTATOES. If you want to try some potatoes in large pots or potato bags this year you can plant now. Use a 1st Early variety and plant a single tuber in a 10-litre pot or two in a larger pot/potato bag. Watch out for frost when shoots appear above the compost.
KOHLRABI. If you want to grow Kohlrabi this year it’s time to get the ground ready. Prepare ground by spreading Growmore fertiliser and let it be for a week or two then sow seed in drills 1½cm (¾in) deep, you should be able to crop around the end of June. Varieties to try are green skinned Olivia and Luna or purple skinned Azure Star or Purple Vienna, if you want monster heads, then try Superschmetz.
OTHER VEG. Onions and Leeks sown in the greenhouse in January also cauliflowers, peas, lettuces and beans sown in February will now be better in a frame, where they can be hardened off for planting outdoors in April. Ventilate cautiously at first and cover on cold nights.
TOMATOES. If you still have tomato seedlings to prick out make sure you plant as deep as possible, the seedling leaves should be sitting just above the compost and when you pot up again then plant deep. Tomato plants have stems with fine hairs, when the hairs come into contact with compost, they will quickly develop into proper roots that will help sustain the plant.