ACTIONPLAN
NIGEL COLBORN’S ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS WEEK
Now is the time to sow the first seeds of the year. This will give pelargoniums, for example, time to develop into large plants before you move them outside in May.
The seeds can be sown sparsely on to good quality potting compost in a pot or placed individually in the compartments of a small cell tray. Make sure the pots or trays are scrupulously clean n before filling withs teri lee compost. water this and allow w to drain for an hour or soo before placing the seeds.
Cover sown seed with a thin n layer of sieved compost orr sprinkle perlite or vermiculite.
These ed does requiree temperatures of about 18c too germinate, so use a heated propagator set up in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
SO LONG, SUCKERS
ARE you troubled by suckers? Shoots that grow from the roots of certain trees or shrubs can be a nuisance, especially in lawns. When they appear, it’s important to remove them quickly. Left untouched, they will grow into saplings and become far more difficult to eradicate. Cutting the sucker off at ground level does more harm than good. Instead, dig down and around the sucker until you locate the long root from which it has grown. Sever the root on either side and get rid of it. Suckers develop from roots that are close to the surface of the soil or lawn. Where mowers graze exposed roots, they’re even more likely to appear. Cut away as many as you can, making sure that any remaining root is at least 8 in down.
READER’S QUESTION
WE HAVE two camellias growing in tubs in peat-free ericaceous compost. This has broken down and become claggy. When is best to re-pot them and how long will the potting compost last?
Mrs J. owen, Kent. You can safely re-pot evergreen shrubs at any time while dormant. For most, that means between october and March. But as camellias flower in late winter and spring, autumn would have been best. As your compost has badly decomposed, re-pot now with a loam-based John Innes ericaceous compost, which is less likely to break down than soil-less products and is easier to manage.
INSPECT HOUSEPLANTS
AS THE days become longer, indoor plants are beginning to grow again and may need inspecting. Pests start to be more active as plants wake up and could cause serious problems. Signs include dark sooty staining on the lower leaves of evergreens, damaged foliage and sticky deposits (honeydew) on foliage. You may also notice tiny sciarid flies, which breed in damp compost. Various treatments are available, including systemic insecticide acetamiprid (Bug Clear Ultra), which is approved for ornamentals. And you can wash off sooty mould with tepid water and sponge.