The Gardening Advice and Information Blog

Tips on How to Plant Clematis in your Garden

2008-11-23T01:03:00.002Z

Clematis are a great climbing plant for the garden. There are many different types of clematis that can be grown in the United Kingdom. A recent study found that there where 297 species of clematis in existence. The most commonly grown genus of clematis is the Viticella type. These are grown in many gardens up the trellis work or growing up supports over fences and walls. A great way to grow a clematis is to grow it up a large tree as the tree will act as a large support and also add colour. A good tip is if you have a dead tree in your garden then why not bring it back to life by planting 2 or 3 different clematis around it and allowing them to grow up the tree. If you choose to do this then choose clematis that flower at different times of the year. Choose one that flowers in the spring, one that flowers in the summer and there is a type that will flower in the winter. With a little time that dead or dying tree you had in your garden would have been bought back to life with all year round colour.

When you plant a clematis you must remember to plant it so that the stem is buried about six inches bellow the soil, this is because of clematis wilt. If you do this and your clematis does get clematis wilt then the plant should survive because it will root on the buried bit of the stem and push up new growth from the base of the plant. If planting by a fence or wall make sure that it is planted roughly a foot or so away from the fence or wall as these can draw moisture from the soil so leaving the clematis plant with very little moisture.

Insects And Your Garden

2008-04-01T15:35:00.000+01:00

by J. Brian Keith

Have you ever considered if what you know about Insects And Your Garden is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info about Insects And Your Garden.

While many types of insects, birds and animals seen in the home are unwanted intruders, others play a vital role in pollinating plants and moving seeds from one place to another. In fact, without these animal and insect helpers, most plants would be unable to reproduce.

Even though most gardeners understand how important this cycle of pollination and seed dispersal is, few fully understand why it occurs, or how it benefits both the plants and the animals.

The rewards of pollination and seed dispersal to the plants are easy to determine - they get to spread their seeds far and wide, and start new plants in far off locations. The rewards the insects, birds and mammals derive are many as well, and they are:

Nectar
nectar is actually a sugary solution, and therefore it is highly prized by all kinds of animals both for its good taste and for the ample energy it provides. Getting at this nectar is what prompts most pollinating insects, birds and animals to do such a good job. Nature has provided plants with various ways to attract pollinating insects, birds and animals.

Many types of flowers store their nectar in special glands called nectaires. These nectar glands are most frequently found in flowers, but they are also sometimes contained in leaves or other parts of the plant as well. Most plants are designed to protect their nectar stores from non-pollinating insects and animals, through the use of special storage locations that only pollinating insects can reach, for instance.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

The use of nectar and the plants, insects, birds and animals that depend on it is a fascinating study in co-evolution. The sugar concentrations of many plant nectars have evolved to match the energy requirements of the types of animals, birds and insects that pollinate them. For instance, bees require a 30-35% concentration of sugar in order to make the honey needed by their larvae in the winter. Therefore, bees will not visit flowers whose nectar contains less than 30% sugar. Therefore, the flowers and plants that depend on bees for pollination have evolved high concentrations of sugar in their nectar to attract these pollinator’s.

Pollen
Pollen is also used by flowers and plants to attract the insects, birds and animals they need. Pollen is eaten by bees, and it is also used to make a substance called bee bread, which is a high protein combination of pollen and nectar. This bee bread is used to feed the larvae, which require a high concentration of protein to grow and thrive. Some plants, such as peonies, poppies and roses, use only pollen as a reward and produce no nectar at all. Other types of plants produce two types of pollen - their normal pollen and a sterile pollen with is attractive to pollinating insects. This evolutionary strategy ensures that the good tasting pollen will be eaten while the reproductive pollen will be spread to other areas by the insects, birds and animals that visit the plant.

Of course, this pollen and nectar does the plants no good if the birds, insects and animals cannot find it, and plants and flowers use their bright colors and strong scents to attract these animals and let them know that pollen, nectar, or both await them.

Some pollinating species rely primarily on their sense of sight, and the bright flowers are used to attract their attention. Other species, particularly nocturnal ones, rely primarily on smell. It is the scent of the flowers that attracts these scent oriented pollinator’s.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Insects And Your Garden can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Insects And Your Garden, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

B. Keith Johnson is a contributing author for Flower Gardens. Visit his other sites for Product Reviews, Free Website Content and Free Photo Sharing

Article Source: http://www.articlegarden.com

Growing Onions. Summer Onions and Winter Onions.

2007-12-26T00:20:00.000Z

There are two type of bulbing or globe onion. There is the winter onion which is referred to as the Japanese onion and there is the summer or main crop onion.

I will start by explaining a little about how to grow the summer onion or main crop onion. Basically this also applies to the winter onion also. You can grow onions either from onion sets which are small immature onions or you can grow them from seed. The most popular choice for growing onions is to grow them from sets. There are many advantages to growing onions from sets rather than seed the main advantage is that you already have a small onion to start with and all you need to do is to put the onion in the ground and water and feed it to help it to swell and form the proper onion bulb. Also onion sets do not need a ground that is heavy on organic matter so if you are just starting a new vegetable bed then the onion set is the best choice to start you off growing onions. Of course with every advantage there are disadvantages. The disadvantage of growing onions from sets are you do not get a large choice of varieties as you would do if you where growing them from seed. Also there is the cost. If you grow your onions from seed then you will be saving a lot of money because onion sets cost more than onion seeds. Like I stated before if you are new to vegetable gardening then the preferred choice are the onion sets.

To pre pair the bed or place of planting for your onions it is best to choose an area that has full sun as they like light and warm conditions to grow happily. Dig the bed in winter if possible and include plenty of organic matter. Make sure you remove and perennial weed roots like couch grass or dandelions. In the spring March-April rake in a general purpose fertilizer a week before planting. plant your onion sets in the ground with a spacing of 5 or 6 inches apart with 9 inch between the rows. Keep a check on the onion sets in the early stages as nesting birds mistake the tops as nesting material so they pull them out of the ground. If that happens then just push them back in the ground. That is basically it for onion sets. All you need to do now is to make sure they are watered and weed free and you should have a good crop of onions to show for your time and effort.

Planting the Japanese onion or the winter onion is roughly the same. Plant the winter onion in a bed that has been dough in august. I personally like to use an old pea bed or a place I grow my peas because if you leave the pea roots in the ground and dig them in it adds nitrogen to the soil as pea root hold a lot of nitrogen. Plant the winter onions from September - Mid November. In spring give the winter onions a balanced fertilizer and keep weed free. Harvest winter onions from June to July.

Organic Options For Fertilising Your Vegetable Garden

2007-09-28T14:37:00.000+01:00

By Eric J Smith

I have often been asked what is the best organic fertiliser to add to the soil of a vegetable garden. Its not the sort of question that has an easy answer, but its not a complicated solution either. There is really no exact answer to a "best" product when it comes to organic nutrients.

Organic gardening is more about a system of gardening - Crop rotation, mulching, composting, vermicast, and companion planting all form a part of an Organic Gardening System.

The best place to start is to create 2 or 3 compost heaps in your backyard.

Whether you use a Compost Bin, Tumbler, Stack or Compost bays – the end result will still be the same - A nutrient rich soil conditioner and mulch ready to add to your vegetable garden. You should always ensure your compost heap receives sufficient heat in order to destroy seeds that may be present from lawn clippings and weeds.

Suitable ingredients for your compost heap includes – old hay or straw, vegetable scraps, shredded paper, lawn clippings & animal manure. Avoid things like Orange peel, onion skins and meat scraps.

If you live in a unit or have a small backyard, you might have vegetables growing in pots. An ideal way to make compost in these situations is with a small worm farm. The worms create enough compost (called vermicast) to feed your potted vegetables throughout the year. All your household scraps and waste paper can be added to the worm farm.

This is an ideal start for creating an Organic Garden System.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener and passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on http://www.milifestyle.net Organic Personal Care Products here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_J_Smith

http://EzineArticles.com/?Organic-Options-For-Fertilising-Your-Vegetable-Garden&id=474918

Successful Organic Gardening In Containers

2007-03-10T22:40:00.001Z

Space can be at a premium, especially these days when apartments and condos are so popular. A simple solution for those wanting to grow at least a few basic herbs and vegetables is to grow in containers. Maybe you don't have the time to maintain a large vegetable garden, or you have a physical condition that prevents you bending down or using the usual gardening tools. Whatever the reason, container gardening can be a great way to produce some of your organic food needs.

While container gardening may have its limitations, there are some great benefits.

* You have the advantage of being able to bring containers indoors through the coldest part of winter.

* Your pots / containers can create a focal point on a balcony or patio area, adding interest, colour or foliage.

* Planters can be made from just about any type of container that holds soil and allows adequate drainage.

* Potting mediums are easy to work with as they are the correct pH.

* Weeds are much less likely to become a problem.

* Less likely to be attacked by snails and slugs or soil borne diseases.

* The tiniest space - even a windowsill can be used to produce some fresh herbs

Soil

You need to purchase premium potting mix for growing in containers. Don't be tempted to use soil from the garden in your pots as it will become compact and heavy, not allowing water to drain well. A premium potting medium is a must. It is lighter and so provides excellent drainage.

You will need to provide all your plants nutrients as most potting mixes do not come with organic fertilizer. Remember that more is not better when it comes to applying fertilizer. Too much fertilizer in contact with your plant's roots will burn them. Always follow the directions on packaged fertilizers. There are many organic fertilizers available to choose from so look for blends suited to the type of plant you are growing - leafy, flowering, vegetables, etc.

Container plants need watering more frequently than normal garden plants, and as a result the water leaches away fertilizers. So container grown plants benefit from liquid feeds on a regular basis throughout their growing season. You can purchase organic liquid fertilizers if you don't have room to make your own. Use them for foliar feeding and drenching the soil around your plants.

Watering

Because container plants are above ground the sun and wind will dry potting soils out quicker than plants grown in the ground. During summer you will need to take care that your pots do not dry out.

Water containers when the soil dries out to a depth of 1-2cm (1/2 inch). Apply water with a soft flow to be gentle on your plants and the soil. In really hot weather I usually re-water about 30 minutes after my initial watering. This is beneficial in containers as plants cannot always take up the water quickly.

It is important to make sure that your containers have adequate drainage or your plants will suffer and ultimately die if the roots are permanently sitting in water. If your containers sit on the ground bottom holes may not drain readily. If they are on a patio or are just off the ground, there should be no problem with bottom holes. If you're not sure, make side holes.

Pieces from an old broken clay pot or fly wire placed over the holes will keep the potting mix from packing around the holes and reducing drainage, as well as keeping it in the pot.

You can add some mulch to larger pots in summer to help prevent them from drying out. I like to use pea straw.

Choosing the right plants

When you're growing in containers you will need to look for varieties that are the most suitable for growing in small areas. Many herbs make excellent container specimens. You could start with some of the smaller vegetables such as radishes, lettuce, onions, capsicum or chillies, eggplant, short varieties of carrots, bush beans etc. Container planting is ideal to try out some companion planting techniques. You'll have better success if your plant combinations are happy ones!

If you plant in three weekly successions you may be able to achieve continuous production of some plants.

You can also try some climbing plants providing you have some trellis or railing for support. Strawberries grow well in containers, particularly hanging baskets if they are not allowed to dry out.

Location

Choose a position for you container plants where they get about six hour sun each day, preferably morning sun rather than afternoon sun.

You may also need to protect your plants from falling over in strong winds. If you have many pots they might provide some protection for each other. Place the tallest plants along walls or trellises.

Many conventional gardeners find themselves with more than just a few plants growing in containers. I wouldn't think of any other way to grow mints as they are just impossible if they escape into the garden. And how many people have the space for a full grown bay tree, when they only use a few leaves each week?

Yes, they take a little extra care, but we are well rewarded with our bounties. Try growing a few pots together. They look great and they provide a suitable micro-climate for each other. Good luck with yours!

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments. Please visit my website and get your free 3 part Composting Guide. For Companion Planting info click here.
Happy gardening, healthy living…

Julie Williams

http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Williams
http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Organic-Gardening-In-Containers&id=459744

Wind, rain and wreckage. All part of nature and gardening I suppose.

2007-02-14T00:12:00.000Z

It has been a while since I have updated my blog. A lot has gone on since my last post and not all of it has been good news.

The new year started like any other with great anticipation for the coming growing season that lies ahead, but one thing that I did not think would happen would be the event that are about to take place. Since the new year there had been a few days where it was cold wet and windy and other days where it was dry and gales outside. Then came Thursday 18th January 2007. I remember that day very well. I was working at the computer whilst outside it sounded like a hurricane was sweeping through the country. The loft hatch was banging up and down with every strong gust. I was thinking to myself I don't think I will be seeing much of my shed which was on the allotment. The shed had been on the plot for about 6 years. I acquired it of a previous plot holder who gave up his allotment and had left the shed on his plot. I telephoned him and asked if it was ok if I could use it for storing my pots and to act as a shelter should it start to rain whilst I was working on my plot. This shed was a rickety old thing but I decided to have it any way and thought to myself when putting it up that it will not last very long, the first wind we get the shed will be in the field opposite. I put up the shed and made sure it was well secured to the ground. This was six years ago. It had stood up to very high winds and very heavy storms and I had thought to myself blooming heck this shed which looks as though a hamster could blow it down has stood up to everything that mother nature could throw at it and a little more. Well that was until we had the strong winds on Thursday 18th of January.

On Saturday 20th of January 2007 my father and brother went down to the allotment to pick some sprouts to have with out tea on the Sunday. When they came back they broke the news to me that the shed had finally been claimed by the weather. This was not a surprise to me but I was a little disappointed that it had been destroyed. I decided to go down and inspect the damage to the shed and to make sure the site was safe and that there was not more damage to any other plots. I was feeling a little tipsy as I had a lot to drink the night before and not a lot of sleep, but still I put my coat on and my hat and scarf, found the camera and we set off to inspect the damage. When I got down there it was apparent that I was not the only person who had experienced damage to his plot. A lady who had a very nice greenhouse had her glass completely smashed by the winds and another tenant had a few of his panes blown out. Also a large tree had been blown down in the field opposite to the allotment. Luckily it had blown down right by the hedge to the allotment site and had not fallen on or damaged the hedge. Looks like I will have to rebuild like a lot of other people who have lost sheds and greenhouses because of the bad storm.

Since the storm there has not really been a lot to report with regards to gardening because the weather has been rather wet and cold. Today I have spent some time in the greenhouse tidying up some chrysanthemums that I have been over wintering so I can plant them on the allotment plot later on this year. I have also sown some Rhubarb seeds as I tried to grow some last year and the germinated great I potted them up and grew them on in the greenhouse only for the vine weevils to invade and lay there eggs and then the rest is history. So this year I will germinate them grow them on until the end of March in the greenhouse then plant them directly on the plot to grow on. Also I am going to try allot harder to keep this blog updated.

The_Snail

The End of an old Gardening Year and The Start of a New Gardening Year

2006-12-31T23:36:00.000Z

It is the final few hours of 2006 and this gardening year has been a strange one for me. The summer was hot and long. Some may say that this is a good thing but if you are a gardener then this can be a testing time. The grass was brown and the vegetable slow to develope. Luckly August and Early September gave us some much needy rain. The rain helped to green up the grass and the vegetables had a late growth spert. This was so for the runner beans, we had loads all of a sudden. It was not as if I was not watering them or they where growing in poor soil but for some reason they all of a sudden decided to burst into life and we had a very good crop if a little late of runner beans. The beans where stringless and very juicey and tender a real delight to have with our sunday lunch.

With the weather predictions for the UK to be much of the same in summer 2007 I am intending to include a lot of organic matter into the soil in the form of well rotted horse and cow manure. Mulch all of the plants in March/April and retain a lot of natural rain water for when times are needing. Lets hope 2007 is a great year. I would like to wish every one who is reading this blog a Happy and Healthy 2007.

The_Snail

Planting My Japanese Onion Sets

2006-11-15T08:11:00.000Z

Today I am planning to plant my Japanese Onion Sets. It is November the 15th and I am a little later planting them as I would of hoped. I wanted to plant them in the middle to the end of September to give them a few months to make a little headway with growth so that they have a stronger start in the spring to give better bulbs/onions next June. So I am going to make an early start on the allotment and get some put in with some garlic. If they do well then great I will know next year not to panic so much as I did manage to get a good crop from a late sowing but the only thing is that my plans again have been scuppered by the weather and personal problems. The weather outside is wet and suprisingly mild for the time of year. They have forcast tempritures of 14 Degress Celciuse in the middle of November that is quite good. Hope fully we will have a week or two more of this fine warmish weather for the time of year and get my onions started off quickly.

The_Snail

The Gardening day! Long awaited update

2006-09-27T02:24:00.002+01:00

Ok sorry for the wait. Got alot of things to add to this blog. I am new to blogging so daily updates are not the thing I think about. Life is a bigger struggle than any person could imagen. Well lets me blog about yesterday. It started of ok wakeing up and having my useual bowl of malted shreddies (cereal) with warm milk so they go all mushy and yummy. Then it was checking the morning emails, yes you guessed it I had a inbox full of spam. After sorting out the spam from the credible email it was time for a shower and wash. Had a few jobs to do before dinner so they where completed.

Dinner. YUMMY! It was basically a ham sandwich and some onion and cucumber that was or has been soaking in vinigar. Its been there for say 5 days and is oozing with vinegary goodness.
Well I slapped some of this stuff on the Buttie ( Sandwich) and comsumed with great delight. Until I had the last mouth full then gee it was all gone! And we had no more ham left. Ok time to get ready to do some digging!

Ok walked out the door and put my boots on. Checked first to see if any spiders or snails in them as the where stored in the greenhouse and that is open to anything creeping in. Trust me I have had snails in my boots bigger than anything. It was lucky my toe recognised the density and feel of a snail shell because I would of had a very slimey toe. And a poor snale would of been dead. Anyhow no creepys or slimey slugs or sensible slugs (snails) got into my boots. Wasnt that interesting! OK

With boots ordained to me feet and a good will in my heart I set out to conqoure the imposibble. Yes COUCH blooming Grass It is there and it needs getting out. Its like a splinter in your finger its painfull and you cannot wait to dig it out!

Whilst I was doing this relentlas I mean relentlas as I haven been on the plot along time and stil getting the same old weeds (OK I know you are thinking you will if you leave some in! Why do you leave some weeds in? Its a human thing to admire and to reward. If not human it should be!) . OK digging away and nothing to really tax ones mind apart from the ever ecuring white strands of couch grass roots that had to come out! A streach of the back reveild a lovely formation of ducks flying from the pond that must be quite near to my site. (This was not the end)

Ok feeling good seeing the ducks as I am a bit of a twitcher (Birdwatcher). Kept on the digging, rescueing baby toads from the horrors of the loomomg spade and repatreating them in the brooke that was close by. I carried on digging then you would not belive but a pare of what I can only Identify with at this present is a pair of harriers flew over. They where of a certain raptor and they where not sparrow hawk. I found this to be most interesting.

Other than seeing dragonflies at the end of September and the Harriers I cannot say anything wrong with yesterday. Most Enlightening.

The_Snail

September is getting closer. Also some vegetable pics.

2006-08-29T02:20:00.000+01:00

It is very quickly heading for September. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. The temperatures have dropped and the rain is pooring (Which is a good thing as we need the rain). Autumn is slowly on its way. The housemartins and swifts are thinking about leaving this country on there annual epic migration across sea and land. If you are reading this and are thinking that it sounds very depressing the fact that autumn is only just around the corner then I can say that I find September and October to be very nice. The change in the light levels and the smell of the moist leaves as they change colour and drop to the ground. It is also good to take stock of things that have and are still growing on the allotment. This year so far has been a strange growing year what with the heatwave and the very low rainfall. Some crops did not workout at all yet others thrived. Here are a frew images from my plot of a few of my vegetables I am growing

My Leeks

The Broccoli

My Runner Beans

My Little Pumpkin

The_Snail

Plant Propagation - Taking Mint Cuttings The Really Really Easy Way.

2006-08-15T21:37:00.001+01:00

A few weeks back we where given some mint stems so we could use the leaves to make some mint source for our Sunday lunch. I decided to make the mint source. When I made the source instead of taking all the leaves of and chopping up the stems also I just took the lower leaves off and left just a few leaves on at the top and all of the small sideshoots on the main stem. I then cut the stem so it was about 3 inches long just below a leaf joint and placed them in a glass of water.

After about 2 weeks or so small fine roots started to form on the stems. These roots I like to call water roots and they are very thin and fragile unlike the roots you find on plants growing in the ground or in compost which are a lot stronger and the density is greater. The roots had formed and it was time to get them potted up. This picture shows the water roots on the mint stems. These took around 2-3 weeks to form after sitting on the kitchen window sill.

I then gathered together 2 pots and something to stand them on as they are going to grow on for a little bit longer on my bedroom window sill. The pots where dirty so I washed them over in a solution of jeyes fluid (which is an exterior disinfectant). Hence they are wet. I rinsed them over well in fresh water to remove and residue of the disinfectant. I then dried the pots.

After filling the pots with a good multi purpose compost, being carefull not to over fill them so it is easier to water I carefully so not to damage the fragile roots, placed in the rooted cuttings around the side of the pots. The reason why I placed them around the side of the pots is due to fact that there is more drainage at the side of pots than there is in the center.

Once the sides of the pots where full I watered them and then placed the plant pots in the stands on my bedroom window sill. That is a very easy way of rooting mint, and also getting some great mint source also.

Plant of the week. The Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

2006-08-13T00:14:00.000+01:00

Snapdragon
(Antirrhinum majus)

The name snapdragon refers to the formation of the flowers. If the flowers are squeezed together then it looks like the mouth of a dragon opening and closeing. The Snapdragon or (Antirrhinum majus) is closely related to the Toadflax. The Antirrhinum can be seen growing naturaly is the side of building walls and on chalk cliffs in Britain. The Antirrhinum is not a native plant to Britain but it originates from the mediterranean islands. It has escaped from well maintained gardens by seed carried on the wind and by birds to establish itself in our native wildflower collection. There are a few herbal uses for the Antirrhinum, in the older days they used to use the plant as a preservative to ward off the evil withcraft, they also used to use its close relative the toadflax to do the same job. The Antirrhinum is now widley grown in cottage style gardens and in many town and city gardens. It is grown as a half hardy annual but by my experience if planted in a sheltered place and the winter is not to severe then the plant may survive and flower again the folowing year.

If you intend to grow the Antirrhinum yourself then it is grown from seed sown in Febuary and March in a warm place like a heated greenhouse or a warm window sill if a greenhouse is not available. If you are starting the plants off on a window sill then fill a 3 and a half inch plant pot with a multi purpose compost. You can use a mixture of 50% compost and 50% horticultural sand. This helps with drainage and stops the water from sitting on top of the compost and allowing molds and algea to form. My personal mixture is roughly 75% multi purpose compost and 25% horticultural sand. Ratio of 3 to 1. (3 compost to 1 horticultural sand.) This mixture I use for all indoor grown seeds and I find it works rather well. Fill the pot with the mixture and and level off the compost. Press down very lightly with a round flat object like for example the base of another 3 and a half inch plant pot so the surface of the compost is nice and level.

Open the seed packet at the top. Make sure you flick the top of the seed packet so any seeds trapped inside at the top of the packet are allowed to fall to the bottom so you do not waste any and they all have a chance to germanate and grow. Once the packet is open then you will see that the seed is very fine. A good tip for sowing fine seed is to use very fine and very dry horticultural sand. It is like a dry fine salt in consistance. Put a pinch or two of the dry fine horticultural sand into the seed packet and folding over the top of the packet closing it so no seed escapes gently shake the seed packet so the seed is mixed up with the silver sand. Once that has been done sprinkle the seed and sand evenly over the surface of the compost in your pot and then place the pot in a tray of water so that the compost can absorbe the water from the bottom up so not desturbing the seed. The seed does not need covering with compost because it needs light to germanate. I personally do not do that I like to use a very fine rose head on my watering can then gentle pass the water over the pot from side to side so it gently beds the seed into the compost enough so it has a chance to allow the light through and germinate.

Once you have done all of this the only thing to do is to lable the pot with a plant label with the name of the plant and the date that you had sown the seed. Cover with a clear plastic bag and secure with a rubber band. A good tip is to use a bendy straw and inflate the bag once secured. This will add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere inside the bag and give the seedlings a little boost once germinated. The germination should take between 2-3 weeks, depending on the area the seeds are being grown. Once germanated grow on until the seedlings are large enough to handle. Seperate the seedlings and put them in fresh compost in pots or trays and place in a greenhouse or coldframe. Grow on until you have strong plants. I like to plant them out after all frosts have passed in the end of May if you live in the United Kingdom.

The_Snail

Courgettes Update. Huston We Have A Problem!!!!

2006-08-10T21:56:00.000+01:00

A little update with regards to the post I did about not being down the allotment for a while and needed to check to see if any courgettes needed harvesting well......
Huston we have a problem. We have got 12 new marrows not courgettes. As you can see by the pictures they are rather big. The smallest one is around 14 inches and the avarage size is about 17 inches.

So in my previous post I said I was getting a little tired of eating courgettes. Well I got marrows now for breakfast, dinner and tea.
I hope my pumpkins grow as big as the marrows

The_Snail

Courgettes, Hmmm I wonder how many there will be?

2006-08-07T21:41:00.000+01:00

I have not been on the allotment for a week, and I wonder how many courgettes there will be waiting for me to pick. Normally I bring 2 bags home a week but being as I have not been down there for a week I bet there will be marrows and not courgettes. I must confess I like courgettes and for that matter marrows but I have been eating them for dinner and tea nearly every other day. Guess what is for tea tommorrow? Yep you guessed it marrow and brocolli with cheese source and mashed potato. O well. I hope courgettes are healthy for you. I will let you know how many are on the plants after I have been down to harvest.

The_Snail

The English Weather. Hot and Cold.

2006-08-02T00:34:00.000+01:00

I was thinking to myself today about the diversity in the English weather. Today or Tuesday as it is now very early Wednesday morning was cold (20 Degrees C which in comparison to the temperatures of late is cold) wet very, windy and over cast with pockets of sunshine. It was only last Tuesday (7 Days ago) that I was sitting out side trying to find some shade to shelter myself from the scorching sun. It was 30 Degrees C in the shade and must of been 33 Degrees offer slightly more as the garden acts like a suntrap. All the plants where drying out and the only way we could water them was to use the old soapy washing up water. So all the tubs and bedding plants where blowing bubbles and foaming at the petals (Joke!). They where not really and it is ok to use your soapy dish water on your bedding containers as the soap does not really hurt the plants. I think it may benefit the plants as the deturgent in the water will break down the resistance of the compost so it can absorbe water more readily. The reason why I am saying this is in hot dry weather the compost can dry out and it forms a barrier that acts like a waterproofing and the water just runs through the pots and out the bottom so does not get absorbed and retained in the compost.

One good thing about the weather today and over the previous few days is that it has watered the garden and will hopefully green up our brown dead looking grass. The forcast is for it to stay unsettled in the Midlands and warming up towards the weekend. In some ways I am delighted with the weather as hot dry days every day can get boring and can make the place look quite deserlet.

The_Snail

My Home Grown Organic Onion, Courgette and Pepper BBQ Parcels

2006-07-16T17:32:00.000+01:00

Here is my idea for Organic Onion, Courgette and Pepper BBQ Parcels.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 People

1 or 2 Courgette (Depending on size)
1 Large Onion
1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper
Garlic (If you like garlic that is.)
Olive Oil
Real Best Butter
Salt
Pepper

Methord

1.) Peel and wash an onion. Wash the pepper and courgette then dice to a uniform size.

2.) Arrange the diced pepper, courgette and onion onto a latge piece of foil. Drizzle olive oil over the top and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally and some small blobs or noggins of real butter to help with the cooking and to add extra flavour.

3.) Finally fold up the foil around the ingredients to form the parcel so they look like cornish pasties. Form little holding flaps on either end so it is easy to lift onto and off the BBQ.

4.) Cook on the BBQ on some medium coals for around 20 - 25 minutes (Depending how hot your BBQ is.)

Alternative for this idea can include potato and onion with butter and cheese. Or why not do a refreshing hot fruit salad. This methord of cooking is ideal for the vegetarian who does not like meat on the BBQ.

I hope you enjoy this recipe idea with produce that has been grown in your garden or on your allotment.

Bon appetit!!!

The_Snail

My Winter Onions

2006-07-16T12:41:00.001+01:00

On Friday I harvested my winter onions which I planted in late October 2005. They where planted as onion sets in unmanured ground before we started to have the bad frosts so they could get a good start to help then to stand up to the bad winter weather. They grew steadily over the autumn then in the middle of November and Early December we started to have the onset of winter with rain and night time frosts which finished most of the tender crops of like the caugettes and the runner beans. The winter onions stopped growing during the winter period and sat there waiting for the onset of spring and the warmer milder days. April arrived and the weather was getting warmer, the birds where singing and busy building the nests ready for there up and coming family of hungry chicks. The winter onions also had started to show signs of re-growth, so a good amount of fertilizer was added to the ground just before we had some rain so it would all get washed in and help to give the onions a good boost and to get them growing strong ready for a July harvest. The following months care consisted of basically weeding and watering on dry days. Then Friday 14th of July I harvested the winter onions and I was very pleased indeed with the results. The winter onion harvest was of a better quality and flavour that the previous summer 2005 crop. So this year I will be certainly putting winter onion sets on my shopping list ready for hopefully a good crop in summer 2007.

The_Snail