With your garden design well under way now is the time to start concentrating on the plants which will show your garden off throughout the year, but don’t rush things because although some of the days are mild the weather can still be icy and seeds sown too early outside will not germinate if your soil temperature is below 7°C (45°F).
*Propagation indoors
- Take dahlia cuttings
- Sow sweet peas using the Sherwood Rootrainer
- Sow half hardy annuals eg Sunflowers, Lobelia, begonias, pansies
- Take cuttings off Pelargonium, Carnation and Begonias using the Rapid Rootrainer
- Sow Tomato seeds
- Sow seeds for early carrots, parsley and parsnips in the Rowplanter
TIP: Seeds sown in Rootrainers make spacing easier, save time in pricking out and produce strong sturdy plants with little or no root disturbance when transplanting once the weather warms up.
*Planting out, and work outdoors
Now is a good time to plant out the following, but you will need to protect the plants from frost
- Plant Anemone, Ranunculis, Paeonies, Gladiolus and Tiger Lilies in groups in open borders
- Plant Primroses
- Divide large clumps of perennials
- Prepare ground for sweet pea trench
- Divide and plant snowdrops
- Plant onion sets and shallots
- Plant out Autumn sown lettuce
- Draw up earth to the hearts of young spring cabbage
- Broad beans and English Peas
- Strawberries
TIP: . Warm up the soil by using cloches, tunnels and cold frames for early outdoor sowing especially in your vegetable garden and protect crops from damage from birds, rabbits etc
*In the Greenhouse
Check your greenhouse plants for signs of pests and diseases which often begin to increase as the temperature rises. Ventilate the greenhouse frequently. Keep seedlings up to the light to produce short healthy plants
TIP: Make sure that the pesticides you use are safe to children, pets and pond life.
|
Search
