Laurie Manser's Garden Hints
Garden Hints for June
I hope
that anyone who wanted to see my garden hints for June has managed to find them
ok I am getting rather past it for the modern way but I just keep my fingers
crossed.
When I
started as a garden boy the Headman gave me a diary in which I was to write
down everything I did. He did explain that it would not be there to tell me
what to do any particular day, but would give me guidance as to the order in
which to do things.
Vegetables
Make sure
that your potatoes have been well earthed up so as to avoid those close to the
surface going green. Runner and French beans can be planted along with sweet
corn and any other plants that you have started in the greenhouse such as marrows
and cucumbers. When hoeing around carrots if you can move some soil to cover
the tops it will help avoid the green top that often occurs. Some early crops
of broad beans, lettuce and such can be harvested; if the tips are removed with
broad beans this can help clear small attacks of black fly.
If you are
growing tomatoes in grow bags do be careful with the watering as it is easy to
keep them too wet or too dry and irregular watering is often the cause of blossom ends rot when you get a hard black
part where the flower was on the fruit.
The late
frost in April may have damaged the foliage of your potatoes but hopefully by
now they have recovered. If your garden or allotment is close to your house you
can reduce any damage by spraying with cold water but it must be from a tub not
from an inside tap.
Flowers
Annuals
that were sown where they are to flower will need thinning to get the best from
them. Any plants growing in containers or baskets will need careful watering
and if you have not used slow release fertilizers will also need feeding.
Once sweet
peas come into bloom they need to be picked as soon as they are out so as not
to put a strain on the plant and stop other flowers forming.
Roses can
benefit from a feed of high potash food which can be hoed into the surface. The
foliage should be left as long as possible on spring flowering bulbs such as
daffodils so as to build up the bulbs for next year. Please try and avoid tying
the foliage in knots as this defeats the purpose for which nature put it there.
Sweet peas
need to be kept cut so that seed does not form and stop the flowering, if you
are growing them as cordons they will need frequent tying and tendrils
removed.
Lawns
Regular
mowing with the blades not too low during May and June will give a good base to
the lawn, a light feed of lawn fertilizer will keep the grass growing and help
against moss. Do not however apply this in dry hot weather as you can burn the
grass.
ts for JuneThe last photos added May 23rd still growing well. Top photo taken July 24th onions lifted to dry.
All these pictures were taken last year. It has been so wet and I have damaged my back so am well behind this year 2020
Container grown plants
As most of you will know I lost my garden when we had to move from the tied house with our employer dieing and me coming to the age of 80. Since then we have grow most things in containers apart from things I grow on my allottment. These picture are just to show some of the container plants.
Sweet peas
Thse are my first bunch picked 25th May which is right as I usually pick chelsea week.
I went to my allotment this morning to check after hard frost. pleased to see sweet peas still looking good. They were sown on 8th October last year.
2018 Sweetpeas
10/25/2017
I have just singled the sweet peas into root trainers, there are 51 from 50 purchased seeds. They always allow one or two extras.
The second picture taken on Jan. 6th show sweet peas breaking with out being stopped , they are been outside ever since they were put into root trainers
My latest picture taken on March 28th shows plants now, planted hoping weather stays good.
waiting to be planted once the ground is suitable.
more onion news
More pictures to show the progress pf my onion sets. Top two taken 14th April
Onion sets just starting to show, I plant well down in the soil so that no trouble with birds, having got rid of white rot I get a good crop.
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