38 | Family Life
Belfast Telegraph | 24 May 2019
Grow more for less In the vegetable garden TOP TIPS I f you would love more plants but feel you can’t afford them, subscribe to the newsletters from the major suppliers such as Thompson and Morgan, Hayloft and Van Meuwen. They don’t bombard you with emails and every now and then there are incredible bargains to be had as they try to clear space. Last month, you could have got three patio lavateras for £3 and two acers for £5. Those offers tend to last just a day or two and then the plants return to their normal price so they are worth looking out for. Also, have a look at the reduced sections of the major garden centres where they Lavatera x clementii ‘Barnsley practically give away neglected plants. Baby’ was just £3 for 3 in mid May More often than not, with a little tlc, these from Thompson and Morgan come back to life and even though they tend to be past flowering, they will often reward you with a wonderful display next flourish, while in other cases, it does them year. And if they don’t survive, you’re only no harm. You can also propogate many a quid or so out of pocket. shrubs by taking softwood cuttings at this At this time of year, there are plant time of year. sales going on in community centres and And if you are visiting family or friends church halls all over the place. and fancy the look of some of Keep an eye out for any in their plants, ask for cutyour area. For instance, tings – it can be pot luck Bangor Horticultural (literally) but you could Society is having end up with some a plant sale in St wonderful displays. Columbanus Church Finally, growing Halls tomorrow, plants from seed Saturday, May 25, is very cheap and where there are rewarding, so sure to be some long as you have great bargains. the time to look Another excellent after the seedlings way of gaining more and a greenhouse or Seedlings bring the plants is to propagate the sunroom to grow them promise of new life – ones you already have. It in. There are lots that can but what kind? costs nothing to gather corms be sown directly outside at and plant them where you want this time of year but you do have the them, or to dig up and divide perennials, problem of trying to figure out whether multiplying their impact all over your those green shoots are something you’ve garden. Some perennials need dividing to planned or the next weed invasion.
Gooseberries
Tasks for the fruit garden
The fresh aroma of ripening tomatoes is unbeatable
Broccoli ‘Summer Purple’ from Thompson & Morgan’s Start-A-Garden Range, 99p for a packet of 75 seeds
Y
ou may feel as if you’re fighting a losing battle with the birds when it comes to tasting your own fruit. It can feel mean, covering plants with netting, but often it’s the only way to enjoy the ‘fruit’ of your labours. Here are some other tasks for the fruit garden now...
✱ If gooseberry and red current bushes are very leafy, start summer pruning by shortening back the new growth. You may even be able to harvest some gooseberries in June. ✱ Start to prune your plum or cherry trees now. ✱ Thin out congested branches further for bigger and better fruits. ✱ Container grown fruit plants need a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy and productive. ✱ Top-dress patio dwarf fruit trees with fresh compost and a slow-release fertiliser. ✱ Peg down runners on your strawberry plants to create more plants or if you don’t want them, remove the runners completely. ✱ Water potted blueberries with rainwater to help the soil maintain its acidity. ✱ Stake raspberries if you haven’t already. ✱ Keep a watch for pests like gooseberry sawfly larvae which attacks a number of soft fruit bushes and can strip a plant as quickly as a swarm of locusts. GIYers
from Thompson & Morgan
✱ Continue to earth up potato plants as they grow – covering them over with soil will prevent green tubers growing. ✱ Keep the compost of newly planted container potatoes moist, but don’t overwater. ✱ Pinch out any side shoots from your tomato plants. You can pot these up to create new tomato plants. Start to feed once the first truss is setting fruit. ✱ Harvest salad crops, and resow every two weeks for a constant supply of tasty leaves. ✱ When planting out cabbages, use brassica collars to prevent cabbage root fly attack. ✱ Harvest early potatoes - these are normally ready about 10 weeks after planting. ✱ Keep an eye on your onion and garlic. When the leaves start to yellow and die back, they’re ready to harvest. ✱ If you haven’t already, harden off and plant tender vegetables such as courgettes, squash, tomatoes and sweet corn. ✱ Protect crops from carrot fly by covering with horticultural fleece. See www.thompson-morgan.com for more information.
recommend pyrethrum, an extract from the flowers of chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium as an effective and organic bio-insecticide. If you’re starting out on the grow it yourself journey, giy.ie is a useful site.
Strawberries