Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg

Next week: Focus on herbs, heated propagator essentials, renovating fruit trees, grow asparagus from seed, try reed mace.

WITH most of us desperate to open veg seed packets this month, early sowings are being made on windowsills and in propagators up and down the country. This enthusiasm will hopefully be rewarded by earlier, bigger crops on stronger plants, but sowing early carries a risk: damping off disease. Encouraged by a combination of low light levels, high humidity, waterlogging, slow growth and cold temperatures, the fungi associated with damping off can quickly wipe through trays of sowings. Occasionally, seedlings are hit before they emerge, but more often you’ll watch in dismay as once-healthy baby leaves wilt, collapse and rot within days. With no fungicides available, prevention is key. Sow thinly, don’t overwater, provide sufficient heat and ventilate on warmer days. Using tap water and bought (rather than homemade) compost also helps to keep this problem at bay.

These vigorous trees, if planted in a suitably sunny and sheltered spot, will provide sumptuous harvests, especially if the roots are restricted:

To avoid damping off, sow thinly, as with these Chili ‘Anaheim’

Lettuce seedlings that have fallen foul of damping off disease

Figs crop most reliably in a warm spot, and a

This lining limits the root spread of your

south-facing wall is ideal.

‘Brown Turkey’ is the

most dependable variety,

but there are many others

available. Dig a 15x15x15in (40cm 3 ) hole, lining the

sides with paving slabs. plant, keeping it smaller and more manageable, and encouraging ample fruits. Choose a fig with well-spaced branches, planting it in a mixture of compost and soil.

3Firm in your fig and water it in. Secure pairs of 6ft (1.8m) long bamboo canes to the wall (these have been tied to strong horizontal wires). Tie the branches of your fig to the canes, one stem per cane, to initiate a fan shape.

SOME of you may be familiar with this scourge of roses –but did you know that replant disease can also strike various fruit trees, canes and bushes? Specifically, it’s those that belong to the same family as roses (Rosaceae) –which includes apple, pear, cherry, plum, gage, apricot, peach, nectarine, almond, medlar, quince, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry. Phew, that’s quite a list! So, if you want to replace any old plants of the list above with new ones this month, how do you go about it to ensure that replant disease doesn’t occur? The solution is to change the soil for some that hasn’t supported host plants (earth from vegetable beds is ideal) and to inoculate the roots and planting hole with mycorrhizal fungi (like

Harvest these papery lantern treats in late autumn

COMMON name ‘Cape gooseberry’ is misleading –this fruit (botanically Physalis peruviana ) can be traced back to cultivation in South America centuries before it was grown in South Africa, which is why some refer to it as the Peruvian groundcherry. Treat the seeds as if they were those of its distant relative, the tomato. Sow eight-12 per 3½in (9cm) diameter pot, starting them off now in a heated propagator set at 18-20°C (64-68°F). Prick out when large enough into individual pots, then plant out in a sunny, sheltered spot in late May (no staking or sideshooting required). The self-fertile flowers will develop into small orange fruits by late autumn. Harvest, encased in their papery lanterns, to adorn desserts throughout the winter.

AG reader Lesley Upton chooses a selection of the new plants and seeds available this year, from onions that don’t make you cry to a compact perennial verbena

IT’S that time of year when we start thinking about what seeds to sow and plants to buy for the coming season. It always amazes me how suppliers of plants and seeds come up with new varieties, and this year is no exception. In this article are a host of options new to the companies that supply them. Included are flower seeds and plants you can buy ready to pot up for the coming season, plus vegetable seeds. There are also two fruit trees. Whether you favour growing from seed or buying plants, there’s something here for everyone. The names of the companies supplying each plant/seed feature in brackets at the end of the description, with the key to stockists below.

Hayloft Plants

C = Chiltern Seeds ✆ 01491 824675  chilternseeds.co.uk DTB = DT Brown ✆ 0333 003 0869  dtbrownseeds.co.uk H = Hayloft Plants ✆ 01386 562999  hayloft.co.uk MF = Mr Fothergill’s ✆ 0333 777 3936  mr-fothergills.co.uk P = Pomona Fruits ✆ 01255 440410  pomonafruits.co.uk PD = Plants of Distinction ✆ 01449 721720  plantsofdistinction.co.uk PW = Plant World ✆ 01803 872939  plant-word-seeds.com S = Suttons ✆ 0844 326 2200  suttons.co.uk SR = Sarah Raven ✆ 0345 092 0283  sarahraven.com T&M =Thompson & Morgan ✆ 0844 573 1818  thompson-morgan.com

PLANT World will send a colour seed catalogue, and a free packet of each of its seeds mentioned on page 24, if you send your name, address and three first-class stamps to Plant World Seeds AG Offer, St Marychurch Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4SE. Or you canmake a purchase from plantworld-seeds.com, use the code AG20 and the two seed packets will be added to your order with a catalogue.

This lilac, Syringa vulgaris Carpe Diem, from Hayloft Plants has a fantastic scent and lilac buds with light-blue blooms that fade to mauve as they mature

Prunus persica ‘Emperor’s Delight’ This heavy-croppin nectarine produce doughnut-shaped fruits with a red flush that are claimed to taste ‘almost too good to be true’. The melting creamy-w flesh is extremely juicy and has a rich sugar-sweet flavour. Fruits: Mid-August. HxS: 3.6m (12ft) as a bush, 1.9m (6ft) high and 3.6m (12ft) wide as a fan. Supplied on Montclair semi-dwarfing rootstock. Pollination: Self-fertile (P).

Prunus ‘Flavor Candy’

Both Pom uots are a cross etween a plum and n apricot. This ariety produces

eavy crops of ed-flushed fruits ith yellow flesh nd combines the ciness of a plum w the fragrant taste of an apricot. Pluots require a warm, sheltered site in full sun. Fruits: Early September. HxS: 3.6m (12ft) as a bush, 2m (6ft 6in) high and 3.6m (12ft) wide as a fan. Supplied on Montclair rootstock. Pollination: Self-fertile (P).

Thompson & Morgan Sarah Raven/Jonathan Buckley Thompson & Morgan

Xerochrysum ‘Granvia Gold’ Even before they’re cut, the papery blooms of Xerochrysum ‘Granvia Gold’ feel like dried flowers. The big golden blooms of this bushy annual develop a deep-orange centre as they mature. Prefers sun. Flowers: May-September. HxS: 20in (50cm). Supplied as jumbo plugs (T&M). Agapanthus inapertus subsp. pendulus ‘Graskop’ This hardy perennial has dark, almost black buds, rising about 1ft (30cm) above the foliage. As the flowers open, they become more pendulous and turn a dark violet-purple. Prefers full sun. Flowers: July-August. HxS: 1mx30cm (3ft 3inx12in). Supplied as 9cm plants (SR). Thompson & Morgan Sarah Raven/Jonathan Buckley

Petunia ‘Surfinia Star Burgundy’ Surfinia petunias have an amazing cascading habit, and this half-hardy annual has burgundy flowers with yellow stars that boast fabulous vigour and superb weather resistance. Prefers sun or part shade. Flowers: July-October. Trails to 36in (90cm), spread 24in (60cm). Supplied as postiplugs (T&M).

Angelonia ‘Adessa Pink’ The tall spikes of this semi-hardy perennial have delicate and fascinating salvia-like flowers in beautiful pinks. This robust plant will provide elegant structure, is drought tolerant and attractive to butterflies. Prefers full sun. Flowers: June-September. HxS: 45-60cm (18-24in). Supplied as young plants (H).

Verbena bonariensis ‘Royal Dreams’ This compact hardy perennial has mauve-pink blooms in tight clusters on short stems. The uniform plants create an open airy habit, while the swaying flower stems make it a magnet for pollinating insects. Prefers full sun. Flowers: June-October. HxS: 24in (60cm). Supplied as jumbo plugs (T&M).

Thompson & Morgan Thompson & Morgan

Osteospermum ‘Banana Shake’ The yellow daisy-like blooms of this halfhardy perennial will flower from spring to late autumn. It is drought tolerant and great for weed-suppressing ground cover. Prefers full sun. Flowers: MayOctober. HxS: 30-45cm (12-18in). Supplied as young plants (H).

Salvia ‘Strawberry Lake’ Ruby-red blooms appear above heartshaped foliage. The dark stems of this half-hardy perennial make a striking contrast with its green leaves. Prefers full sun. Flowers: June-September. Height: 45cm (18in). Spread: 30cm (12in). Supplied as jumbo plugs (T&M).

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whiskers Deep Rose’ This perennial has rich deep-pink starshaped blooms and stems washed with crimson, and will suit any well-drained soil in a border or container. Prefers full sun or part shade. Flowers: MayOctober. HxS: 40x30cm (16x12in). Supplied as 9cm plants (SR).

Rudbeckia ‘Enchanted Embers’ The burnt-orange shades of each semidouble flower deepen as the blooms mature. This half-hardy annual has nectar-rich blooms that attract pollinating insects. Prefers sun or semi-shade. Flowers: July-October. HxS: 50x40cm (20x18in). Supplied as jumbo plugs (T&M).