Easter

Easter flowers are in bloom and the chicks have hatched. The clocks have gone forward by one hour and we will enjoy British Summer Time from now until late October.

The spring flowers such as daffodils and crocus are in flower and now the lighter nights are with us keen gardeners can get out in our dear green spaces and even get our first and second early seed potatoes planted either in bags or large containers which will yield a crop by the end of June.

If you are planting outdoor in the vegetable patch they should still be ready for lifting by the end of June.

Seeds of early cropping vegetables such as summer flowering brassicas can be sown in small pots or seed trays filled with fresh peat-free compost.

Onion sets and shallots can be planted as can garlic cloves and tomato seeds can also be planted indoors, but sow just sufficient seeds to give a few plants as the average greenhouse does not have space for too many large pots once the plants mature.

Early flowering flowers such as cornflower and cornflower can also be sown and treated as half-hardy to give some early colour in the garden. Sunflowers are best treated as half-hardy annuals and kept indoors until later in the year.

Dealing with small plants

Small plants such as those currently being sold in Cardwell Garden Centre and by many mail order outlets need to be potted up into larger pots or cell trays containing fresh peat-free compost but kept in a frost-free location for another month or so.

Heated propagators are an option. Peppers and chillies are long maturing plants and bear in mind that the hotter the pepper or chilli the longer it will take before the plant will be ready for harvesting.

Even these small plants will need to be kept frost-free for a period of time and in the greenhouse protection will be required on exceptionally cold nights when the temperature drops. This can be overcome by covering the plants with garden fleece or even newspaper. However, do remember to remove the fleece or paper in the morning.

It really does pay dividends to check the weather forecast each day.

As the plants continue to grow move them into larger pots or cell trays making sure that the pots are clean if they have been used before. When washing used cell trays add a little disinfectant to the water. When you are washing the benches in the greenhouse add disinfectant to the wash water.

Hanging baskets can be planted up but must be kept indoors in a greenhouse and not be put outside until all danger of frost is over.

Sustainable pots

Plastic pots are something that most gardeners are trying to avoid and the trend has gone towards sustainable ones which can be made from recyclable materials, such as peat pots commonly known in the garden world as Jiffy sevens. These pots can accommodate small plants and the pots themselves will rot down as the plants grow.

There are others such as rice or husk pots which will accommodate young plants and gradually rot away as the plants grow and as an alternative we can get pots made from coir or even coconut shell which are also on the market.

There are some pots made from bamboo fibre , rice starch and natural resin which can be re-used and cleaned with an estimated life of about five years but after that time they can be broken up and composted.

It has also been found that plastic-free seed trays are available made in flexible rubber but cleaning requires real good scrub after use to make them ready for using again.

Combat pests and diseases

Aphids can multiply quite quickly so it is best to keep an eye out for them and squash any you may find using your fingers.

Slugs and snails are also a real menace in any garden and with lots of teeth they will make short work of any tender young seedlings and even much more mature plants. Slugs and snails are very active in moist or wet conditions and they can be killed off by using slug pellets. Adult vine weevils are also are often on the move in the spring and you will find notches in the edges of the leaves of plants. They then go on to lay their eggs which will hatch into small cream or white coloured grubs shaped like a letter ‘C’ and these little grubs feed on the roots of plants. The grubs are generally found in pot-grown plants and there is no real antidote against them other than a biological control agent.

Getting the lawn ready

Now that April is with us, it is time to get the lawnmower out from its winter hibernation and provided you have had it serviced during the winter months it should be ready to get your lawn in good shape for the coming summer months.

Try and cut your grass about once every week if possible and it should then be possible to reduce the height of the blades. An edging iron or a flat-bladed spade are perfect for cutting the edges. You can then use long-handled edging shears.

Use your rake to remove what is termed ‘thatch' which is the spongy material that builds up at the base of the turf and is made up of old grass clippings and other decaying matter. Thatch reduces the amount of water and nutrients that reach the roots of the grass.

Aeration is an important especially if you have had waterlogging issues during the winter as the movement of air and water will benefit the entire lawn. A garden fork will do the job; push the fork into the grass to it’s full depth then wiggle it about to enlarge the holes, then apply a top dressing of sand or fine grit over the entire lawn brushing it in.

As you apply a moss-killer you will no doubt find many bare patches and these will require new grass seed spread over the entire area. Cover it with sieved compost to prevent the birds from eating the grass seed.

Garden talk

The next fortnightly talk organised by Gourock Horticultural Society and held at Cardwell Garden Centre will take place on Tuesday April 9 at 2pm and will feature Sharon Gemmell and some of her team from Parklea Branching Out Project. The team will feature on wild flowers.