End of May tasks and planning

I have already noticed a great profusion of Mares Tail sprouting up in gardens and many other open spaces and it is quite early in the year for this annoying weed to be showing its presence but as the days become warmer we can expect such weeds to become stronger.

The trouble with this weed is that the roots travel down into the soil for miles and if you try to pull it out you will never get it all and it will break and this has the effect of nipping a plant causing it to multiply.

There are ways to get rid of it using a strong weedkiller such as Round-Up mixed with cellulose wallpaper paste but first you need to break the Mare’s Tail with a stout stick to break the surface so that the weedkiller can enter the body of the weed and kill it off.

During the coming months we can also aim to carry out any remedial work on plans for garden renovation and plant up all the new and existing borders and catch up on work that we have not been able to do due to adverse weather.

Even early potatoes can be planted now and you will certainly manage to get a crop of these. Main crop seed potatoes should be planted now.

Cardwell Garden Centre competition

As in previous years, Cardwell Garden Centre is planning to launch its online garden contest and details of this year’s categories will be announced within the next few weeks.

The contest will involve gardeners submitting photographs of various categories which will be given on this page in the next few weeks.

New categories will be in place this year and entries will be welcome from all customers of the garden centre. Make a point of watching this page in the next few weeks to give you details of the classes and other rules for the competition.

Caring for roses

Roses are quite prolific growers and many gardeners just love to have a few in their garden.

They make ideal gifts to give for special occasions and there are so many different kinds and colours to choose from and they are relatively hardy to grow in this climate.

The bush roses include both the hybrid tea rose and the floribunda - the latter which carries clusters of flowers while the hybrid tea roses usually sport single large blooms.

There are also tall growing roses such as climbing and rambling roses which are ideal for giving a different dimension to your garden display.

In the garden it is sometimes difficult to find roses which do not suffer from the well -known diseases of blackspot and rust, but we can do quite a lot to keep these to the minimum.

Indeed, there are some roses which are more prone than other to these problems than others.

Roses need plenty of feeding and will benefit from doses of fertiliser, especially when you water. Make a point to lift any fallen leaves from the soil from beneath the bush to prevent these diseases forming spores on the soil which may splash back up onto the bush.

The climbing and rambling varieties do not suffer as much. There is also some benefit to be obtained from planting some species such as garlic below your rose bushes to deter pests such as aphids from feasting on your prized blooms.

Indoor gardening

It is often said that you do not need to have a garden to enjoy your gardening. Many edible crops can be cultivated on balconies and on tubs and containers on patios and raised beds and as the weather warms up some house plants can be moved outside and grown there for the next few months.

If you are growing tomatoes keep removing the side shoots but do not start to feed with high potash feed until you see the fruit form on the on the lower trusses. Then feed every time you water and keep the plants from drying out, remembering that tomatoes are greedy feeders.

Small tubs are ideal for growing micro-greens and herbs have the advantage of providing flavours as well as flowers especially if placed near to the kitchen door.

As the weather warms up and containers crops grow larger, it is a good idea to raise the containers off the ground to allow adequate drainage. Use either proprietary pot feet or even a few old blocks of wood or bricks.

Hanging baskets

Many gardeners feel that hanging baskets are nice to have in the garden and over the coming weeks we will feature some hints and tips on how to create the best baskets to add a bit of architecture to the garden.

Although we can make up our baskets do not plan on placing the baskets until well into June and all frost is gone, which can be almost mid-June in this area.

Some useful tips on flowers for your baskets will be discussed next week.