| Weeds of all persuasions are germinating this
month . Now you can really mess up their day by something as simple as some light tillage
around your treasured plants. You might ask why are
gardeners so obsessed with weeds? Well a weed is really just a plant in the wrong place,
but more importantly they deplete the soil of available moisture and nutrients that costs
you money to replace.
If you are growing Sweet Peas and they are slow to flower,
nip the lateral shoots out, that makes the tips mature faster and produce more flowers.
All the best flowers are produced from the leader anyhow, the laterals are just a
diversion!
Remember to fertilizer Sweet Peas with nothing more than
superphosphate and lime. Any fertilizer with copper compounds in it (that includes most
balanced fertilizers with trace elements) will kill your Sweet Peas.
Now is a great time to sow seed of all the curcubrits, such
as 'Blackjack' Zucchini, 'Lebanese' Squash, Marrows, 'Butternut' Pumpkin or 'Golden
Nugget' if you're pressed for space, 'Hale's Best' Rock Melon and 'Burpless' Apple
Cucumbers, but it's too early for Watermelons.
Spot sow three seeds for each curcubrit plant you aim to
establish and cull to best one after three weeks. Sow on a raised mound in sunny aspect
and place a plastic PET Coke™ bottle with the bottom cut out and the cap removed,
over each set of three sown seeds. This makes a mini-glasshouse and gives ventilation.
Seed will germinate in 3-7 days. Do not mulch...yet. |
