Spring Gardening Tips:
Growing fruit in the garden has never been easier, the choice and range of fruiting plants suitable to grow in the west of Ireland is extensive with new and improved varieties been added each season.
A big favourite with gardeners are the compact dwarf apple, pear and plum trees which are special grafted onto dwarf root stocks to help control the growth and put more emphasis on flowering and fruiting compared to strong growth. Many of the dwarf fruiting trees are ideal for growing in patio planters and containers but are equally happy to grow in the garden soil.
When planting Apples, Pears, plums or fruiting cherry trees consider under planting with smaller bush type fruiting plants including Rhubarb, Gooseberry, blueberries, strawberries and blackcurrants. This method makes good use of space and also makes it easier to control both soil weeds and pests.Check it out here!
Early February is an ideal time to plant new fruit trees in your garden or patio pots and also a good time to prune back existing fruiting plants and clean around existing plants to remove grass and weed growth.
Some of the Key Gardening Jobs to complete now include:
o Garden lawns need a little attention now to help control lawn moss, my advice is to treat your lawn with a dressing of Sulphate of Iron to kill off winter lawn moss, Mix the Iron in water and apply the mix through a watering can or sprayer directly onto the lawn moss area. Make sure the mix is not applied to hard surface areas.
o Greenhouses and polytunnels can be fumigated now by simply placing a Fumigant P bomb onto the greenhouse floor and lighting the fuse. The fumigant bomb will kill over wintering pests hidden in cracks and crevices within the greenhouse area.Check it out here!
o French marigolds are wonderful for a splash of colour in early and mid summer, Sow the variety scarlet Sophie indoors now in seed trays and place on a bright warm window sill to germinate. The young plants can be potted on using growise compost in mid march.
o Vegetable seed including Lettuce salad bowl, Cabbage minicole, Green calabrese, Cauliflowers and celery can be sown from seed now indoors in seed trays and placed in a bright location to germinate.
o The double pink flowering dahlia Mr Optimistic is a beautiful variety to grow as a cut flower or to fill gaps in shrub borders for some added colour this summer. Dahlia tubers can be potted up now, placed indoors in a warm bright location to encourage early sprouting. Dahlia tubers are now available in a wide range of colours for potting on.
o Salad Potatoes including the variety Harmony can be sprouted now indoors in a frost free location to encourage new sprouts. Harmony produces a great tasting waxy flesh that is ideal for use in salads. Now is the key time to be sprouting all early seed potatoes to gain a head start on the season.
o Plant Cottage garden plants now including Arum lillies, Lupin’s, Delphiniums, foxgloves, Phlox, monkshood and phygelius for summer colour that will flower this and every summer. My advise is to plant in clusters of three, three lupins, three delphiniums and so on for bold strong colour
Paraic is back with his weekly radio programme on mid west radio every Saturday morning at 9am from March 3rd. and weekly on Tv3 Ireland am morning programme with a gardening advise slot every Thursday morning at 9am. In this weeks live TV programme Paraic advises you on growing fruit trees and bushes in your garden. Check out Paraic’s weekly blog on www.gardencentre.ie for weekly gardening advice and tips
