Allotment Progress in Pictures

A photographic diary of the progress on our Allotment in Knotty Ash, Liverpool.

1st February 2012 – most of the allotment is dormant at the moment but the Broad Beans sown early autumn are doing well as are the Sweet Peas, Onions and Garlic. Quite pleased with progress as this is the first time I’ve grown crops over the winter. We also still have potatoes in the ground which, so far, haven’t been eaten or rotted off so we should have them available up to the next set of crop. George at the allotment has his seed potatoes available so bought a bag of Maris Piper which are now chitting in the shed.
4th October 2011 – at this time of year there isn’t a lot going on at the allotment. We still have potatoes in the ground and hopefully they will be OK for a few weeks yet. The pumpkins and squashes are still doing well and should be a nice size for Halloween. The recent sunshine will have done them a power of good but I have now covered them to keep the worst of the weather off them for the rest of the month. The peppers and chillies in the greenhouse are just ripening and will probably be over by the end of next week. Pleased with the crop. I have harvested most of the ripe chillies and have pickled them to preserve them over the winter. I am still waiting for my onion sets and garlic bulbs to arrive so I can plant them out for a spring harvest. I have also sown a few salad leaves to see if I can get another crop before winter truly sets in.
20th July 2011 – The main star on the allotment at the moment has to be the pumpkins and squash. They have tripled in size in the last three weeks and have flowered wonderfully. I’m not sure how many fruits there are but more than enough for us as long as I can stop them rotting off. I’ve lifted as many as possible onto beds of straw so hope that will do. Potatoes continue to do well and are beginning to die back, good harvest again today. Also harvested quite a lot of tomatoes, a lettuce, another beetroot and a good sized bouquet of fragrant sweet peas.
18th June 2011 – the salad and veg under our netting is doing really well and we have harvested some lettuce and carrots already. We have planted more strawberries in this tunnel but will move them into the fruit cages next year. The pumpkin seedlings have been thinned and are doing well, I suspect I’ve planted the pumpkins too close together but I’ll worry about that later. The new rhubarb have been planted, two are doing well but one is still dormant and may even be dead. The potatoes are all doing well but we are quite a way off harvesting I suspect. All the fruit trees have settled in well and the gooseberries, blueberries and strawberries are all fruiting. We’ve managed to harvest a few strawberries already and there are lots left. The tomatoes, peppers and chillis have been repotted into larger pots and are looking really healthy. The tomatoes are flowering so as long as we keep on top of the watering they should produce a good crop of fruit. Just hoping the greenhouse is hot enough for the peppers and chillis. Some of the roof felt was blown off the shed roof a couple of weeks ago and the rain has been getting into the shed. Allan managed to replace some of it on Wednesday before the heavens opened! We’ve still not finished painting the shed which we must do before winter. We also need to put some guttering up to stop the rain dripping down the sides of the shed.
19th April 2011 – The skeleton of the fruit cages is up, we just need to attach the netting but there’s no rush to do that. We’ve planted the Walnut Tree and under planted with some strawberries and gooseberry bushes. The Cherry and Plum Trees will go into the same bed along with more strawberries and blueberry bushes. Anything low growing will go under the trees. We think there will be enough light. The Asparagus bed has been planted up and the first spears are poking though as you can see below. Next to the Asparagus we have a general growing bed which currently contains Garlic, Lettuce, Carrots and Spring Onions, the Onions will go in next along with some Beetroot. The next bed is growing Rhubarb, Squash and Pumpkins and the final bed is for potatoes. The next row only has one bed at the moment which needs digging over, once this is done we will put in some Tomatoes and Brassicas we think. As well as sowing seed and planting out we have also painted the shed a fetching green colour and begun to add netting supports to the beds.
February 2011 – Three tonne of top soil delivered and used to fill up the 4 raised beds nearest to the shed. Garlic planted in one bed along with some carrot seeds sown. Furthest bed is to be used for the asparagus which is currently at Allans garden. Allan also built two new raised beds which will be used as fruit cages.
December 10th 2010. Allan and I built the shed on one of the coldest days of the year. Once complete we lined it with insulation material and added some flooring to help keep it clean and dry. Shelves are now in.
May 2010. The base had been laid by Allan and his father in law and Allan is now building the greehouse. Three beds already built and poly down to keep the weeds away.
June 2009. Allotment is ours and we’re marking out the positions for the shed, greenhouse, beds etc.

 

 

 

Read more about the progress of our allotment.

Gardening Articles

Do you love your garden but not sure of the best way to prune your clematis, propagate plants for next year, make the best of your lawn or produce good quality compost?

If so then take a look at our gardening articles which we are sure will be useful to you. These articles are aimed at beginners and are written in the most simplistic way possible but if you require personal advice you can complete our Advice Form and we will email our response as quickly as possible.

• Aquatic Gardening, Ponds and Aquatic Plants
• Building Projects in the Garden
• Butterflies
• Composting in the Garden and the Kitchen
• Cut Flowers; Growing and Care
• Flowers and Plants
• Fruit and Vegetables
• Garden Birds and Wildlife
• Garden Maintenance Tasks
• Gardening for Children
• Green Gardening
• Greenhouse Gardening
• Lawn Care and Maintenance
• Outdoor Living
• Pests and Diseases
• Poisonous Plants
• Pruning
• Safety in the Garden
• Soil and Soil Improvement
• Types of Plants
• Weeds

The 12 Step Beginners Guide to Pruning

Not all shrubs require pruning but you may want to consider it in order to shape the plant, to encourage vigorous growth, flowering or fruit production or to remove dead, damaged or diseased material.

Here is a beginners guide to pruning:

1. Pruning is best carried out immediately after flowering to ensure a good display the following year but a general pruning in Autumn is also usual particularly for roses
2. Always cut at a downward angle to allow rain to fall away and not sit on the cut
3. Pruning to remove spent flower heads is always a good idea as it stops the plant spending energy producing seed
4. Always use good quality, sharp, clean tools
5. Cut out dead or diseased stems right down to where they reach the roots or main stem
6. Take out any stems that cross over other stems as they will eventually join together and cause injury which can let in disease
7. Take a look at the plant and decide what size and shape you want and bear this is mind throughout the pruning process
8. Take a stem and starting at the tip look along it’s length to where it reaches the base. The “nodes” you see along the length are where either leaves, new stems or flowers will appear; you won’t know in advance which of these it will be
9. By pruning just before a node (i.e. before when looking from the tip to the base) you stimulate a chemical at the node which tells the plant to shoot out from there and produce a flower, leaf or another stem
10. If you prune after a node the chances are that the stem will die back from the end down to the next node and may even continue down the stem
11. To hard prune, count the number of nodes up the stem from the base; you should leave at least two nodes to allow for die-back so pruning just before the third node is usually ideal; this type of pruning produces new growth and reinvigorates the plant
12. For an annual prune when you just want to keep the shrub in shape so you should cut just above the node needed to maintain the shape; this type of pruning usually produces flowers and new leaves the following season

Next you can find out more about pruning specific types of plants:

Evergreens – During May cut out dead, weak or crossing branches and remove extra branches if the shrub is overcrowded. Examples: Camellia, Pieris, Rhododendron -

Early Flowering Deciduous Shrubs – Immediately after flowering cut out dead, weak or crossing branches and remove extra branches if the shrub is overcrowded. Cut back all branches which have flowered this year. Examples: Forsythia, Weigela, Deutzia, Philadelphus

Later Flowering Deciduous Shrubs – During January to March before the new growth appears cut out dead, weak or crossing branches and remove extra branches if the shrub is overcrowded. Cut back all old wood to the ground. Examples: Buddleia, Hypericum, Cornus

Damaged or Diseased Trees – Identify the diseased or damaged branches and cut back to healthy, clean wood.

Clematis

Group 1 – these are small-flowered species which flower in early spring on last season’s growth Immediately after flowering remove dead or damaged stems, and reduce other stems if needed. To renovate an older plant cut back to 15-30cm (6-12in) from the base immediately after flowering

Group 2 – large-flowered, flowering May-June on the previous year’s growth. Some flower again in summer on current season’s growth. Remove dead and damaged stems in early spring before growth begins, trimming all remaining stems to a pair of strong buds. To rejuvenate a mature specimen remove old shoots during spring

Group 3 – flowers late summer on current season’s growth. Cut back all growth to a pair of strong buds 15-20cm (6-8in) above soil level, before growth begins in early spring

Make your own Compost

Composting can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it and the best part is that it can consist of any organic material that we all have access to every single day from the lawn, the garden, and the kitchen.

You can even re-cycle the leaves which fall during Autumn to make wonderful leafmould which is an ideal soil improver.

Compost is what happens when leaves, grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, woodchips, straw, and small twigs are combined, then allowed to break down into a soil-like texture. Compost introduces and feeds diverse life in the soil, including bacteria, insects, worms, and more which support vigorous plant growth.

Compost is multi-faceted but not intended as a fertilizer. It offers only a relatively low proportion of nutrients, yet what it does is close to magical. In its finished form as mulch, it reduces evaporation, reduces or prevents weed growth, and insulates the soil from extreme temperature changes. Mulch also keeps the upper inches of the soil cooler in daytime and warmer at night.

Regardless of the particular ingredients, making compost is akin to making bread or beer; soil-digesting bacteria like yeasts need warmth, moisture, air and something to feed on to keep them alive and growing. Almost all of the practical problems associated with making compost stem from too much or too little of those basic factors.

Compost is created from layers of grass clippings, leaves, weeds, kitchen scraps and, if available, farm animal manure. If you have meat eaters in your home, don’t use their meat scraps as they will attract rodents. Also, do not use litter from your dog or cat; it doesn’t break down properly and contains too many pathogens.

Over the years, composting has gotten a reputation for being a time-consuming job, but this is not necessarily the case. You don’t need to build a big box or turn the pile every so often. A barrel, a hole in the ground or a pile on top of the ground is satisfactory.

The important requirement is to be sure the waste material is covered with soil, so it doesn’t attract rats, other rodents or flies. You can build your layers directly on the ground, without any frame at all; if you use a container, be sure it is well ventilated.

The trick to successful compost is balancing ingredients high in nitrogen; fresh grass clippings, other fresh, green plant matter, most kitchen scraps – with those high in carbon; leaves, straw, dried grass, washed eggshells, wheat germ or other milled grains that have become too rancid or old to use, and any dried, brown plant matter. Too much nitrogenous matter yields an anaerobic, smelly pile. Too much carbonaceous matter results in a pile that never heats up. The ideal ratio is one part nitrogen to three parts carbon.

Start with a layer of small twigs, no large branches, a couple of inches deep; this will help your pile to breathe. Then, keeping in mind the 1 to 3 ratio of nitrogen to carbon, add a layer of mixed plant material. You may enrich the pile with horse or cow manure. These materials don’t break down; they simply add nutrients to the final product. Then lightly water the pile so it’s evenly moist. Too much water will interfere with aeration; too little water and the pile won’t ferment. If your pile sits in the open, you should cover it if heavy rains are forecast. An 8-inch layer of straw mulch spread over the top of the pile serves the same purpose.

Alternate layers until the pile is 5 feet high by 5 feet wide by whatever length you choose. A properly made pile that is loosely packed and well aerated will reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees within a few days. It should smell like wet hay. If the pile fails to heat up, pull it apart and redo it by adding layers of fresh green matter. If the pile becomes anaerobic (is too wet to aerate), pull it apart, let it dry out, use it as mulch and start a new pile.

After three weeks, the pile will have shrunk in size; this is normal. Dig into the pile with a fork and completely turn it over until the contents are redistributed; the idea is to put unfermented particles in contact with those that are further along. Let the pile rest, so the temperature will rise again. Turn it a second time five weeks later, let it rest a few weeks and, with luck, you’ll have a rich, crumbly pile of “black gold.”

Tomatoes and Olives

Question:
How do I nurture a tumbling tomatoe plant that we have hanging in a basket? How do I ensure a good crop? There are very small green baby tomatoes at present. Does it need repotting as it looks a bit big now for the basket

I bought the most gorgeous olive tree a couple of months ago. Its about 2.5 feet tall. I repotted it in John Innes No 3 mixed with grit. Is it right to keep it very moist initially? What feed, if any, should I use? How do I know its healthy?

Answer:
Your tumbling tomato plant will need lots of watering to stop the fruits splitting and it will need feeding every week with a tomato feed to ensure a good healthy crop. They really need to be in a very sunny spot for the fruit to ripen successfully. I have never been able to grow tomatoes outside as my garden is north facing and doesn’t get much sun. I wouldn’t re-pot it; it should be fine if you keep feeding and watering.

Olives are not entirely hardy in the UK so will need some protection during cold and frosty periods. You were right to plant in a well-drained mix of compost and grit. Although they can cope with dry periods, olives in containers need regular watering and feeding to produce fruit. During the growing season keep the compost moist and feed every month. In winter, you can reduce watering, but don’t let the compost dry out completely. As long as the leaves are undamaged and there is sign of new growth you can assume the plant is healthy. If the plant is kept in a very sunny location you may even get fruit after a couple of years.

Blueberry Problems

Question:
We have two blueberry bushes about 3 yrs old which we moved from pots into garden last year. They are in fruit but all the leaves have been eaten? On odd remaining ones there is what looks like a yellow mildew.Can you advise if fruit once ripened is fit to eat and also what the problem is.

Answer:
Blueberries are often pest and disease free, but can occasionally suffer from powdery mildew and vine weevil. Click on the links to find out more from the RHS Advice Centre. Here is also a link to find out more about blueberries in general.

It is also worth noting that they prefer an acid soil so it would be as well to test the soil around the planting area and if it is not acidic enough perhaps consider putting them back into their pots:

I would say that the fruits will be fine once they ripen but if you have sprayed the plant make sure you wash them well.

Victoria Plum Tree

Question:
I planted a small Victoria Plum Tree last year in spring, I have no blossom this year only leaves, is this normal?

Answer:
Most fruit trees are very hardy but once they start into growth in spring, flowers and buds are especially vulnerable to frost. It may well be that the flower buds were affected by the frost and died. Next year in early spring cover the tree with horticultural fleece until all risk of frost has passed.

Questions for April 2008

Question

I am not sure if you can help but I am looking to buy some coprosma evening glow or/and coprosma fire burst so far I have had little luck I have tried googling it but very poor results none of my local garden centres stock it I bought some last year from a local market and would like to get more I really want a fairly well established rather than a small gutting that needs to be grown on do you know of any online nurseries that would sell this also regards dogwood I really like the look of this but again not been able to find it in my garden centres does this come in the form of a shrub or bush has its something I am not familiar with thanks for any help you can provide

Answer

I have to admit to not knowing about Coprosma but I have managed to find a company who sell a few varieties. Click on this link:  http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pn_id=176. There are several types of Dogwood (Cornus) so I have added a link to a few at Crocus for you to look at.

Question

We have a well established pear tree in our garden. The problem is that is has grown lopsided / horizontally right across the garden, so much so that it is obstructing the garden path. I would like to keep the tree but would like some advice on how to prune it to encourage it to grow upwards rather than outwards.

Answer

It is possible to do what you are asking but it will need to be done in stages as to reduce the stress to the tree. I think the best thing for you to do is to follow RHS advice on this matter so I have included a link below on Apple and pear tree renovation: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/fruit_tree.asp

Question

I have what seems to be three different type of spotted laurels one is dark green in colour the other light green with what seems like the beginning of possibly some flowers the other is the same colour light green the first two were planted around a month ago and around 2 3 ft the last one was planted last summer and has hardly grown at all I did read for these to produce flowers you need a male and female like a holly and I thought they were very quick growers I have seen some has high has well over 20foot round where I live they seem to get bigger every year mine are planted in full sun in a good quality compost any information on this plant would be welcomed thank you. I bought a shrub called a beauty berry in October last year it had a abundance of purple berries which have gradually dropped of I believe it is suppose to have pink flowers in summer but at moment I have just a bare shrub is this normal

Answer

Regarding your laurels; do you know which variety you have? I have detailed three of the more common ones below and as you can see their sizes and flowering requirements do vary. If you can find the actual varieties I can do more research for you.

• Aucuba Japonica Crotonifolia. Evergreen, bushy, dense shrub with stout, green shoots. Large glossy, dark green leaves are heavily mottled yellow. Grows in sun or shade and well drained soil. Height 1.7m Spread 1.7m. Male.
• Aucuba Japonica Rozannie. Very handsome shrub which has large, toothed and leathery green leaves. This all green form is self pollinating and produces large red fruits in winter. Grows in any situation and any soil to about 1m. Male.
• Aucuba Japonica Variegata. Evergreen, bushy, dense shrub grown for its yellow spotted leathery leaves. Height 7 ft. Spread 7 ft. requires any reasonable soil. Will thrive in sun or shade. Plant with crotonifolia for berries. Can be kept as a colourful hedge or as a specimen plant. Female. As regards your Beauty Berry (Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii Profusion). The lovely purple berries will gradually drop off, or get eaten by the birds, before the end of the winter which is normal. It will remain bare until it begins to produce its leaves then small pink flowers around July.

Question

I have got some branches on our pear tree where the buds are not opening – should I cut them back or just leave it?

Answer

If the tree is the right size and shape for you then I’d leave it. However, you may want to read the RHS article below for information on how to prune your tree should you wish. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/fruit_tree.asp

Question

Now that the buds are out on the roses does this mean that I can cut them with an outward facing slope away from a bud at a height of 6 inches from the base now? Can I cut the honeysuckle back to 6 inches as well now?

Answer

I would wait until all risk of frost has passed because if you get a hard frost it can cause the tips of shrubs to die back. This die-back can be trimmed off but if the shrub is at its lowest height you will have nothing left to trim away. You should be OK to do it at the middle of April. You will still get a good display so don’t worry, you’ll be surprised how quickly they will grow from May onwards. You method sounds good but don’t forget to give them a little feed of fertilizer. You can buy one specifically for roses or you can use blood, fish and bone meal which can be used on all your plants. A mulch of well rotted manure around the base will also be good to keep down weeds and help improve the structure of the soil.

Question

Leaves on the hyacinth are going yellow. Can I cut them to the base; remove bulbs from the indoor pot and plant in the garden now? Any thoughts as to where best and how i.e. depth etc to plant them?

Answer

Yes you can cut them back and plant them out in the garden. Here’s a link to my Bulbs page which should help you when planting but the general rule is three times its own depth in a sunny position. http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/bulbs.htm

Question

I have recently bought some of the pretty flowering heathers you see at this time of year but know little about them I did hear that they need to be planted I the special compost you use for azaleas and rhododendrons also how long do they flower for I am told the ones you see in the garden centres are all forced has I believe they do not flower until early summer do I prune them when they finish flowering and when should I feed them thank you for any advice you can provide

Answer

There are two types of heather so I’ll give you the details for both. The first type is the “Erica” variety. These heathers do prefer acid soil but they will tolerate slightly alkaline soil, either way it needs to be well-drained and placed in a sunny spot. If you don’t know how acidic your soil is then it would be best to plant into pots using Ericaceous compost although it’s not essential. This type of heather flowers January to March and should be trimmed after flowering with shears or secateurs to remove the dead flowers and encourage bushy growth. The second type is “Calluna”. They like full sun and well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compost. They flower July to November. In March or April cut back the flowered shoots to within 2.5cm (1in) of the old growth.

Question

My husband would like to know are than any certain types of methods used to make top soil more firm? He’s clearing out some land and the soil is too soft to hold weight.

Answer

I’m not entirely certain I understand exactly what the problem is but I think it is one of the following. The top soil may be too “soft” meaning it is not compacted enough. If this is the case then you should be able to carefully tread down the surface by slowly walking around until it is firm. However, the problem may be that the soil is too sandy, meaning that it has no substance and keeps falling apart. The added problem here is that it will also be very poor making it difficult to grow anything. If this is the case then you need to improve the structure by adding lots and lots of well rotted organic matter such as horse or cow manure. This can be bought in bulk or, if you live near a farm or stables, you may get it for free if you agree to collect it. If you have to go this route then it will take some time for the soil to change and become more substantial, perhaps as long as a year. To avoid weeds taking hold while you’re waiting you could grow some green manure which will subsequently be incorporated into the soil, again adding goodness. Here is an article which might help. http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/soil.htm#Green_manures0

Pruning Fruit Trees

Question:

Is it OK to prune unwanted limbs off a pear tree after is begins to bloom. One of my trees is an eating pear and the other is a canning pear. Has not been pruned in years and need to get rid of dead limbs and cross overs.

Answer:

Apple and pear trees should be pruned every winter to ensure a good crop of fruit the following season.
This should be carried out when the tree is dormant, between leaf fall and bud burst (usually between November and early March).
If yours has already started to bloom you may be best waiting until next winter.
However, you should be OK to cut out dead or unwanted branches but pruning branches which you want to produce fruit is not advisable.

Here is a link to an RHS article about renovating older tress which may be of use: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/fruit_tree.asp.

Moving Gooseberries and Blackcurrants

Question: Can gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes be dug up and moved at this time of year? Some of the bushes are old bushes some are two year old bushes.Any advice on winter pruning the bushes after having been moved. Answer: Gooseberries and blackcurrants are best moved during October or November but moving them early Spring shouldn’t cause any problems. Wait until the soil warms up a bit and can be easily worked. Dig the holes in the new position before digging up the bushes, replant them immediately. Add some well rotted manure to the holes as you refill. Finally give them a good watering and add a good thick layer of mulch to the surface. I would prune the bushes before you move them to make it easier and to reduce the shock. Gooseberries should be pruned during November to March. Cut back by half the new growth produced this year, reduce side shoots to about 2 inches, cut out dead or diseased branches and thin out the centre. Blackcurrants should be prune November to March. Begin 2 years after planting and cut out old, weak branches. From 3 or 4 years cut out weak or diseased branches and cut out about a third of the fruited branches to make room for new growth. Cut out all wood more than 4 years old.

Overwintering Strawberry Plants

Question: Could you please tell me the best way to store new bought strawberry plants over the winter. Answer: Strawberry plants do fine outdoors during the winter, mature plants will die down and re-emerge in the spring. If you have only just bought the plants and they are very small you may be best giving them some protection. If you can, keep them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. If this is not possible put them in a wooden or plastic box with some sand underneath and around the pots. If they are new this year but are of a decent size, either in pots or in the ground, they will be fine outside. If they are in pots and you want an early crop next year just bring them into an unheated greenhouse in February. In either case don’t let them dry out but don’t over water them.