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Vegetables
To ensure tasty, early vegetables this year, buy your growing-bags now and put them in the shed, garage or greenhouse so that the compost can warm up ready for planting up later. You can put young tomato, pepper, cucumber and other plants into growing-bags – or 9 to 10 inch pots of compost – as soon as they’re big enough to transplant. And don’t forget that these plants will need some support while they’re growing, so take a look at the suitable supports we have in stock.

Pest watch
As the weather warms up, pests and diseases will be stirring in the garden. Keep on top of any problems that do occur to ensure they don’t get out of control – early eradication is the key to success. Ready-to-use sprays do away with fiddly mixing and ensure you have something ready to deal with the problems as soon as they’re seen. Slugs and snails are also a nuisance at this time of year because almost all new leaves are soft, lush and good food for them. Sprinkle slug pellets, place barriers, or water a liquid slug killer around susceptible plants such as hostas, delphiniums and vegetables.

Annuals Q&A
Many of our customers have asked if it’s possible to have a colourful summer display of annuals without having to sow the seeds indoors. Is this possible?

Yes, it’s very easy – providing you choose the right plants. There are lots of  hardy annuals to choose from and these can be sown outside now where you want them to flower, check on the seed packets before you buy. Start by digging over the soil where you want to make the seed bed, add some compost or composted bark and a little granular fertiliser if the soil is poor. And although you could just scatter the seed over the soil and then gently rake it in, I much prefer to sow in rows because it’s easier to see where you’ve sown and so distinguish between the plants and weeds. Simply cover the seeds with soil, lightly tamp down, then water and within a few weeks the seeds will germinate. And if you’ve sown too thickly you may need to thin out the seedlings – roughly 9 inches apart works for most subjects.

Plant up hanging baskets & pots
It’s too early to put summer hanging baskets and containers outside, but you can plant them up now. You’ll just need to keep them inside where they’ll get good light and protection from frost. By planting now you’ll have a full basket ready to burst into colour for the summer. If you need any help and advice on which plants to use and how to plant up – just ask – and remember to pick up your plants, baskets, liners, brackets, pots, compost, water-retaining gel and feeds before you leave.

Feeding
Give all your outdoor plants the best start by making sure you feed them now. Sprinkle the fertiliser around the rood area and work it into the top inch or so of soil. If the soil is dry, water in the feed to prevent it burning the roots. Controlled release fertilisers are the easy way to feed and forget, as they release their nutrients whenever the soil is warm enough for plant growth, and will feed the plants for the whole year.

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June – March
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Christmas Day, Boxing Day &
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