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Well, things are starting to ease, the lockdown is lifting and people are getting back to some semblance of normality. The great hope now is that this does not prove to be a false dawn and we all get locked down again. I am sure that, like me, a lot of people have had time to reflect on things and I have certainly enjoyed some of the quiet moments over the last 10 weeks or so. The world did literally stop and we had the chance to get off... and I liked it. But the time has come to start returning to the rat-race but hopefully with a better attitude.
The cold snap at the beginning of May didn’t cause much damage in the South East so hopefully you have got all the planting out completed. I lost virtually all my French Beans at the end of April so put seed straight into the ground and they are coming up again. The Runner Beans pulled through and are heading off up the strings… a good lesson learnt… I tried to get ahead of nature!! Everything else in the vegetable patch is doing fine and I managed to squeeze in all the sweet corn seedlings. Hopefully you are taking salad crops so keep resowing and keep them coming. Pinch out side shoots on Tomatoes and keep everything well watered.
Fruit should be swelling up by now but wait for nature to thin it out in June before doing a final thinning of the smaller ones in July. Cherry and Plum trees can be lightly pruned at this time of year. The pests will be out in force so start spraying or just rubbing them out with your fingers or else they can get out of control. Peg down strawberry runners for next year’s plants. Apply a high Potash feed to bring on the fruit.
The lawns are starting to brown again after a dry May and you can’t rely on a morning dew, so give them a bit of water to keep them moderately green. Wait until after some rain has fallen before applying another weed and feed and avoiding cutting the grass short in a hot summer.
I can triumphantly state that I have finally got the back garden borders cleared and tidied and started reorganising plants and bulbs… sadly I still have the front garden to deal with. I have decided to discard some of the more feeble Daffodil bulbs and cull the Spanish Bluebells which are taking over, pulling them together into fewer and smaller clumps. Primroses have been divided and spread around and the snowdrop seeds have been collected and selectively planted. The top growth of spring flowers can be cleared this month to make way for the summer perennials that should be budding up. I bought plug plants this year, having given up on seed, but less than half of them have made it. So it was a visit to a local nursery and a decent selection of well established perennials, which were actually cheaper than the plug plants!
Everything should be well watered as we head towards summer, especially containers that can dry out very quickly. Also a high potash feed will keep everything flowering. Roses have got off to a great start this year and I do not believe in the Chelsea chop. For those who do, it will take a bit longer, but this gives a better summer show… so they say.
It’s time to start planning the outdoor living and to take satisfaction in all the gardening that’s gone into getting to this point. Dust off the BBQ and stock up on marinades. I had developed a liking for Mexican lagers recently, Corona I think it was called... but can’t find it anywhere.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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