I blanch it with its own leaves

A thriving row of cauliflower is a spectacular sight in the vegetable garden, but few people think they can have great success with it. I think it’s as easy to grow as any cabbage family crop. Cauliflower is less tolerant to hot weather than its relatives, though, so it’s important to set your plants out very early or plan on a fall crop. If the heads mature in the heat, they’re apt to have a bitter taste or go by very quickly.

For your first crop, set out some plants 3 or 4 weeks before the average date of the last spring frost. Pinch off a couple of the lower leaves.

As cauliflower heads get to be 4 to 5 inches across, they should be blanched by preventing sunlight from reaching the heads. Read the rest of this entry »

Everybody has a favorite way of growing their prized tomatoes. My way is to support them with cages. After many years of experimenting, I’ve settled on caging as the easiest and best way to care for tomatoes. Tomato plants support themselves easily inside a cage. Because they receive very little pruning, they grow enough leaves to shade the tomatoes. This protects them from sunscald and helps them ripen evenly. Read the rest of this entry »

squirrels & chipmunks

Squirrels and chipmunks are fun to watch, but they are the hardest to keep away from your corn and sunflowers. A fence won’t keep them out, not even an electric one. They jump so well and scurry into the garden so fast that an electric shock doesn’t stop them. They’re in the garden while they’re still feeling the zap.

In the sweet corn or popcorn rows, squirrels climb right up the stalks and eat the ears. They’re smart. Often they only work the inside rows so you won’t notice them. A few times I have seen squirrels trying to haul away whole ears of corn. In a row of sunflowers they can jump from one stalk to the next as if they were in a tree.

In a small garden you may be able to use old stockings or heesecloth on the sunflower heads and corn ears to foil the squirrels at harvest time. In a big garden, an active cat or an eager dog may be your only hope. Read the rest of this entry »

Maxatawny, an Indian word whose translation’is “Creek Where the Bears Walk,” is the site of Rodale Press’s new Organic Gardening Experimental Farm (OGEF). This land was originally farmed by a German family. Rodale purchased the chemically farmed acreage. The acquisition of these 122 hectares (305 acres) in eastern Pennsylvania has opened the door to more extensive research in agriculture production based on simpler and saner techniques. The farm fits nicely into other Rodale activities. It is on the not particularly fertile soils of this farm in Emmaus that Rodale’s Research and Development people have set up their Home Utilities Workshop to test small-scale gardening and farming tools and equipment. Devices like seed and bean sprouters and food driers are tested in the Fitness House Kitchen, also in Emmaus, which uses food produced on the farm. Rodale’s findings are published and disseminated throughout the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Inadequate soil preparation before planting or sowing is a major cause of horticultural disappointment. Digging and the application of fertilizers and bulky organic materials are usually necessary to ensure that the soil is suited to the plants or crops that you want to grow. Drainage may also be required.

Four fertilizers that supply all the major foods.

There are certain fertilizers that supply all three of the principal foods required by plants: nitrogen for leaf and stem growth; phosphorus for good root growth; potassium (potash), which helps to form and ripen flowers, fruits and seeds.

• Blood, fish and bone Slowly releases nitrogen, phosphorus and potash; use before sowing or planting, or around established plants.
• Fishmeal Dig in before planting or sowing in spring. Read the rest of this entry »

Success with this method depends upon providing the right conditions. Warmth and humidity are essential for good results in every case.

• Alpines Take small cuttings as soon as ready in spring. Best rooted in greenhouse.
• Chrysanthemum Outdoor and greenhouse kinds. Remove 5cm/2in-long cuttings from as close as possible to crown of plant. Root in greenhouse.
• Dahlia Start tubers into growth in heated greenhouse early in year. Take 8cm/3in-long cuttings from the tubers and root in warmth and humidity.
• Delphinium Remove 8cm/3in-long shoots from as close as possible to crown of plant in spring. Root in greenhouse. Read the rest of this entry »

Three pruning methods for roses

Pruning roses will not reward you with more flowers nextyear. However, it will control shape and maintain health. Wild (species) roses and hybrid shrub roses need no pruning — just the removal of dead wood.

• Bush types Large-flowered (hybrid tea) and cluster-flowered (floribunda) roses are pruned annually in early spring. Remove all weak growth and reduce remaining strong stems to 15-20cm/6-8in above ground level. Cut to outward-facing buds. Make sure centre of each bush is free from growth: shape bush like a vase.
• ClimbersAllow a framework of permanent stems which are trained to their supports. From these stems side shoots grow, which produce the flowers. To prune, cut back old side shoots to within one or two buds of their base in early spring. Tips of main stems can also be cut back, if becoming too tall. Read the rest of this entry »

Two automatic watering systems

If you cannot regularly attend to watering, consider an automatic system which runs from a header tank connected to the mains water supply (or a semi-automatic system which is supplied by a reservoir).

• Capillary watering Pots are placed on water-retentive capillary matting and take up moisture as required. The matting can be laid in gravel trays. Complete watering systems are available, with trays, matting and sometimes water reservoirs.
• Trickle watering Popularly known as the “spaghetti system”: a main plastic supply pipe with thin tubes sprouting from it. Each tube is positioned over a pot or container so every plant is watered when the supply is turned on. Read the rest of this entry »

If money is no object you can now have a greenhouse or conservatory that looks after itself, with the plants watered automatically. On a more modest scale, garden frames and cloches are extremely useful (andcomparatively inexpensive) pieces of equipment: they are of particular value on the vegetable plot for extending the growing season at either end.

Eight types of greenhouse

Today greenhouses come in all shapes and sizes to suit every need and site.

• Span-roof greenhouse The traditional greenhouse, with pitched roof (each side of equal size and shape) sloping down to the eaves. Normally has straight sides, although there are models with sloping sides which result in better light penetration. The glass-to-ground types are ideal for growing plants at ground level, such as tomatoes in growing-bags; those with solid sides (to about 90cm/3ft) are good for pot plants, as they retain heat better than all-glass houses. Framework available in aluminium alloy or timber (such as western red cedar). You can now obtain span-roof greenhouses with curved eaves. Read the rest of this entry »

As well as being invaluable for giving height to an otherwise flat plot, climbers and wall shrubs also offer an excellent way to disguise an ugly enclosure or hide unsightly objects. To grow well, all need some means of support — a wall or fence, or perhaps a rustic arch or pergola erected purely for the plants‘ convenience.

The so-called “self-clinging” types have either aerial roots (the ivy) or sucker pads (Virginia creeper). Other climbers (such as grape vines) have tendrils. Ramblers (such as honeysuckle) push toward the light by twining around a host plant. Some shrubs, although not strictly climbers, adopt an upright habit when grown against a wall — for example, Pyracantha. Read the rest of this entry »

The most common problem with lawns is discoloured turf. Mainly this is caused by some adverse cultural condition such as drought, waterlogging, faulty feeding or poor mowing. However, there are pests and diseases that can disfigure, weaken or even kill large areas of turf, so you should always investigate discoloured areas early and apply control measures, if needed, as soon as possible.

Three pests found in lawns

These are the most common, and most troublesome, pests that are likely to invade your lawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Birds usually create the biggest problem, but you should look out too for mites and weevils.

• Apple blossom weevil The small white grubs of this tiny brown beetle eat the central parts of apple flowers. Infested blossoms fail to open. Spray with permethrin as the buds are forming or fenitrothion as the buds burst open.
• Big bud mites Tiny mites that live in large numbers inside the buds of blackcurrants. Infected buds are swollen and round, and usually fail to come into growth. Pick off and burn; spray with benomyl fungicide in spring and early summer. Read the rest of this entry »

Verbena is an old-fashioned cottage garden plant that is making something of a comeback. It is really a perennial but is best treated as an annual; the new hybrids have dense heads of pink, white and purple flowers that still retain their scent. Take out the growing shoots to encourage bushiness and dead-head regularly. Verbena is usually sold in boxes of mixed colours and these mixtures are particularly attractive. It reaches a height of up to 10 inches.

Gazania is another perennial most commonly grown as an annual. G. x hybrida at 9 inches has dark green foliage with a grey underside; the daisy flowers are in the yellow, orange, bronze range though you can also have some deep pinks. They like full sun. Read the rest of this entry »

Window boxes are often impulse acquisitions. You are halted in your tracks by a wonderful display of bedding plants and there is nothing for it, you must have some. No garden? Never mind, there is room for a few window boxes….

Such impulses can be the beginning of a long and enjoyable acquaintanceship with window box gardening. They can also be the reason behind the starved and unhappy specimens you sometimes see as the summer draws on, the unwanted kittens of window box gardening that you cannot give away and that certainly don’t seem destined for a death by drowning. If your first boxes are impulse buys, or if you know only too well that you are one of those people whose early enthusiasm is liable to wane, then hold your horses for a moment and plan. Read the rest of this entry »

Once again there arose a demand for a case similar to the once popular Wardian Case. The modern equivalents are called indoor greenhouses or planteriums, and bear little resemblance to the original Wardian Case. Although both were designed for holding plants, the modern planterium

is built to house orchids permanently, catering for their every need, while the Wardian Case was mainly intended to hold plants in flower creating a short term display. The modern case, beautifully finished and pleasing to the eye becomes a piece of furniture in the room. They are obtainable in a number of materials including various coloured woods to suit decor, or stainless steel for office or hotel lounge. The main features are the large sliding glass doors and glass sides which allow an uninterrupted view of the flowers inside. The bottom section of the case consists of a watertight fibreglass tray concealed in the base, which may be 12-15 cm (5-6 in.) deep. Read the rest of this entry »

Water quality

The quality of domestic water supply varies tremendously from area to area and this is an important consideration when it is to be used for watering orchids. The pH is particularly important and should ideally be on the acidic side at a value of about pH 5. Very hard water is not good for orchids but beware of chemical water softeners; these introduce chemicals just as injurious to your plants as the hardness. The householder can collect rain water from the roof if this is preferred to the domestic supply, but if you live in an upstairs flat you will have no choice other than to use water from the tap. In this case, if you find that the water is hard and alkaline, a harmless method of softening is to suspend a nylon mesh bag full of peat in a bucket of the water for a few days. This will absorb much of the lime content and lower the pH. Whatever the source of the water, it should always be given to the plants at room temperature. It is always a good idea to fill the watering can the day before it is to be used, to allow the temperature to adjust and unwanted chemicals to settle. Read the rest of this entry »

Being high up, balconies and roofs are often more prone to the effects of cold winds than lower levels. Wind can lash plants around and damage them. Drying winds can quickly dry out the soil and give the foliage windburn. Plants may also receive too much sun. Extremely hot sun may not only damage the plants themselves, it can also dry the soil.

If you know that wind or sun is going to be a problem, try to choose plants that will tolerate them. Or provide some sort of protection against the elements.

Rather than trying to block out the wind entirely with solid panels that could look awkward or lead to turbulence as the wind travels over them, filter or slow down the wind with trellis panels. Ready-made wooden ones are generally available up to 1.8m (6ft) in height. When fixing them to the boundary walls or elsewhere make sure that they are really secure. One can only partially screen balconies, of course; perhaps trellis panels at each end would do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

Strawberries take up a large amount of ground if planted in rows or beds in the traditional way. To economize on space and create a striking addition to the patio, balcony or roof garden, grow them in a strawberry barrel. The best time to plant strawberries is late summer, when they will start cropping the following year. Read the rest of this entry »

Vegetables can be grown in conventional pots, tubs, barrels and troughs, which should be at least 30cm (12in) in diameter and depth, or better, 45-60cm (18-24in) wide and deep. They should be filled with an all-peat potting soil. But perhaps the most convenient way to grow vegetables on a patio, balcony or flat roof is to plant them in growing bags. These are purely utility containers consisting of a plastic bag about 1.2m (4ft) in length and 30cm (12in) wide, filled with potting soil, generally an all-peat type.

Growing bags are used only for one season, for instance, for a crop of tomatoes, or a succession of several shorter-term crops like radishes. Holes are cut in the tops of the bags for planting or sowing.

Most vegetables like plenty of sun, so choose a sunny part of the patio for them. This is especially important with tender kinds like tomatoes, sweet peppers and aubergines, all of which also need sheltered conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

A patio is very often the hub of activity around which the rest of the garden revolves. In some cases, such as a courtyard or tiny town garden, it can take up almost the entire area available, with planting softening the edges of the plot. In a larger composition it may share the space with sweeping lawns, borders, raised beds, vegetable plots and a range of other features.

As well as providing a site for sitting and dining, most patios have to cater for children’s play, household chores and the repair of anything from bikes to car engines. We have already seen that you need ample space and have looked at the wide range of materials available forconstruction. If in doubt, and you can afford it, always make the patio larger than you initially think; it will be well worth it later on. Read the rest of this entry »