For a long time I’ve been fascinated about the effect of the moon on plant growth. I’m no expert and there are plenty of places to learn more, but the pulling power of the moon on the tides and lifecycle of the planet must in some way affect not just plant growth but life in […]
Things have changed a lot since I did my degree in botany many, many moons ago. In those (prehistoric) days research into plant genetic engineering wasn’t really funded by big business, it was championed by small university science labs around the country all hoping to find the magical cure for the world food shortage. How […]
When the seed catalogues start diving through the letterbox you know spring is nearly here. For the avid gardener and plantaholic there is nothing nicer than settling into a comfy chair surrounded by seed catalogues, botanical reference books and a drink of something special, hot chocolate is a good winter choice! Many gardeners have a […]
First it was baby veg; tiny immature carrots, embryonic courgettes, baby beets, weeny turnips and other developing fruits and roots, just barely recognisable. Top class chefs and star studded restaurants lightly steamed these kindergarten crops for the delectation of their clientele, while gardeners struggled with concept of harvesting hard grown crops weeks and sometimes months […]
The magic of seeds never fails to inspire me. You start with a (usually) brown, wizened hard capsule of some sort and within days, weeks, months or years, an almost exact replica of the parent plant reaches maturity and makes its own fruit and seed. Some seeds such as salads, brassicas, peas and beans, germinate […]
Following on from my late sowing theme last month, I’m not sure whether sowing winter salads constitutes late sowing for this year or early sowing for next, but since it is a ploy to provide winter salads all year round I don’t think it really matters. Just because it’s October doesn’t mean that sowing and […]
Greenhouse gardeners can be guilty of wishing the year away. No sooner than it’s autumn and we are wishing it was spring with barely a second thought to poor winter. And when it’s spring, well there’s so much to do, it’s summer before we know it. I’m as guilty as anyone, always looking ahead to […]
Keeping a good airflow through the greenhouse is essential for healthy plant growth. It is especially important at the height of summer when temperatures outdoors can reach into the seventies and eighties (if we are lucky). To keep the air moving and to prevent extreme heat building up in the greenhouse you need good ventilation. […]
The July Greenhouse is a hungry beast and to get the very best from your greenhouse and your plants it’s essential to keep up with feeding to ensure a prolific and healthy harvest. For precious plants and specialist plants, choose plant foods tailored to the particular type of plants that you are growing, as they […]
Cucumber Feast If ever there was a good reason to grow your own, this has to be it. An outbreak of E coli that has affected dozens of people has been blamed on cucumbers. The jury is still out as to the source of the infection but the scare has left a question mark over […]
For the first time for years we have an early summer, it’s so early that plants that would normally be flowering in June are in blossom in April and May. That’s the one thing that makes gardening exciting and unpredictable, the weather is never the same two years running and always has a fresh challenge. […]
One of the things that gardeners often forget is that the vast majority of the plants that we grow hail from far distant shores. That’s why we need a greenhouse! To lull these hot house flowers and sun loving plants into thinking that they are growing in their native environment. Of course some plants hail […]
