Tips and AdviceAdvice
The recently launched
television micro-channel, “The Horticultural Channel”, provides
programmes for amateur gardeners and allotment holders throughout
the
Programmes can be viewed on TV as follows
This year, new programmes are planned for March 6, March 20, April 3,
April 17, May 1, May 15, May 29, June 12,
The Horticultural Channel can also be viewed on-line. The following links
apply
To see past programmes
http://www.youtube.com/horticulturalchannel
or
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-horticultural-channel-tv/id406031852 Tips
Draining a damp area
If you have an area on your allotment that, after rain, takes
a long time to dry out, why not try this? Take a plastic barrel.
Drill holes in the sides (about 6 ins apart). Dig a hole and place
the barrel in it. Fill the remaining gaps around the outside of the
barrel with pea gravel. Cover the barrel top with a paving slab.
This will drain the area.
Keeping slugs away
Visit a local coffee shop and ask for the spent coffee grounds. Many
cafés have bins full of the stuff. Sprinkle the coffee grounds in a
1-3cm thick layer around the base of vulnerable plants. The scent of
the coffee and the texture as it dries deter slugs and snails from
crossing it to your plants. The grounds will also slightly raise the
acid level in the soil and increase fertility.
Raised
beds
Instead of planting and sowing your crops in large open beds, makes
lots of smaller raised beds. Use wooden planks or logs to edge the
bed and keep the soil in. Although you loose a little ground with
walkways between the beds, because they are smaller (say, 3ft by
6ft, 8 ins high) it is far easier to access all parts of them
without treading on the well cultured soil. You can also get away
with growing plants a little closer together than you would with a
larger none-raised bed. Generally, raised beds offer greater
productivity despite the loss of growing area.
Keep
off the soil
Try to avoid walking on the soil that you wish to grow your crops
in. Doing so damages the natural structuring of the soil and
compresses it, making it difficult to dig and weed. Good soil should
be teaming with bacteria and worms. Trampling on it will reduce the
diversity of life in it and, in
turn, affect fertility levels. If
you need to cross a patch, use a good plank of wood to distribute
your body weight. The soil will compress slightly, but not enough to
cause any real harm to your soil. Better still, use raised beds.
Free
compost
To increase the quality of your soil, it’s a good idea to try to
include as much organic materials as you can. Making your own
compost out of unwanted kitchen or
allotment
waste is an excellent way
to do this.
Keeping Seeds fresh
If you haven't used all of the many packets of seeds that you bought
for your allotment, it's a good idea to put them in a box and store
them in the fridge for next year. This should slow down the natural
degradation of the seed, resulting in a better chance of high
germination next year.
Natural insecticide and weed killer Many of us grow rhubarb and are aware that the leaf part of the plant is very poisonous to humans. However, you can use the toxic qualities of this garden favourite to produce insecticide. Boil up the leaves in water, add a drop or two of washing-up liquid and allow to cool. Use the liquid as a spray to kill most leaf eating insects. Fresh rhubarb leaves can also be used to suppress and kill weeds. Cut and lay them on the ground – the poisons will leech out and kill weeds, whilst starving them of light. For more facts about rhubarb see http://www.rhubarbinfo.com |
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