Welcome to my favourite time of year. The Swallows have returned and Spring is now firmly under way and brings with it the optimism of the year to come. Equinox is firmly behind us and the days are rapidly drawing out. All this means the garden requires more of your attention, but to help you here is a to do list of the things you can be doing this month to stay on top of things:
Deadhead Daffodils
Don’t tie up the leaves of daffodils or cut them off. Allow the leaves to die back naturally. The plants need their leaves intact to store enough energy for next year’s flowering.
Deadhead daffodils by picking off the flower heads which are past their best. This prevents the plant from setting seed and instead diverts all the plant’s energies away from producing offspring to storing that energy in the bulb for next year’s flowering. This simple technique is said to improve the following year’s flowering.
If flowering this year was a bit weak or any of your daffodils were ‘blind’ (an expression for when the leaves appear, but no flowers are produced) consider lifting, dividing the clumps (if the clumps are particularly large) and replanting them. Thereafter feed them with tomato feed every week or two until they die back. Tomato feed is high in nutrients that promote strong flowering and this, together with dividing the clumps, should encourage a better show next year.
Plant bulbs
Did you miss your chance to plant spring bulbs in September/October? Ordinarily at this time of year you might get a second chance by buying them in growth in pots in garden centres. It is worth getting online to see what you can find. Stocks could be limited this spring. The unusually warm weather we have experienced the last few summers has on occasion had a detrimental effect on the bulb harvest and the increased interest in horticulture fuelled by the pandemic is likely to have put pressure on stocks. I certainly have found it difficult in recent autumns to buy the bulbs I want for my clients often having to resort to alternatives, or going without entirely.
Now is also a great time to start buying in and preparing your summer bulbs, such as Dahlias, Eucomis, lillies and Gladiolus.
Box hedges
Remember to inspect your box hedges for box tree moth caterpillars. If you identify its caterpillars are present the preferred option is to remove them by hand and dispose of them. For small topiaries etc this is practical. For large hedges treat with Bacillus thuringiensis (a natural soil-borne bacteria) to kill caterpillars. Use only when box tree moth caterpillars are present to target this species only and ensure minimal destruction of other insects. Use in conjunction with a pheramone trap to really interrupt the lifecycle of the box tree moth and maximise efficacy.
Spring lawn care
The last few summers have been pretty brutal to lawns. Here in the Charente and Vienne they are often fried to a crisp each summer. The autumnal and winter rains have brought green back to the lawns, but the lack of giboulées this March has left lawns already looking a little tired and thirsty and so lawns will appreciate some help this time of year to keep them in tip top condition.
Scarify the lawn to remove all thatch, moss and any weeds you may already have selectively killed. This can be done by raking the lawn, or for larger areas by using a motorised scarifying machine.
Mow the lawn. Unlike other plants, grass grows from the base and produces more growth from the base each time it is cut. It is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to grazing. Regular mowing thickens the lawn, reducing the chances of weeds getting in between each individual plant.
If you are a bit late off the mark and this is the first cut of the year don’t be tempted to give the lawn a razor sharp cut right from the off. Start high and reduce down to your usual height progressively over the first few cuts in the coming weeks.
If anything it is my experience that in general people cut their lawns far too short. It is simply not realistic, or environmentally sensitive, for most of us to have a golf course quality lawn. Shorter lawns are also more vulnerable to weeds. A client I work for intentionally cuts his lawn on the highest setting and his remained green throughout much of the last few dry summers, proof that a longer lawn is more drought tolerant.
Aerate the lawn, especially frequently walked areas that will be compacted. Insert your garden fork every 20 to 30 cms or so and lift the turf ever-so-slightly. If your lawn is plagued with moss, this will help to alleviate the problem. Alternatively, use an aerating machine to make your task much simpler.
‘Top dress’ the lawn by brushing into the lawn surface a compost/sand mix. This works hand in hand with aeration and helps to keep the drainage holes you have made open.
I find using a stiff bristled broom is much better than a rake. I have not seen top dressing sold in France ready mixed. If you don’t have sufficient compost on the heap at home, or it is not ready yet, next time you are doing your weekly/fortnightly shop grab some while you are at the supermarket to which you will need to add a washed sand. For ratio details see here. Top dressing should avoid the need to apply a chemical fertiliser.
Reseed bare patches by breaking the surface of the bare patch with a rake and scattering the grass seed on top. This is a job best done in autumn, but better late than never! Lightly walk the area to press the seed into firm contact with the soil. I find a very light scattering of compost on top helps to disguise the seed from plucky birds and helps to keep the seed moist. Water the area with a fine spray or rose to avoid scattering or pooling the seed and avoid walking on it for several weeks. If cats are a problem, place a net or jute over the area to prevent them digging. Keep the seed moist and germination should occur within 2 weeks.
All this lawn treatment will make the lawn look like its gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson initially, but with top dressing it will bounce back and much stronger than before.
If you need help with lawn care, please get in touch here.
Seeds
Get sowing the seeds you ordered over the winter. Now is the optimal time for most seeds.
Consider sowing your seeds in toilet rolls filled with compost; this avoids the need for using plastic and the cardboard itself is benign to the soil and the environment.
Sow multiple seeds in each toilet roll to improve your germination rate.
Place the seeds by an available window. Keep the compost moist and germination should occur quite rapidly this time of year.
Several weeks after germination pick out the weaker seedlings leaving the strongest in each roll to go on to mature.
Planting
Whilst early autumn is the optimal time to undertake planting, early Spring is the next best thing.
Early spring is also a good time to divide any perennials you wish to make more of, or which need division to rejuvenate. Make sure you water in well when replanting the divisions.
Plant of the month
Tulips hit their stride in April. An essential in the spring garden, tulips never fail to lift the spirits. When I first started gardening I was rather snooty about tulips, but over time I find myself becoming a little more adventurous in my selections, although never still quite enough to embrace some of the most exuberant of cultivars.
There are so many tulip cultivars that the choice on offer is seemingly endless. For elegance consider ‘White Triumphator’. Combine with the classic ‘Queen of the Night’ for a sultry combination. For something exotic go for Tulipa acuminata. For a bit of pop and zing go for the ever popular ‘Ballerina’, or for even more try species tulip T. sprengeri Trotter’s form. Personally, I really love the frills and burgundy colour of ‘Black Parrot’, which I find combines well with the lime flowers of Euphorbia characias, also still in flower at this time.
Designing and creating new plantings/updating existing areas of planting are my speciality and what I love doing the most. If you would like help with designing and planting your garden, please get in touch here.
Mulch, mulch, mulch!!!
Each spring, or after planting, ensure you always mulch areas of planting and never skimp. About 7 to 10 cms deep is about right. Compost, composted bark, leafmold, or manure make ideal organic soil mulches.
Mulching is a personal mantra, but nevertheless I always struggled to convince my UK clients of the value of mulching. I think they perhaps viewed it as a frivolous extra, as opposed to a gardening essential. Organic or inorganic mulching reduces weeding/makes weeding an easier task, improves soil water retention and drainage, and feeds soil organisms which in turn break down nutrients making them available to your plants.
Creating new plantings and updating existing areas of planting are my speciality and what I love doing the most. If you would like help with designing and planting your garden, please get in touch here.
In the Potager
Your favourite fruit and veg will be coming to stores near you this month and, as restrictions are progressively lifted, village plant fetes should start happening once again. As well as your ‘old faithfuls’, venture out of your comfort zone and get something you wouldn’t normally grow just for the variety and the challenge! Consider growing more perennial species to reduce your environmental impact.
Remember that whilst most crops are hardy, crops such as sweetcorn, tomatoes and aubergines are tender and can be damaged by a frost. Leave the planting of these tender crops until May when the risk of overnight frost has passed. Watching what the farmers are up to is often a good indicator of when the time is right. In the meantime make the most of the area you have set aside for them for a hardy quick growing crop, such as radish or rocket.
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