Welcome to our 'Food For Thought' section which brings to you some Top Tips of the month and answers to your burning beginner's growing questions.
Burning beginners growing questions and answers!
Just what you've been waiting for - here we offer you the chance to get a simple and easy to understand answer to your beginner's growing difficulties and questions. All those daunting curiosities that you've longed to know more about but have never found the courage to ask a real gardener until now!
This month we've had a number of really good (and sensible!) questions to put to Bob who was delighted to share his wealth of knowledge with us all.
1. How can I stop bugs eating the leaves of my plants? I'm sure its not slugs or snails, but something seems to be happily munching away! Could it be caterpillars?
Slugs, snails, caterpillars and other ‘pests’ are definitely a major gardening bugbear (excuse the pun!) and vigilance is the key to keeping them under control. Check over your plants as often as possible and pick off pests before they have a chance to do too much damage. There’s no better organic method of control than the good old finger and thumb! If the leaves have sizeable holes munched out of them, it’s a fair bet that, if not snails, caterpillars are the culprits. Their black droppings are a giveaway. If you catch them early you should be able to curb their antics quite easily. Unless, that is, you’re squeamish! In which case, call on the nearest small children to help!
2. What is the best feed to use on vegetables on pots? I’m particularly looking for something organic.
There are lots of different fertilisers on offer at garden centres and it can all be a bit confusing. For vegetables in containers, I don’t think you can beat liquid seaweed extract. It’s packed with nutrients and trace elements and all you do is dilute it at the recommended rate and water it on. Maxicrop produce a range of widely available seaweed products approved for organic gardeners by The Soil Association. If you live near the coast and you can stand the smell, you can make your own seaweed fertilizer, or if you have space to grow a patch of comfrey, their leaves can also be turned into a great organic plant food.
3. Why are the leaves of my parsley turning yellow?
The most likely cause of yellowing parsley leaves is over-watering. Although they like plenty of moisture and will resent being too dry, they can deteriorate rapidly if they become waterlogged. That can easily happen in a wet summer and a pot that does not have adequate drainage. That said, older leaves at the base of the plant naturally turn yellow and wither away, and pale, yellowing leaves can also be a sign of starvation. Parsley like a nutrient rich soil, so feeding fortnightly with seaweed fertiliser is beneficial.
4. Why can I never seem to keep basil and coriander? It’s so frustrating because these are the two herbs we enjoy most!
Both basil and coriander grow well in the Mediterranean so, although with a bit of tlc we can grow them very successfully over here, they are not perfectly suited to growing outdoors in the UK. They are fine during the warmest, driest part of the summer but basil is particularly susceptible to low temperatures, especially at night, and coriander never does well in a wet summer. Be sure not to put them outdoors too early in the season – not before the end of May in the south and a little later in the north. Naturally, they both do best in full sun (although it’s best to avoid a really hot scorching position – chance would be a fine thing!) and free draining soil or compost. Ideally, they should be kept just moist but not constantly soggy. Make certain your pots have adequate drainage holes and plenty of drainage materials in the base.
5. How can I support broad beans successfully?
When in full fruit broad bean plants carry a lot of weight and can easily end up in a messy heap unless properly supported. If growing them in the ground in rows, knock in stakes at either end of the row (and in the centre if it’s a long row) and run strong wires, approx 12in (30cm) apart, between them. Dwarf varieties that grow just 12-18in (30-45cm) high are best for containers. They can be supported on a wigwam of bamboo canes or a shop-bought frame but I prefer to use stout, straightish twigs as they are more aesthetically appealing. Prunings from tall, fast-growing shrubs such as buddleias are ideal.
6. A gardening friend told me my pak choi had ‘bolted’. What exactly does this mean and what can I do about it?
Pak choi is one of a range of leafy Oriental vegetables that are becoming popular in the UK. They are mostly ‘cool season’ crops that, in hot, dry weather, may run to seed before they have properly matured. ‘Bolting’ is the term used to describe this premature flowering and seed production. Lettuce, spinach and many other leafy vegetables are also susceptible. Bolting can be triggered by many things, including drought, excessive heat and overcrowding. Another common cause is a check in growth. Plants that are left in their containers too long before planting out frequently end up bolting.
‘Have you a burning beginner's question you'd like Bob to answer?
Send it to us at info@urban-allotments.com, and we'll respond via this page. We can't promise to answer them all but will select those we feel will be of most relevance to our audience.