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  1. Its not too late to plant Tulips- you can plant tulips even in December

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    Although the tradional time for planting Tulips is often suggested to be October, in fact you can  plant tulips from October, and the good news is that it is not too late to plant tulips in November and even into December. 

    Tulips are best planted before the first frosts whilst the soil is still workable. One of the reason to plant tulips late is so that they enjoy a period of cold weather which helps to reduce the chance of tulip fire disease.

    Tulips are best planted in areas of the garden which are not too wet which can cause the bulbs to rot. Tulips did not originate in Netherlands, as maybe thought, but in Central Asia and Caucasus region, also Afganistan, Jordon and Kurdistan which enjoyed, broadly speaking, hot dry summers and very cold, but dry winters. 

    You can plant tulips in containers until early December.

    Lots of information about planting and growing Tulips.

    Tulips which flower again next year.

  2. Gardening for Drought- Drought resistant plants and how to plant them

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    The heatwave is a wake-up call. It invites another look not only at drought resistant plants, but equally important how we design and plant our gardens. Designs incoporating scree gardens, gravel mulched borders, and "no water gardens" will, I think, eclipse the previous trend of "no dig gardens".
    Scree garden in RHS harlow carr NGS garden in rutland

     

    Even if we do not have another drought next year it is clear that water conservation is key. Mulch is critical to water conservation and illustrated are practical ways to mulch.
    All new plants need to be watered, usually for around 6 weeks, but minimal/no watering after that is achieved by combining (1) drought-resistant plants with (2) organically rich soil with (3) mulch. There are more ideas on suitable plants on Beth Chatto's website where she created the gold standard dry garden.
    Some ideas for next year.
    There are a number of practical steps which help to manage dry conditions and conserve water.
    1. Mulch is key and it is best applied when the soil is wet, (after winter and early spring rain) as you are seeking to preserve the water already in the soil and any that falls later. Mulching in dry conditions is not as effective. Organic mulches are leaf mould, wood chip, or bark, and I often use Strulch. There is a wide range of inorganic mulches using decorative gravel and pebbles. 
    2. Autumn is the traditional time for planting new shrubs and if you are planning to do so, remember that new shrubs need a lot of water. The commonest cause of shrub failure is lack of water. It’s the roots that need the water best tip is to sink a plastic bottle ( with the bottom cut off,) alongside the shrub, so you water straight to the roots.
    3. Make the best use of free water- install one or more water butts to maximize rainwater.
    4. more tips ………How to Water your Garden and Save Water

     

     

  3. Growing Vegetables Without a Garden

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    No garden Chillies

    Enjoy cheap and lovely rocket salad
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    During the lockdown, there was a surge of interest in growing your own veg, and now we have a resurgence of interest driven in part by the rise in food prices. The price of basics is rising and one way to chip away at it is to grow your own. You do not need a big garden.  You can grow in containers on a patio, balcony even a window sill. 
    The cheapest way to grow vegetables is from seed. Seed is always cheaper than buying plants. 

    Early March is the time to germinate chillies,  and this is easy to do on a windowsill.
    Chillies need a long growing season and to be kept warm, which means chilles can be grown indoors all summer. They make colourful houseplants with brightly coloured chillies.
    At the end of the season, you can dry or freeze chillies and you will have chillies all year round for the price of a packet of seeds. How to grow Chillies

    I love rocket salad with its strong peppery taste. Supermarket bags of rocket are expensive, disappointingly unpeppery, with a short shelf life. They are also packed in single-use plastic. Rocket, as its name suggests grows like a rocket!  Easy to seed and germinate, pick and come again. Rocket will grow well in a container and keep you supplied with lovely fresh leaves. Definitely on the cheap and easy list- tips on growing rocket.
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

  4. Botrytis and growing strawberries

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    At this time of year its all about looking forward and its a good time to check out the strawberry patch. If your plants have been yeilding less fruit it maybe time to think about replacing them.

    Strawberry plants don't last for ever, after 2/3/4/5 years, depending on the variety and growing conditions, yields diminish and it is time to think about replacement. This can be done by new plants or using runners which can be taken from healthy plants. For cultivation tips and information including how to use runners to get new plants for free check out growing strawberries. 

    The most common disease with strawberries is botrytis commonly called grey mould , shown in both the imates.  Strawberries are frost hardy, so if you are ordering new plants, do not be tempted, at this time of year, to put them in the greenhouse as that is exactly where Botrytis lurks in the winter months.

    Because strawberries are fully hardy they can be put outside, and overwintered outside. 

    Top tips on planting and growing strawberries, including how to aboid Botrytis, and ideas about the best varieties to grow and a YouTube video on growing strawberries in hanging baskets.

     

    Botrytis

     

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