Fact Sheet 33
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THE GARDENERS DIARY
WEEK 33
15th May 2005
THE DIARY THE FLOWER GARDEN: Feed spring flowering bulbs Spring flowering bulbs which are now finishing should be fed as the foliage slowly dies away. Do not chop off untidy foliage or tie it in knots. This foliage needs to die back naturally as the bulbs need the food stored in the leaves. To encourage this process it is worth feeding the bulbs with a low nitrogen feed or with Bone meal. This plant food will be absorbed by the bulbs allowing them to store it ready for next year and will hopefully give you a better show next spring Once bulbs have fully died back remember to mark where they are planted to remind you not to go digging in that area!
THE GREENHOUSE: Time to plant melons
Melons can be planted in the greenhouse this week. Plant your plants in either 26-30cm pots or straight into growbags. Growbag cultivation is the most popular and it is best to allow the compost in the growbag to acclimatise to the temperature in the greenhouse especially if the bags you are buying have been stored outside. Plant at the side of the house and create a frame for the plants to be trained up. Place a wire framework onto the greenhouse frame and strengthen the wires by connecting canes onto the wires. Plant two melons to each growbag and place them against the framework. Grow the plants right up to the eaves before pinching out the leader. Tie the laterals onto the framework and grow them along the frame. These laterals will produce male and female flowers. The male flowers will appear first followed by the female ones. Male flowers will have a thin stalk behind the petals and the female blooms will have a tiny melon behind the petals.
Allow at least 6 female flowers to open then remove a mature male flower and fold back the petals and brush the male flower against the female flowers. Do this around noon and use one male flower to every for female. Then allow the fruit to set. Once the fruit has set leave one melon per lateral and then count 2 leaves and then pinch out the growing point. Water regularly feeding with a high potash feed once the fruit reaches golf ball size. Support the fruit with hair nets connected to framework as they grow in size. Once fruit has ripened pick each fruit as you need to use it. FRUIT & VEG: Hoe and feed your crops Hoe and fertilise around crops as they establish. By hoeing frequently you will keep weed growth to a minimum. This will stop any competition which can seriously harm your young plants. Once the weeds have been removed the application of a general purpose fertiliser will encourage your crops to grow successfully. LAWN CARE: Create a Chamomile lawn For those of you who want to create a lawn with a difference then why not try Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis). This lush green herb spreads profusely over the ground via runners. The fern-like foliage can seem so fragile but the stems are very robust and as you tread on it the stems can emit a fruity fragrance. The flowerless form 'Treneague' is best used for lawns. Plant the plants at 23cm apart. To prepare before planting ensure that the soil is level and add a general purpose fertiliser. Chamomile will grow best on a well-drained soil so if you have a heavy clay soil you will need to prepare the area well by adding some horticultural sand and grit to encourage better drainage. DISEASE PROBLEM OF THE WEEK: Rhododendron Petal Blight A sign of this disease is the development of small spots upon the petals. These are white on coloured varieties and pale brown on insipid white varieties. The spots increase in size and appear water soaked. The entire flower suddenly collapses and soon becomes slimy and shapeless. The affected blooms do not fall and remain on the plant. The fungus is encouraged by mild, humid growing conditions and can also be caused by the passing of a mild wet winter. The spores which develop on the petals of disease plants as their blooms deteriorate are borne on air currents and also by insects. To prevent this disease spreading onto other plants remove the dead flowers and burn them. Listen to The Gardener's Diary with Luke Ashmead on BBC Three Counties Radio every Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm Contact The Gardener's Diary Here BBC Three Counties Radio 94.7, 98, 103.8, 95.5 and 104.5FM | 
