Fact Sheet Twenty
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THE GARDENERS DIARY
WEEK 20
13th February 2005
THE DIARY
HOW TO:
POT ON DAHLIAS
1. Put some compost in the bottom of a pot
2. Slightly embed the dahlia tuber in the compost with the roots down 3. Fill pot with compost and cover the dahlia. 4. Water well. 5. Store somewhere frost free like a heated greenhouse or inside your house.
6. If you are planting directly into patio pots then you can harden them off by gradually exposing them to the elements as the weather slowly improves. THE DIARY
FLOWER GARDEN JOBS: Start sowing hardy annuals.
A wide variety of hardy annual plants for summer colour can be sown directly into the ground starting this week.
These plants are widely useful for filling gaps, cut-flowers or for people whom have just moved house and haven't time to concentrate on the garden yet.
The other good thing is unlike their half-hardy cousins; hardy annuals need little if not protection if the weather turns unsuspected for the worse.
Sweet Peas for scented climbers, gigantic Sunflowers to tower above the fence, the pretty Calendula's with their marigold yellows and oranges are just amongst the spectrum of plants open to you.
Some varieties like Godetia's, Nasturtiums, Annual Scabious and Candytufts can also be grown in containers as well as in the garden.
The other good thing about hardy annuals is that will self-sow themselves at the end of the season and naturalise, creating an uninformed, natural feel. This will give you that traditional old English cottage garden look with a riot of colours filling your flower beds and borders. FLOWER GARDEN JOBS: Prune winter flowered shrubs.
Winter flowering shrubs now need to be pruned as they finish flowering.
Winter flowering Jasmine which have finished flowering will need to be pruned. Prune the growth back by half on all the flowering stems. This will encourage lots of new growth for the coming year which will give you plenty of flowers next winter.
Other flowering shrubs like Winter Viburnum's like 'bodnatense' and 'farreri' should be pruned in a similar way.
Evergreen forms of Viburnum like the Laurustinus should have flower heads removed as they go over unless you wish the plant to produce the berry which follow the flowers. By pruning the dead flowers the plant should be encouraged to produce more and should continue to flower until May.
Heathers which have finished flowering should be sheared into hummocks and mulched with some fresh ericaceous material. GREENHOUSE JOBS: Ventilate on mild days.
With the greenhouse being a hive of activity at the moment, what with seeds being sown and seedlings potted on. One job which certainly needs to be done is to ventilate the greenhouse.
The air can soon stagnate especially if you're using a paraffin heater. On mild, still days it is worth ventilating to allow some air to circulate around. This will prevent diseases like mildew which can thrive in still, damp and stagnant atmospheres.
Try and not do this on windy days as the cold draught could cause problems with your stocks.
FRUIT JOBS: Create new rhubarb beds.
New rhubarb beds should be prepared for planting.
Dig the area over mixing in plenty of organic matter like mushroom compost or soil improver. Dig deep breaking up the soil well.
Once the preparation has been done plant your crowns about 90-120cm apart.
Once planted apply a thick covering of cocoa shell or bark to help suppress weed growth around your plants.
Do not crop from them this year so that all the goodness the plant produces can be returned to the crown in the autumn. Also remember that in the growing season if your crowns produce flowers remove them as this will sap some of the strength of the crown. LAWN CARE JOBS: Start preparing new areas for seeding.
If you are planning to sow some new areas of lawn then this week you should start to prepare the area.
Ensure that the area is as level as you can get it.
Fill in any holes with some top soil. Rake the area into a fine tilth and proceed to do this until you are ready to sow. This will help undermine any weed seed which is trying to germinate in the new area.
If you have a heavy, sticky soil like clay then it could be wise to churn up the area with a rotivator whilst adding some horticultural sand and grit to help with the drainage. Also add some Clay Breaker which will help to break down the sticky clods.
Once this has been done; break down the lumps with a fork then continue to rake and level. LAWN CARE JOBS: Be careful on first cuts.
This week after you've retrieved your lawn mower from being serviced it is time to start cutting your areas of turf but be careful as the ground can still moist even if the grass seems to have dried out.
If you lawn mower starts to skid then stop immediately as this could cause ruts and damage to your prize lawn. DISEASE PROBLEM OF THE WEEK: Damping off of seedlings.
With a majority of keen gardeners sowing a wide variety of seeds.
Some are experiencing problems of seedlings collapsing then dying and rotting off.
This is commonly known as damping off.
There are many causes; seeds which have been sown into some old compost, into seed trays which haven't been sterilised, watered with water from a water butt.
To deter this; water your seedlings with mains water and also with a fungicide like Cheshunt Compound or Copper Fungicide.
PEST PROBLEM OF THE WEEK: Scarid Fly on houseplants.
Whilst watering houseplants you may see some very small flies flying jut above the surface of your plants soil, these are what are known as Scarid Flies or Fungus Gnats.
These unsightly flies are more of a nuisance than a pest.
Their larvae resemble very small white maggots with black heads which when watered they surface. They feed on decaying organic matter and it can be a sign that you have slightly over zealous with your watering can and your plants roots are rooting in its pot.
If not checked the gnats can move onto uncontaminated plants and seedlings causing further problems.
The adults can be caught using sticky yellow traps hung around infested areas. The adults can also be treated with various insecticides but the most affective is Bio Provado Bug Free. This can be watered onto the surface of the soil washing through the insecticide kills adults and larvae alike and once applied should give up to a months protection against Scarid Fly and other greenhouse pests.
Once clear remember to water your plants from underneath rather than the surface this will also help keep it at bay. 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 98, 103.8, 95.5 and 104.5FM | 
