Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week in your garden.

1. Apple Trees - If you are growing Apple Trees and they need a bit of a tidy up, winter is the ideal time to give them a prune. You can also prune any Autumn fruiting Raspberries to soil level now too.

2. Tools - With the gloomy weather not everyone wants to go outside, if that sounds like you then now is a good time to clean and sharpen any gardening tools.

3. Perennials  - If you don't like the look of dead flower stems over winter cut down any faded stems now and clear away. Whilst doing this keep an eye out for any pests hiding under fallen leaves.

4. Botrytis - Just like I suggested last week, keep checking for any signs of grey mould and act straight away. Remember to water sparingly too which will help prevent this spreading.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Problem Area - Plant Pests - Glasshouse Whitefly!

Good Morning!

Welcome to my next post related to Problem Areas. Currently I am focusing on Pests!

What exactly is a Plant Pest? 

A Plant Pest gains it's nutritional requirements from the host plant it feeds upon. 

There are various ways which it can gain it's sustenance but broadly speaking it either eats or sucks a plant's sap.

It's a good idea to take note of a pests life cycle as they are more vulnerable at certain stages.

GLASSHOUSE WHITEFLY

As the name suggests this pest is most commonly found under glass, although they can be found on plants outside. If left untreated this pest can cause havoc to your plants and is pretty common in all of our gardens.

Photo from RHS.

A LITTLE BIOLOGY 

The Glasshouse Whitefly can breed continuously under cover, the eggs can develop into adults within 3 weeks, a little longer in the Winter. They prefer warm conditions which is why they are most prevalent under cover. 

SYMPTOMS

Damage from this pest to our plants is caused by their piercing mouthparts which withdraw large quantities of sap from plants. This causes mottling to the foliage, yellow discolouration and wilting. If the pest is left to breed and form large quantities the affected plants may be killed.
The pest can also produce a sticky substance on the host plant which can help us gardeners identify them.
Plants that are more susceptible than others are Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Primulas, Dahlia's, Chrysanthemums and Calceolaria (Ladys Purse).

Photo from Google.

CONTROL

If like me you like to garden Organically there are a few things you can do -

* Maintaining good plant hygiene by removing any affected foliage straight away

* Hanging Yellow Sticky Traps under glass - please note that this can however catch the good guys along with the pests.
* Constant checking of plants to remove the pest at first sight

* Biological control can be gained by the introduction of a parasitic wasp (these can be purchased via mail order) at first indication of the pest.

There is also Chemical control available.

I hope you have found this interesting and helpful if any of you come across this particular pest!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week in your garden.

1. Frozen Water - If you have any ponds then keep an eye out for them freezing over in these lower temperatures, if left frozen they can cause problems for any fish or plants under water and also wildlife looking for water If your pond does freeze over then gently break the ice as soon as you notice it, you can also float items such as a tennis ball or polystyrene on top which helps prevent the whole surface freezing and can easily be removed if it does to provide an area of open water.
TIP - Keep an eye on Birdbaths too for freezing over.

2. Leaves - Keep collecting leaves for Leaf Mould, even if you think you already have enough, you never do and it's not available to buy on the market.

3. Bare-root  - Aswell as transplanting and planting shrubs etc that I suggested last week now is also the time to start thinking about planting anything bare root. Plants such as Tree's and Roses are becoming available to buy bare root this season and they are often a cheaper option to buy instead of being containerised throughout the rest of the year.

TIP - When planting bare-root make sure you soak the roots in a bucket of tepid water for 24hours as plants may have been dug up hours, days or weeks before you have bought them. Dig a planting hole of a suitable depth and double the width of the plant. Make sure the plant isn't buried any lower than it's original planting depth, you can usually tell what this is as there will be a variation in colour on the main part of the plant.

4. Botrytis - Grey Mould can soon occur daily on areas of plants that were fine the day before, especially on plants under cover. Daily removing of affected areas is important to keep your plants healthy. With the lower temperatures you may not want to open your Greenhouse's but just an hour or 2 of fresh air a day can be extremely beneficial in reducing the risk of this disease spreading, and of course the plants will welcome the fresh air!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Problem Area - Plant Pests ... Two Spotted Mite!

Good Morning!

Welcome to my next post related to Problem Areas. Currently I am focusing on Pests!

What exactly is a Plant Pest? 

A Plant Pest gains it's nutritional requirements from the host plant it feeds upon. 

There are various ways which it can gain it's sustenance but broadly speaking it either eats or sucks a plant's sap.

It's a good idea to take note of a pests life cycle as they are more vulnerable at certain stages.

TWO SPOTTED MITE

The Two Spotted Mite is also most commonly known as the Glasshouse Red Spider Mite and is a rather common pest. They are mostly found is Glasshouses / Greenhouses and can be quite a troublesome pest to plants under cover. This is a pest that I personally had a problem with earlier in the year.

Photo from RHS.

A LITTLE BIOLOGY 

The life cycle of a Two Spotted Mite depends on the temperature and can be between 3 - 30 days. The females lay the eggs on the underside of leaves which then hatch into 6 legged larvae. The females can become adults in as little as 36 hours and lay 4 - 8 eggs a day! Their colouring is most commonly red but they can also be a straw / green colour, the red colouring appears when they are starved. The mites can over winter on plants and in the cracks / walls of Greenhouses. 

SYMPTOMS

As the photograph above shows one of the easiest ways to spot them is by their webs. The webs are formed when there is a large amount of the mites.
Damage to foliage on plants is also an indicator of the mites presence as they suck the sap from plants.  Yellow speckled foliage which then leads to shrivelling and death of the leaf is common sign that the mites are present.

Photo from Google.

CONTROL

If like me you like to garden Organically there are a few things you can do -

* Maintaining good plant hygiene by removing any affected foliage straight away

* Keeping Greenhouse structures clean

There is also Chemical control available.

I hope you have found this interesting and helpful if any of you come across this particular pest!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week in your garden.

1. Stray Seedlings - If you have spotted any rogue seedlings growing in places that aren't ideal, such as a drive way, you can dig them up and put into a more suitable place or pots until you can find somewhere.
For example I saw that there are some Verbascum seedlings growing on my drive that need relocating.

2. Plant Support  - If you have some supports outside that you are wanting to keep in place over winter it's a good idea to check that they are secure and in good condition before they get damaged by bad weather. We've had some windy days here this last week and these can cause havoc if anything isn't in place properly.

3. Transplant / Plant - I had some Geums growing in Teracotta pots that can't stay outside over winter as they aren't frost proof. This gave me the chance to re-jig my borders and take out some plants that I wasn't overly happy with and replaced them with the Geums.
The soil is still warm enough at the moment for you to do this yourself. 

• Always make sure that you tease the roots out if they have become root bound and that you have given the plant a good water so that the root ball isn't dry before planting.
• Firm in plants once they are in the ground, you can use your boots to ensure this is done properly.
• Make sure you give the plant a really good water when you have finished, even if it's raining! I always give each plant a full watering can of water when I plant them into the ground.

4. Planning - If you've sorted through your seed packets as I suggested recently then you'll probably also be starting to think ahead to next year. Have a think about what you want to grow and start stocking up on the seeds you will need. 

I've started to write a list of the Salad Crops that I want to grow and added them to my wish list!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Problem Area - Plant Pests ... Cabbage White Butterfly

Good Morning!

Welcome to my next post related to Problem Areas. Currently I am focusing on Pests!

What exactly is a Plant Pest? 

A Plant Pest gains it's nutritional requirements from the host plant it feeds upon. 

There are various ways which it can gain it's sustenance but broadly speaking it either eats or sucks a plant's sap.

It's a good idea to take note of a pests life cycle as they are more vulnerable at certain stages.

CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY

The Cabbage White is something that can cause real frustration to many gardeners!
As the name suggests they are particularly attracted to Cabbages.

Photo from Google.

A LITTLE BIOLOGY 

A Cabbage White Butterfly starts life as eggs laid on the underside of a cabbage leaf. The larvae then proceed to feed on the host plant. The larva gradually turn into Caterpillars then when they have reached maturity attach themselves to a leaf or stalk to pupate. When the pupae matures the wings become visable and a butterfly emerges.

SYMPTOMS

The larvae and Caterpillars feed on the host plants and damage can be seen on the foliage. The larvae of the Small White feed on the centre of plants on their own. The larvae of the Large White feed in colonies and can cause the most damage.

Photo from Google.

CONTROL

If like me you like to garden Organically there are a few things you can do -

* A layer of protective fleece or film can be laid over your crops creating a barrier preventing the adults laying their eggs. Obviously this is only effective before the pest has arrived.

* Pick off and remove Eggs, Larvae and Caterpillars once spotted.

* Encourage natural predators.

There is also Chemical control available.

* PLEASE NOTE - Try not to confuse the Cabbage White with a different Butterfly species.

I hope you have found this interesting and helpful if any of you come across this particular pest!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
I'm back today with another Checklist, I have decided to now post these on a Monday and the Problem Area posts on a Friday, just incase you thought I'd forgotten about the Checklist yesterday!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week.

1. Dead Heading - Keep dead heading Winter Bedding such as Viola's, Pansies and Primroses to prolong flowering and to prevent plants setting seed.

2. Tulips  - Tulips need to be planted by the end of this month so if you have any bulbs waiting to be planted, now is the time to do it!

3. Dahlia's- You can choose to lift Dahlia's now or wait until they have been blackened by frost first. You can lift and store the tubers for next year by cutting down the stems to about 2-4inches then carefully digging the tubers up without damaging them. Wipe off excess soil and lower the stems to 1-2 inches then leave the tubers to dry out upside down, for a few days to rid of excess liquid in a frost free location our of direct sunlight. Over winter they can be stored in a ventilated basket or box in moistened sand in a cool, dry frost free place. 

I decided not to store my Dahlia's this year and added them to the Compost bin.

4. Variegated Shrubs - Keep checking that your variegated shrubs do not have plain coloured shoots coming through, cut them out once if you find any to keep the correct foliage.

5. Soil - Dig over vacant areas soils and rid them of any unwanted weeds and moss.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Problem Area - Plant Pests ... Aphids

Good Morning!

Welcome to my second post related to Problem Areas. 

Last week I started this off by focusing on Plant Pests that we all encounter in our gardens.

What exactly is a Plant Pest? 

A Plant Pest gains it's nutritional requirements from the host plant it feeds upon. 

There are various ways which it can gain it's sustenance but broadly speaking it either eats or sucks a plant's sap.

It's a good idea to take note of a pests life cycle as they are more vulnerable at certain stages.

APHIDS

I'm pretty sure that every gardener has encountered problems caused by Aphids.
These attack plants both outside and undercover. There are many types of Aphids which all have their preferred host plants and particular life cycles but today I am focusing on the one I find most common and encounter the most problems with them inside my Greenhouse. Green and Black aphids are the most common however you can also get them in orange, red and brown.

Photo from Google.

A LITTLE BIOLOGY 

As mentioned earlier each type of Aphid has it's own life cycle. Aphids can breed at an extremely quick rate with each Aphid being able to start breeding at just a week old. They usually spend the Summer on one host plant moving to another for the Winter and you can usually find them on young plant growth as this is what they favour.

SYMPTOMS

Aphids are sap sucking pests so any weakened or distorted growth can be a sign that a plant is undergoing an Aphid attack. This can lead to Virus Diseases being introduced to your plants as Aphids are carriers and help spread disease. Aphids are very common in nursery stock production so always check any new plants that you are considering buying for any signs of Aphids.

Photo from Google.

CONTROL

If like me you like to garden Organically there are a few things you can do -

* Check the undersides of plant foliage and if you find any, simply squash them with your fingers. You can wear gloves if your a little squeamish! 

* Encourage Natural Predators such as Ladybirds who will feed on many of the Aphids.

* Wash away the Aphids with a strong jet of water, however be careful doing this on delicate plants as you can end up blasting petals off!

* Avoid over feeding plants as this encourages soft growth with is particularly vulnerable to Aphids.

There is also Chemical control available.

I hope you have found this interesting and helpful if any of you come across this particular pest!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Well I can't believe we're into November already!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week.

1. Rhubarb - Tidy up Rhubarb plants by simply pulling away any fallen stems that are below 45degrees, they should come away easily from the base with minimum effort. If preferred you can leave them until they have totally died back. Give them a good feed with a mulch but don't cover the crowns as this may lead to rotting. This is best on plants that are 5 years old or younger. If you have older plants you can dig up the crown and divide into separate plants.

2. Seeds - If you find yourself with a rainy day, we've had them all week! Now is a good time to sort through your seed collection, throw out any seeds that are past the expiry date printed on the reverse of the packet. However I do like to get rid of any seeds that are more than 2/3 years old. If you come across a few that you don't plan on using in the future but are in good condition, why not donate to a fellow gardener or local group?

3. Winter Protection- You can provide some winter protection for insects and hedgehogs in your garden simply by making a little shelter for them. I have used a broken pot laid on it's side in a place that doesn't get disturbed too often. I then filled it with a little soil and fallen leaves. Insects and hedgehogs will find their own way in.

4. Hardy Fuchsias - Protect Hardy Fuchsias planted outside from frosts by piling a thick mulch around the base.

5. Astrantia's - Cut down any dying stems on Astrantia plants down to ground level over the coming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX