Catch up with your garden ‘must do’ tasks!
Posted:1 April 2013
This cold spell has thrown us a bit spring has been delayed, and it’s really been too cold to venture out and do much in the garden. But it’s all going to catch up with us as soon as the weather warms up, so be prepared and aim to do one small task each day.
If you’ve been checking our Today I Must…posts, you’ll have noted to watch for late frosts, and picked up on the following:
- Sow basil under the protection of glass at a minimum temperature of 13 degrees C (55 degrees F). Prick out into a tray and slowly harden off. Plant out when all risk of frost has passed.
- Early potatoes can be risked outside now. Plant them about six inches deep but be prepared to cover the area with fleece or other suitable material if there is danger of frost.
- If you grow dogwood (Cornus) and willow (Salix) for the colour of their stems, cut them back hard now. This will promote strong new growth and coloured stems that will be attractive next winter.
- Sow alpine strawberries under glass, to be planted out in the garden in May where the plant makes an attractive border plant as well as producing fruit. Runners of ordinary strawberry plants can be planted out.
- Once they have finished flowering, prune shrubs such as forsythia, kerria, Chimonanthus praecox (main photo) and broom to give them maximum time to grow before next spring. These shrubs flower on the previous year’s growth.
- Hardy herbs such as parsley, fennel, chives and coriander can be sown outside. Sow them in drills, as for vegetables, and place in their final destination once large enough to handle.
- Half-hardy annual seedlings that were pricked out last month should now be strong enough to move to a cold frame. Cover the frame with sacking or other material if frost is forecast.
- Deadhead spent daffodil flowers to prevent the plant’s energy going into making seed rather than building up the bulb. Don’t remove the leaves as these help them store energy.
- Take any remaining hyacinth bulbs from inside the house and plant them outside, giving them a good feed to help them develop for next year.
And don’t forget that wildlife needs our help too – keep checking your birdbath is not frozen over and has fresh water, and keep putting out suitable food. Check on RHS website for more advice.