planting instructions

Transcription

1 planting instructions Spring /Summer 2014 Book 2 sarahraven.com

2 sweet pea plants contents 2 Sweet pea plants 4 Cut flower seedlings 4 Container plants Anagallis Zinnia 6 Vegetable and salad seedlings 7 How to plant tomatoes 8 Herb seedlings Sweet pea plants Sweet peas are hardy annuals. They are the best climbers for the cutting or vegetable patch, giving you arches and teepees to bring a third dimension into the garden and give you one of the extraordinary scents of the world. Planting out You want to get your sweet pea plants into the garden as soon as possible after they arrive. Pick a mild spell and plant them out. Best to unwrap them and pot them on, keeping them inside and watered whilst you wait for a frost free day. 1. Before you do, create a climbing frame (see below). 2. Dig in a barrow load of organic material around its base. Farmyard manure is good for sweet peas. It helps retain water on a freely drained soil and gently feeds these hungry plants. A traditional technique to decrease the need for watering through their flowering season is to add torn up newspaper to the base of each planting hole. 3. Water and plant them (I use a deep trowel), about 5cm away from the base of the support. 4. Surround the seedlings with slug prevention. I use a foot wide strip of washed inland sharp sand, two inches deep, all round mine. It acts as a path for picking later on and should keep the slugs at bay. 5. As the young plants begin to grow, tie them into the frame, don t leave them to flop around. Flexi-tie is ideal for this, but you can use twine. They ll grow more quickly and make stronger plants tied in regularly, once a fortnight for the first month and then more often when they start to romp away. 6. If you garden on poor soil, feed your plants with a general fertilizer every couple of weeks. Once they re in flower, it s a good idea, on any soil, to feed with a Potash-rich fertiliser to prolong flowering. At Perch Hill we try to do this every couple of weeks when the plants are flowering at full tilt. 7. Professional and serious amateur growers will tell you to pinch out all the curly stems. They take energy from the flowers, and attach themselves to flower stems and bend them into curves. It s a lot of work on the scale of a tunnel. I try to remove any I see while I pick, but I don t get bogged down. 8. Then just let them get on with it and pick, pick, pick. If you see any seedpods as you re cutting, snip these off as well. You don t want your plants forming seed or it will stop the plants producing flowers. 9. When they come to an end, you can collect some pods and seeds for sowing next year. If you have grown several different kinds, they may have cross-pollinated and you ll end up with a mixed bag, but they should all have good scent. 2

3 sweet pea plants Planting frames and systems A teepee made from silver birch, or hazel is very easy to make and looks lovely. 1. Push a circle of eight branches, each 2.5m high, into the ground, sinking them about 20cm deep, so they re securely anchored. The circle should be about one metre across. 2. Gather the uprights together with a piece of Flexi-tie or twine at the top. 3. Then in two or three horizontal layers, arranged regularly up from ground level, gather all the side twigs at that level into a bundle in your hands and twist and bind them in to a band, moving round from one upright to the next. Bind their twisty ends securely (you can finish tying them off with Flexi-tie or string). 4. If you use canes, or your branches aren t twiggy enough to make a real witches broom, add smaller sticks, or circles of string at the base. You need these to give the plants enough handholds to attach themselves to and climb Creating a sweet pea tunnel This is home-made, using hazel poles pushed into the ground down both sides of the path, with thinner sticks (willow is perfect) bent in a hoop between the two and tied with a bit of wire and twine. 1. Which ever wood you re using you need some lengths about 4-5cm thick and 2m high. These will be the uprights. For every pair of uprights, you want one thinner stick, approximately 2cm thick. This will make the hoop over the top and so needs to be one and a half times the width of your path. 2. Position the uprights in groups of four with each upright about 20-30cm from the next. Allow cm between the groups. Using a rubber hammer, sink the sticks at least 20cm into the ground so they stand straight and sturdy. The climbers benefit from a strong, robust frame. 3. Once they re all in the ground, secure the group of four uprights together with a horizontal length, nailed in or tied, one at the top of the vertical posts and another half way up. Mirror this group of four on the other side of the path. 4. Hoop the thinner sticks over to form the roof and tie these on to the uprights. This needs two people. We use Flexi-tie. 5. After you have completed each of the groups, tie in horizontal sticks 4cm thick all the way down the tunnel along the apex of the hoops. This unites the structure and strengthens it against the wind. Layering sweet peas If you want sweet peas with spectacularly long stems, perfectly straight with lots of large flowers on one stem it s a good idea to layer them but does involve tons of work. 1. Create an A frame from 2.5m straight hazel or bamboo, one stick per plant. 2. When your plants arrive, remove all but one stem growing from the base. Plant them out (as above). 3. As this one stem grows, pinch out all side branches (like with tomatoes) as they form. The energy then goes into one momentous stem, which will develop into something the width of a finger, rather than bushing out into several thinner shoots. 4. As they grow, regularly tie the stem onto an 2.5m bamboo cane. 5. When they start to flower, pick, pick, pick. 6. Once the stems reach the tops of their canes, untie them and run them along the ground, to three canes further along. Then train the tip of the plant onto that cane and continue to tie them is as they grow. This of course doubles the amount of flowers you can pick before having to pinch out the tips as they reach the top of their cane. Hazel or silver birch sticks are sold as pea sticks at good, old-fashioned garden centres. Also for local supply in your area check sarahraven.com 3

4 cur flower seedlings Cut flower seedlings These seedlings are best potted on once into a small pot (9 or 10cm) before planting into their final position. Prepare the planting spot well. You want soil with a fine tilth (or texture) which you can create with a garden rake. Add plenty of organic matter (municipal waste compost, well-rotted farmyard manure, leaf mould or home-made compost) before planting. Hardy annuals These varieties can take a few degrees of frost. Plant 30cm apart, at plug depth in the ground, in a sunny or partially shady spot. Dig planting holes deep and wide enough so that the roots are covered. Water the ground before planting and water them in well if the ground is dry. Water again, with a flood, not a sprinkle, every 5-7 days (if no rain) to encourage roots to be drawn down deep. Then you should be able to stop watering. Ammi Anchusa Borage Briza Calendula Centaurea Cerinthe Half-hardy annuals When you receive your half-hardy flower seedlings, you will need to harden them off if there is still a risk of frost. To do this, simply pot on the plugs into a 9cm pot. Leave them outside during the day in a bright and sunny spot and cover them with horticultural fleece or bring them in at night. Do this for a fortnight or so until the frosts in your area are finished. Then plant your seedlings directly into the soil, 30cm apart, at plug depth in the ground, in a sunny or partially shady spot. Follow watering regime above. Ageratum Amaranthus Antirrhinum Cleome Cosmos Didiscus Container plants When you receive your plants These seedlings are best potted on once into a small pot (9 or 10cm) before planting into their final position. When you have chosen the ideal pot for your plants, mark out the position with a plant label or empty pot to make sure you space them correctly. Remove plants from their pot and soak them for twenty minutes if they are dry. Dig planting holes deep and wide enough so that the roots are covered. Firm the soil down around each plant, and water well. We plant 5 per 40cm (16in) pot.. Anagallis monellii Fantastic deep blue and will flower all summer long. Hardy annual. a May-October. H.15-20cm S.15cm 4 Dahlia merckii Dianthus (biennial) Eschscholzia Euphorbia Helianthus Larkspur Malope Gaura Helianthus Vanilla Ice Mina lobata Nasturtium Nicotiana Rudbeckia Matthiola Nigella Orlaya Phacelia Scabious Salvia Viola Tagetes Tithonia Verbena bonariensis Zinnia

5 container plants Argyranthemum Flowers continually with the minimal of care. Tender annual. a May-November. H.30-50cm S.35cm. Cosmos growing at Perch Hill Arctotis Easy reliable plants that flower with minimal TLC. Hardy annual. a July-November. H.40cm S.30cm. Bacopa Tumbling, evergreen stems bear a mass of pure white flowers throughout summer. Half hardy annual. a June-October H.15cm S.20cm Calibrachoa The ideal splash of strong colour. You need the odd zap of these long-flowering and easy to grow. Best grown in pot/container. Half-hardy annual. a July-October. H.20-30cm S.25-50cm. Cosmos The ultimate container plant, flowering prolifically for four or five months. Half-hardy annual. a July-October. H.45-60cm S.30-40cm. Dianthus Looks fantastic planted with Hibiscus Mahogany. Feed regularly with rose or tomato fertiliser, and keep as moist as possible, although they do tolerate dry weather. When the main stem has finished flowering, pick or cut off the stem at the base of the plant, to keep it tidy and encourage repeat flowering. Hardy perennial. a June-August. H.50cm S.30cm. Euphorbia Diamond Frost or Grey Hedgehog An amazing foliage plant and fantastic value. It will keep flowering in your pots with clouds of white or acid green flowers. To edge a terrace or line some steps. A great container plant but can also be gown in the ground. Hardy annual. a May-December. H.20cm. S.30cm. Gaura My Melody or Pink Long stems of butterfly-like flowers, this is fantastic in drifts and looks wonderful in pots a white or pink ethereal cloud to edge a terrace or line some steps. Tender perennial. a June-October. H cm S.30cm. Heliotrope Particularly in the evening, it will fill its spot with perfume, so plant it by your doors and windows so the scent can drift in through the evening. Half-hardy annual. a June-October. H.45cm S.30cm. Hibiscus Mahogany Dark purple foliage plant, bushy and upright. Tender perennial. H.1-1.5m S.30cm. Ipomoea Sweetheart Light Green and Ipomoea Sweetheart Purple They look fantastic trailing out of any pot. Half-hardy annual. a June-December. Trailing S.30cm. Lavender An excellent scented perennial for the hot, sunny pots. Trim the flowers when they are over in late summer and use them to make biscuits and lavender bags. Hardy perennial. a June-August. H.90cm S.40-60cm sarahraven.com 5

6 container plants Nicotiana sylvestris Fantastic night scent. Fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Half hardy annual. Picking flowers will encourage lateral growth and prolong flowering. a June-November. H.90cm S.25cm. Osteospermum Masses of flat, daisy type flowers all summer long if dead headed. Excellent for containers or ground cover. Likes well drained soil in full sun. Hardy annual. a June-October. H.30cm S.30cm. Pentas Easy to grow and loved by butterflies, pretty pink flowers all summer. Copes well with most soils in full sun/partial shade. Tender perennial, over winter in frost free green house. a June-October H.35cm S.25cm Petunia Tumbling out of any pot, large or small, these velvety-textured flowers are irresistible. They flower for months and months with minimal care. Best grown in pot/container. Half-hardy annual. a May-October. Trailing S.20cm. Phlox Excellent and easy container plant, flowering all summer long and good for cutting too. Half-hardy annual. a May-October. H.25cm S.20-30cm. Scaveola Pretty white flowers and trailing foliage, perfect for a sunny spot in a pot or hanging basket. Free draining soil in full sun/partial shade. Hardy annual. H.30cm S.25cm Thunbergia Fantastic annual climbers, flowering hard until your first hard frost, and covered from soil to sky with open saucer blooms. Well drained but moist soil in full sun. Provide support to climb. Hardy annual. a June-October H.1.2m S.60cm Verbena Trailing verbenas are one of the best ever plants for classy containers. These ones have good mildew resistance. If you dead head them, they will give you colour from May until the frosts, or until Christmas or longer in a conservatory or greenhouse. Best grown in pots/containers. Half-hardy annual. a May-November. Trailing S.35-60cm. Zinnia A fabulous zinnia with bold flowers right through summer and autumn and great weather resistance. Half-hardy annual. a July-September. H.35cm S.30cm. Hardy annual veg and salad seedlings These seedlings can go straight into the ground, a window box or a container. They are best grown in full sun with regular watering. Allow enough space for your veg and salad to grow on: Salad seedlings Rows 30cm apart, plants 20cm apart Beans (Broad) Rows 25cm apart, plants 20cm apart Beetroot 15cm apart Chard Rows 45cm apart, plants 25cm apart Kale Rows 45cm apart, plants 50cm apart Peas Rows 23cm apart, plants 25cm apart Spring onion 15cm apart Broad Beans growing at Perch Hill 6

7 Half-hardy annual veg and salad seedlings vegetable and salad seedlings These need hardening off and should not be planted out until the frosts are over. To do this, simply pot on the plugs into a 9cm pot (or directly into the pots you are going to grow them in). Leave them outside during the day in a bright and sunny spot and cover them with horticultural fleece or bring them in at night. Do this for a fortnight or so until the frosts in your area and finished. Then plant your seedlings directly into the soil, at plug depth in the ground, in a sunny or partially shady spot. Water regularly. Beans (Borlotti) Beans (French) Beans (Runner) Chillies Courgettes Cucumber Squash Tomatoes Rows 60cm apart, plants 25cm apart. Create a wigwam of canes or an arch to climb up. Rows 20cm apart, plants 20cm apart Rows 60cm apart, plants 30cm apart create a wigwam of canes for them to climb up Plant up in 1 or 2 litre pots or plants 35-45cm apart 90cm apart Plant 1m apart if growing on the ground, or train them up trellis or canes planted in a pot. 1m apart (see specific instructions below) How to plant tomatoes In the ground in a greenhouse Prepare the ground by adding well-rotted manure or a soil-based compost like John Innes no.2 or 3 to enrich the soil. Plant 50cm apart in a ring culture pot and stake well. If no ring culture pot, plant as deeply as possible. In the soil outside It s best to wait until June to plant your tomatoes outside in a sheltered spot. Then plant as above. In a Grow Bag Plant approx. 40cm apart, ideally in ring culture pots and stake well In a pot Choose a large pot (at least 5 litres) and fill with good compost (John Innes no.2 or 3). Plant the tomato seedling in a ring culture pot placed in the top of the larger pot and stake well with a bamboo cane. Ring culture pots These are special tomato-growing pots, divided into an inner chamber for the feeding roots (which look like green fingers) and an outer, deeper chamber, which connects with the water roots, which are created more deeply in the soil. By using these pots, feeding only into the central chamber, and watering only into the outer, you direct the feed to the right roots and the water the same. This has been proven to increase yield and improve flavour (see our website, code ). We have tested these now for several years and they work very well. Aftercare Tie your tomato plants into their canes as often as you can as they grow, and pinch out the side shoots, forming between the main stem and the leaves every week or so. Any side shoot breaking directly from the main stem, not just above a leaf, is a flowering (not a side) shoot and should NOT be pinched. Water and feed your tomatoes regularly. We recommend comfrey juice or Organic Tomato Liquid Plant Food (see our website for details, code ) sarahraven.com 7

8 herb seedlings Herb seedlings Hardy annuals These seedlings can go straight into the ground, a window box or a container. They are best grown in full sun with regular watering. Parsley 30cm apart in the ground or closer in a 1 or 2 litre pot Coriander 5cm apart in the ground or closer in 2 litre pot. Half-hardy annual herbs These need hardening off and should not be planted out until the frosts are over. Follow instructions for half-hardy flowers. Basil 20cm apart in the ground or closer in a 1 or 2 litre pots Tarragon Perennials and evergreens These seedlings can go straight into the ground, a window box or a container. They are best grown in full sun with regular watering. Chamomile 30cm apart or in a 2 litre pot French Sorrel 30cm apart or in a 2 litre pot. Lemongrass 30cm apart or in a 2 litre pot. Lemon Verbena 40cm apart or in a 1 or 2 litre pot Mint 20cm apart or in a 1 or 2 litre pot, best grown in a container as can run. Tarragon 40cm apart or in a 1 or 2 litre pot Thyme 30cm apart or in a 2 litre pot. Mint Collection For more growing advice and gardening articles visit our website: sarahraven.com 1 Woodstock Court, Blenheim Road, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4AN 8