Cacti and Tigernuts

 Cacti and succulents go outside

My tigernuts have germinated…Yay!  I’d almost given up on the sedge grass sprouting but the sunny weather and heat has prompted them into life.  

I’m still not sure what to do with them as they can be invasive so I’ll probably put them in large pots for now and wait for the sweet, juicy corms to mature so I can have them as a snack. If I keep them in containers they hopefully won’t end up like the perennial nasturtiums and join the long list of plants that try to take over the garden. 

The warm weather has also prompted the salad crops into life. Lettuce is ready for picking and we’ve been eating the green shallot leaves for a while now and they really liven up a salad and enhance a stew. 

As the chance of frost has gone I have put the potted succulents and cacti outside. They have been on a sunny windowsill in the house all winter and spring and are starting to find life a little bit too easy as some of them are getting a bit spindly. Without the regular hardships the natural world has to offer such as wind and rain they don’t toughen up. I like the plants to show their battle scars as it adds to their personality so after a month or two outside they should toughen up and be more like the types of plants you see growing in Mediterranean climates. 

Being open to the elements will also help them fight off pests and disease as their skins will be tougher. I’ve a free draining soil in the pots so they shouldn’t get waterlogged. I’ll just have to remember to bring them in before the first frosts.

Jobs to Do in June

As I mentioned, the chance of frost will have now hopefully passed, and young bedding plants that has been grown on under protection during spring can be planted outdoors ready for those beautiful displays, or into summer hanging baskets and containers.

When using containers or hanging baskets remember not to fill them right up to the top with compost but leave a small gap so that when watering it will soak in and not run over the edges. I have tried the upturned plastic bottle method of watering but still find a good soaking for ages with a hose will do the job. If they do dry out put them into a large bucket of water and let them soak up the water. You’ll know it’s full when it sinks!

It will also prove very beneficial to give your potted plants a weekly/monthly liquid feed to improve growth and flowering. I was going to make my own comfrey/nettle mix but settled for an organic feed discounted to 1 euro in the local garden centre. It’s far less smelly.

When planting out debud/deflower the plants as this will encourage them to grow a better root system and produce the required flowers. I am taking cuttings of creeping thyme this week and to ensure the cuttings root I have had to nip out all of the flowers from the end of the stems to redirect the energy into the root development. This also helps the young plants thicken out as just one stem looks a bit weak.

A number of young plants would also benefit by having their shoot tips pinched out which encourages branching. Most bedding plants can have their tips taken out and ones such as begonias and busy lizzies and petunias root easily, even in a glass of water in the windowsill.

By pinching out the shoot tips bushier plants develop along with more stems leading to more flowers.  I made the decision to nip all the tops from my catnip the other week and the results – although drastic at the time- have really paid off as the plugs are multi-stemmed, thick and bushy. The local cats should have a great time rolling around in them when they get a bit bigger.

In the Veggie Garden

Hopefully the weeds are under control in the veggie garden. If not, ignore the suggestions below and get weeding. If you have clear areas ready for planting then read on….

Plant out greenhouse raised brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, marrows, runner and french beans.

Beetroot, carrots and lettuce sowing can be continued.

Remember smaller crops will be produced when over-crowded sowings are made, any unwanted seedlings can be carefully removed and in the case of salad crops, eaten.