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.
