National Conifer Week 2012

Take your eye off of them for just a season and specialist equipment might be needed.

I answered a classified ad on a local buy and sell website this week.  The ad was in the FREE section, and the person was looking for someone with a chainsaw to take away some trees.  It was worded as ‘FREE FIREWOOD’, which sounded good to me as we have a fire to keep going and my mother in law has two wood burning stoves to feed throughout the winter, so the more wood we can get the better.  As the garden was very local I took no time in getting there, with freebies it’s the early bird...

I needn’t have rushed though as the wood in question was on loads of multi stemmed conifers, still uncut and reaching 30-40 feet into the air.  I only have a small chainsaw and don’t have a trailer let alone a towbar on the car, so felt totally inadequate for the job.  I like to keep things tidy so even if I wasn’t getting paid I would still like to leave the place tidier than when I found it, so would feel compelled to take away all of the greenery, and there was plenty of it! I would have needed about twenty skips to clear the soft branches that would be no good for burning, even before I got to the trunks.  I asked the woman how the garden came to be so overgrown and she told me that she had planted all of the conifers (about 30 of them) in her garden and took her eye off them for a few years. This was the result.  The lady took me to a place where a hidden arbour was, totally covered by conifers, her patio, again swamped by them. I can only guess the damage they have done to the walls and driveway.  

This might be a bit of an extreme but I do know of a lot of people who are haunted by leylandii cutting every year, take your eye off them for a season and you have a mammoth clearing task on your hands. 

Garden retailers are not giving up though and still see the conifer as a must have for pots and containers at least, even if we are not prepared to let them lose in the garden.

Growing Conifers in the garden

To boost conifer sales, retailers have been getting involved in the National Conifer Week. The objective of this event, organised by the British Conifer Group (BCG) and supported by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), is to provide support for retailers to encourage their customers to see the many benefits of growing conifers in the garden.

Nearly a third of us have a conifer in the garden according to a recent survey.  It’s be interesting to see the amount of people who wished they never planted them in the garden in the first place as some types can grow up to 3 feet each growing season.

New Varieties to the market:

Even if conifers are advertised as being ‘dwarf’, keep a close eye on them!

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pearly Swirls’,

Juniperus squamata ‘Hulsdonk Yellow’

and Juniperus squamata ‘Tropical Blue’.

These three offer vibrant colour to a garden in blues, greens, golds, greys and bronzes to brighten up those autumn and winter months.

Here are a few old favourites, ideal for the small garden

• Taxus baccata ‘Standishii’,

• Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’

• Picea glauca ‘J.W. Daisy’s White’

• Picea pungens ‘Globosa’

• Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Aurea’.

Irish Stockist

Future Forests based in County Cork have a wide choice of both potted and bare rooted conifers. Bare rooted conifers will be in stock from November.

• 3'x3'      Cryptomeria jap. 'Tilford Gold' . Dwarf bush, bronzed in winter
• 8'x3'      Thuja occ 'Brabant'. Neat cone, bronze in winter
• 5'x3'      Chamaecyparis laws. 'Yvonne'. Yellow /gold, cone shaped
• 2'x2'      Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Gracilis. Very dwarf, green shell shaped foliage
• 8'x6'      Korean Fir (Abies koreana). Good shape and doesn't get too tall                              

      Purple cones on even a young tree

• 5'x3'      Juniper communis Common Juniper. Strong bush, prickly, berries for gin                                              Native, likes lime
• 3'x3'      Juniper squa. 'Holger'. New shoots tipped creamy yellow

If you can’t find what you are looking for locally then Future Forests is also offering any 5 Junipers in 9cm for 15 euro.

New Book

The RHS has recently published a giant, two-volume Encyclopedia of Conifers, co-authored by Derek Spicer, which covers all of the world’s 615 conifer species plus 8,000 cultivars. An ideal book for the conifer collector, the encyclopedia features over 5,000 fantastic photos and provides an essential reference tool.

Be Warned

As part of the ‘Plan it, Plant it this Autumn' campaign, conifers can offer a way to add something new and interesting to the garden at has become a quieter time in the trade. Being hardy, easy to care for and long-lasting, conifers are the ideal choice for the marginal gardener looking for a low maintenance but high impact plant.

Be warned though, what looks cute and unobtrusive now could reach 40’ in height and have a spread of more than 25 feet!

There's No Substitute

Strimmer Dilemma

The grass has been neglected for the best part of the summer and needed cutting.  It’s not because I like it tidy; it’s more that we were losing the ability to see dog mess- and garden tools. So I ventured out on this sunny autumn morning to tackle it with my trusty strimmer.  It’s not a large area of green, so it wasn’t going to take me too long and I could get back to other outdoor pursuits like chopping wood and cutting back the brambles. 

It took only a minute to strap on my harness, fill the tank with the petrol and oil mix, and pull the rip cord, kicking the two stroke engine into life.  Not bad seeing as the machine has been sitting in the garage all summer.  There were two chewed up pieces of strimmer cord attached to the head, which were left over from the last outing so I needed to replace these as the engine warmed up.  The head I have on the strimmer uses two six inch pieces of cut plastic cord, which needs to be pushed into the sides and kept in place by serrated discs. It sounds a bit complicated but it’s the same as giving my dog a ball then trying to take it out of its mouth.  You just can’t.  I searched around the garage and could only find three pieces of cord, which is about 30 pieces less than I need to tackle the grass, but I carried on regardless.  

Make it last

I used the first two really quickly, sometimes you can be lucky and the cord lasts a good while, but if it hits concrete of a bit of steel netting it snaps straight away.  I was left with just one bit of cord and seeing as I took the time and trouble to put on the safety clothing, goggles and boots, I wasn’t going to give up easily. And as I only had a small area to do I didn’t think it was necessary to get changed and go to the shop to buy some. I had to find an alternative

Looking around the garage I spotted a few things that I thought might double up as an alternative to the plastic cord.  I eliminated things like nails and metal coat hangers cut to size as these could prove fatal to me or anyone nearby if they dislodged from the heads as they spin around at 5000 rev per minute.  I even dismissed using cut pieces of brake cables from my lad’s bike. I would need to replace those and that would be more expensive than going to the hardware shop and buying new cord, defeating the objective of me making do and mending.

Make do and Mend, if it’s safe

I did find a couple of things that I thought would work.  I had some cable ties, yes good old cable ties, only second to Duck Tape as being the ‘Fix it’ thing you can’t live without in the home.  These didn’t work, after a few seconds attacking a clump of tough grass they just disintegrated.  I then tried stripping some heavy duty electrical cable and using the grey plastic bit that holds the three wires together.  This soon snapped and flew into the neighbour’s garden, the wire from the cable was next and those are still embedded in the fence, it was stiffer than I thought.

There was nothing else for it, after an hour of rummaging around trying to find something that could withstand the rigours of rough tufts of grass I resorted to the one piece of cord I had left in my pocket. I pushed it into the head and gingerly started to slice through the grass. I was so careful in keeping the revs down and making sure that I didn’t hit anything solid.  After ten minutes I achieved the impossible. What would normally have taken 30 pieces of cord I did with just the one six inch piece. It just goes to show what can be achieved with a bit of patience. 

 I missed something though.  I didn’t bother taking down the clean washing that was hanging up on the line.  I also wasn’t as thorough as I thought picking up the dog mess and unfortunately large blobs of it was sent at high velocity all over the clean towels.  Another load of boil washing to do in the washing machine then its back into the garage for the strimmer until next year. I might remember to buy some cord before then. I have found out at my cost that there is no substitute for the real thing.

Planning for Winter

The missed beans will be planted out next year.

Our vegetable patch is looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment.  Like most years the runner beans seem to just shrivel up in the cold wind and those that I missed have produced the most lovely beans which I might keep over to plant out next year.  The courgettes have turned to liquid goo ready for the slugs and snails to suck up.  The peas that we didn’t see to harvest have turned into bullets and the mange tout are so stringy you could make rope out of the fibre, the dog is enjoying them though.  There are some vegetables that are only just starting to come into their own and will hopefully see the winter out and be the first crops we will be harvesting in early spring.  We haven’t got a lot to overwinter as this is our first year of growing in the new place, but out of them all its broccoli that come out on top for me because harvesting it indicates the start of a new growing year. I like the taste too.

Most vegetable gardens can accommodate winter crops and a bit of planning now will mean more self sufficiency in spring. Some vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, take up a lot of space for a long time but are still well-worth the investment. 

Planting

Choose an open site with free-draining soil as the winters can waterlog even the driest spots. Mulch or lightly cultivate prior to sowing or planting and enriched with organic material.

Our dog is enjoying the stringy mange tout more than me.

You could also try planting a few veggies in containers; less greedy feeders will do well. Planting potatoes in late summer should get you a basket full for the Christmas dinner. If a greenhouse or polytunnel is available, it can be used to over-winter some crops and start others off early. However, heating greenhouses for year round harvests is rarely efficient. I remember the staff at the Organic Centre in Rossinver telling me that a polythene tunnel will grow all year round without the need for heat; it’s just picking the right plants to grow that is important. It’s probably more important for commercial growers to do this; I like the idea of giving the soil a bit of a rest sometimes.  

What to grow for winter

 Good disease resistant crops could be broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, kale, leeks and parsnips These are all hardy vegetables and will stand through the winter. Leafy crops such as chard, parsley and rocket should also over-winter with a little protection. Other crops such as carrots, onions, turnips and winter squash can also be grown to enjoy in winter if stored , which is an art in itself.

When to sow vegetables for winter harvests

Spring and summer

Sow hardy winter vegetables such as sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, winter cabbage and leeks in late spring or early summer as they take several months to reach maturity. They stand well through frosty weather and can be harvested throughout the winter months.

Sow leafy crops such as chard, chicory and parsley in early summer for autumn harvests that can last into winter if they are provided with some fleece or cloche protection.

Late summer and autumn

Sow corn salad, land cress and oriental salad leaves such as komatsuna, mibuna, mizuna, mustard and rocket. These will provide cut-and-come-again leaves through the autumn, and winter if covered with a cloche, coldframe or fleece. It’s also a good time to be sowing green manures such as clover or rye..  They are not edible crops but useful for fixing nitrogen for next year and help to stop soil erosion

Growing tips for a Winter Harvest

It takes a little planning to have enough vegetables for winter and I haven’t managed it in 30 years!  We don’t give up though..I have enlisted the help of the RHS for some tips and advice.

·         Sow brassicas and leeks into a seedbed outside or into seed trays, cell trays or pots indoors

·         Sow parsnips direct into the ground and be aware they may take several weeks to germinate

·         Harden off seedlings raised in the greenhouse thoroughly before planting them outside

·         Transplant seedlings to their final positions when they have formed small, sturdy plants with two or four pairs of true leaves (in the case of leeks, when they are pencil thick)

·         Sow salad plants direct into the ground in summer in shallow drills that have been watered prior to sowing

·         In summer, use space wisely by sowing or transplanting seedlings into ground vacated by early crops, such as broad beans or early potatoes

·         Keep plants well-watered

·         Hoe between rows regularly to keep them free of weeds

·         Cover salads and leafy plants with cloches for protection before the frosts

Problems

As with any vegetable growing, there are a number of things that can go wrong, and I should know!

·         Some leafy crops are prone to bolting if they experience stress

·         Cabbages will need protection from caterpillars

·         Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbages are prone to club root

·         Flea beetles are a common problem on oriental salad leaves

·         Winter vegetables are often attacked by pigeons and will need the protection of netting from autumn onwards

·         Slugs and snails are a major pest of seedlings and leafy crops

·         Poor quality Brussels sprouts can be due to a range of cultivation problems

·         Root vegetables are prone to splitting when heavy rains follow drought

·         Cabbage whitefly can infest all brassicas, but may be tolerated or treated with a range of sprays.

You might be tempted to think that it’d be easier to go to the shops (or the growing array of local organic market stalls setting up around the peninsula... You’d be right!

But it’s not all about being easy is it?