As we approach another gardening season, Noah Chase of Deelish Garden Centre in Skibbereen addresses some commonly asked questions by visitors to his garden centre.
Do you have British Queen seed potatoes? Up until a few weeks ago, we were being asked this daily, and the answer is ‘yes’, along with 25 other varieties. Traditionally gardeners would plant on St. Patrick’s day but depending on the weather, many gardeners are now planting in early April or even later. If you are lucky enough to be able to grow in a poly tunnel or glasshouse you can grow potatoes any time of year.
Is it too late to prune roses? No, it’s not too late. As a rule of thumb, at the end of Winter they can be pruned back quite hard, to an outward-facing bud, and in doing this, it will encourage your plants to be bushy, healthy plants. If you have a climbing or rambling rose, it is best not to cut back the thick main stem unless there are multiple stems, in which case prune back up to one-third of the oldest, woody-looking stems. For shrub and bush roses, cut back about one-third to one-half of their height and any old woody stems back to ground level. Early spring is also an excellent time to feed an organic-based horse manure fertiliser such as a top dress with GeeUp organic mulch. Liquid feeds such as Uncle Tom’s Rose tonic can be added later in the season.
How do I get rid of moss in my lawn? After a long, wet winter with little or no mowing, gardeners often notice that their once-perfect lawn is now starting to show signs of moss. The underlying reasons for this is usually lack of drainage, less mowing and acidic soil. The first issue here can take lots of work in the form of installing proper drainage to the lawn but using a garden fork really helps with aeration of the soil, which can become compacted and waterlogged after the winter. We have mostly acidic soil here in West Cork, which moss will thrive on, along with rushes, which are another indicator of water-logging and acidic soil. An application of granular lime with added magnesium once in early Spring and once in Autumn will work wonders in reducing moss and encouraging a ‘sweet’ rich green lawn, as well as making your soil less acidic.
By far the best product I have found for killing Moss in lawns, as well as feeding your lawn is a granular product called Mo Bacter, which is endorsed by the RHS and actually has a bacteria in it, which digests the dead moss and feeds it back to the lawn, meaning no need to scarify after application. However if the moss and thatch (dead grass) is really bad, I would advise renting a good scarifying machine or a serious raking session before applying Mo Bacter.
Is it too late to plant bare root plants? The old saying goes that any month with an ‘R’ in it is fine to plant bare root. However, we don’t have many bare root trees and shrubs in September or October, in fact we are not usually fully stocked until late November. In my opinion planting in April is too late, as most trees and shrubs will be in leaf by this stage and have little time to establish a strong root system, which is essential for healthy growth, especially if an extended dry spell of weather occurs in later months (I know, unlikely in West Cork!).
If you do plant late in the season, it is essential to keep plants watered during dry spells to stop them drying out. So if you want the best selection of plants and longest time for healthy roots to grow, my advice is to plant as early as possible during the bare root season up until March depending on the weather that year.
How can I get rid of weeds in my driveway or pathways? If you are not planning on growing anything on the surface where you are trying to get rid of the weeds, we find coarse salt the best option for weeds. As well as killing any weeds (even ones with deep tap roots), the salt that builds up after a few applications will stop seedlings coming back, just like you can see along roads that are regularly salted.
Another great way of getting rid of weeds along your driveway is boiling water, straight from the kettle or when you are draining cooked food. We do not recommend using salt on soil, as it stops all plants growing and harms the soil microbes. We also recommend extra strong 20 per cent Acetic Acid (White Vinegar) or our natural Pelargonic concentrate diluted with water and used as a spray on the surface of most weeds as a natural weed control without the use of harmful synthetic chemicals.
Do I need to feed this plant? If you look carefully at the compost most trees and shrubs come in, you are likely to see tiny round yellow or brown balls that some people mistake for slug eggs! These are in fact a slow-release fertiliser that will help your plants thrive. If the plant is deciduous (loses its leaves for the Winter) or perennial (usually hides below ground for Winter), I would advise adding some organic nitrogen rich feed in early Spring to the surface of plants already in the ground and at the base of the hole for plants about to be planted. There are also feeds with trace elements such as seaweed mixed with chicken pellets (an excellent one we stock is called Fast Grow) that help plants grow, stay healthy and produce beautiful flowers and/or extra tasty fruit and vegetables. In Winter months adding wood ash (potassium) and bone meal (nitrogen and phosphorus) will help establish strong roots and flower buds for the coming season. Of course there are many other options when it comes to feeding your plants such as liquid feeds, which will reach the plant much quicker than solid feeds but will not last as long. If plants are deficient in certain nutrients, such as iron, ericaceous plants may develop yellowing leaves. A helpful slow-release iron supplement for these plants is placing a handful of rusty nails at their base. But in general most plants will benefit from feeding!
At Deelish, we not only answer plenty of customer questions but also ask a few ourselves! One of the most common is about where they plan to plant. The reason is simple—it helps us select the best plant for that specific spot. This is essential to us, as we take pride in ensuring our customers’ plants have the best chance to thrive. For over 40 years, we’ve been helping gardeners choose the perfect plants for their spaces.
Surprisingly, when we ask, Does it get a lot of light? Is it windy? Is the soil well-drained? many gardeners aren’t sure! Other helpful clues come from observing what’s already growing successfully in the garden or what neighbours are planting. We also encourage customers to take photos of the intended planting area, as these images give us a much clearer idea of the conditions and help us recommend plants that will truly flourish.
I hope some of these questions have you looking forward to another exciting season in the garden and remember, gardening doesn’t have to cost the earth!
