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News - Page 108

Slugs and snails are back in top spot as the most-hated pest

Slugs and snails are back in top spot as the most-hated pest for gardeners, after a year of playing second fiddle to box tree moth. The slimy critters topped the annual RHS poll of the most asked-about pests and diseases, based on enquiries they received at their Gardening Advice Service.

Slugs and Snails 

Honey fungus was named most troublesome plant disease for the 21st year running, with RHS scientists identifying...

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It’s the perfect time to lay new lawns right now

It’s the perfect time to lay new lawns right now as the soil starts to warm up and new grass bursts into growth. Whether you choose seed mix or turf, select a mix which is suitable for the site. Think about the amount of light reaching the area, and how much wear it is likely to get, as well as the look you want to achieve. You’ll find specialist turf and seed grass mixes to suit your requirements in our garden centre here in Pickering, including lawn mixes for shad...

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Plant your new potatoes now

Plant your new potatoes now and you’ll give yourself the best chance of an early harvest. Timing your planting is a bit of a lottery as there’s always the chance of a late frost, but you can usually risk it by late March. Just in case, keep some horticultural fleece handy (you’ll find fleece at our garden centre here in Pickering) and throw a couple of layers over emerging foliage to protect it if the temperature drops.

 Plant your tubers with the “rose...

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Sow beetroot for delicious early crops within a few weeks’ time

Sow beetroot for delicious early crops within a few weeks’ time. Beetroot are among the quickest and easiest of veg to get going in spring, and are just as happy in a roomy container as in the ground.

Sow Beetroot

Varieties include traditional purple ‘Boltardy’ and unusual striped heritage variety ‘Chioggia’, but there are lots more, including golden ones which don’t ‘bleed’: browse the seed racks here at the garden centre in Pickeri...

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Plant Asiatic lilies now

Plant Asiatic lilies now for a fabulously exotic display later this summer. Asiatic lilies are among the easiest lilies to grow, and certainly the most spectacular. They tend to flower a little earlier than other lilies and include brilliantly coloured varieties in shades of copper, pink, deepest purple and pure white. For even more wow factor there are also two-tone and double types. Come over to the garden centre in Pickering and browse through ou...

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Join in the fun for Garden Re-Leaf Day and raise money for charity!

Join in the fun for Garden Re-Leaf Day and raise money for charity! There's got loads going on at garden centres across the UK to mark this annual fundraiser – Show your support for Greenfingers.

This will be the sixth year for Garden Re-Leaf, held each March in aid of the Greenfingers Charity, which builds gardens for children in hospices and their families. So far they’ve created 51 magical outdoor spaces for patients to enjoy, with a further 15 promised th...

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Clear green manure crops

Clear green manure crops planted last autumn to cover soil over winter, like winter tares, field beans, or winter rye. These useful cover crops are invaluable in the veg garden, where they break up heavy soil and add nutrients to benefit your veg throughout the season.

Useful cover crops

About four weeks before you need the area for growing, get to work clearing them away to make room for your veg. Shear off the top growth close to the ground, and ca...

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Plant gladioli corms in containers

Plant gladioli corms in containers to grow on under cover in a cool greenhouse or conservatory for the earliest possible displays of showy blooms this summer.

Gladioli

lads are bang on trend right now, with seductive new varieties in shades of deepest purple, magenta pink or pure white to choose from. Growing them in containers is ideal if you have a patio to fill, or if your soil is on the heavy side, as they prefer drier, free-draining conditions.<...

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What to do in the garden in March

March is such an exciting month! There are seeds to sow, new plants to choose, and spring to enjoy. Here are a few of the jobs you can get on with this month:

General tasks:

  • Get flower beds ready for the year ahead by scattering general fertiliser between plants and mulching with well-rotted manure or soil improver.
  • Treat lawns for moss by applying moss killer, available from our garden centre here in Pickering.
  • Wait a few wee...
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March - HTA Plant of the moment - Spring has sprung with perfect primulas

Plant a rainbow of colour to welcome in spring by packing patio pots and filling flower beds with primulas and polyanthus. These cheerful bedding plants offer great value, flowering their hearts out for weeks on end to brighten your outlook on even the dullest of days.

New varieties are continually being bred offering outstanding garden performance, larger flowers and better resistance to the vagaries of our weather. Although single-coloured flowers are alway...

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