Johnnie Amos and his handy gardening tips!
Begin the gardening year with clean and sharpened tools, a disinfected
greenhouse, cold frame, pots and containers will get you off to a good start.
Keep a watchful eye
As the days get warmer this is a sure time to observe both your houseplants and overwintering plants in the greenhouse. The new soft green growth is the perfect tonic for
aphids a spider mite. Spray aphids with Pravoado ultimate bug killer or other preparatory
sprays. To keep Red spider mite at bay, - spray with water under the leaves on mild days to
deter these little pests.
Another fungus called botrytis can be kept in check by simply keeping your greenhouse well
ventilated. On dry sunny days open the vents and door. If you see the grey mould on any
young plants then remove them right away.
Remember to water
After several months of frost your pots and containers including hanging baskets filled with
winter and spring plants and bulbs may need watering. Much moisture will have leached out
of the compost by the cold drying winds. If you do not replace the moisture soon your
plants are in danger of dying, this is especially important for any trees and shrubs in pots.
Most of your winter crops will be coming to an end so pick any of the remaining crops and
clear the bed. Roots can be stored in moist sand in a box. Cover the bed with well-rotted
manure or compost and cover with black plastic. This will warm the bed, giving you new
season crops three weeks earlier than if you didn’t cover the bed. The plastic also stops the
nutrients being washed away before the young plants can make use of them.
Some vegetables that can now be sown under cover are: Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage,
calebrese, cauliflower, leeks, peas, radishes, shallots, spinach and turnips.
Wildlife to the rescue
By bringing wildlife into your garden you will have friends doing much of the work for you
keeping unwanted pests at bay. Hotels made of short sections of bamboo are a welcome
home for hoverflies, bees and ladybirds.
A log pile with twigs and leaves is a welcome haven for hedgehogs – by encouraging them
into our gardens you have a perfect means of keeping down the slug and snail population.
Choosing your potatoes wisely
Chit your first early potatoes. Place rose end up –let the new shoots grow to 15mm (1/2
inch) this will give your potatoes a head start, plant in pots and place in the greenhouse for
an early crop.
Here are some I’ve chosen for their taste and disease resistance which I hope you will enjoy:
For mashed potato plant Epicure, for salad potatoes plant Duke of York, for roasties try
Swift. Chips are best with Sharpes express and finally the best boiled potatoes plant Rocket.
Potato blight is like the Grim Reaper – you may or may not be visited – if you’ve lost your
crops in the past- then there are two good varieties that are resistant to blight, Sarpo Mira
which is great for roasting, baking, chips and wedges and Axona, a great potato for mashing.
‘Remember you can join Helen & me for the Garden Show at BBC Radio
Northampton - 9am every Sunday Morning!’
If you are interested in learning more about your favourite plants, then why not join one of
the many garden societies that we have in the county. The Gardening & Flower societies
clubs and associations will welcome you with open arms.
The Addingtons Horticultural Society - Meet on March 5th Jane Barnes is the speaker on a
subject entitled ‘Tales from a Farmers wife’ It’s a very friendly club Held at Great Addington
Village Hall at 7.45: Open meeting guests very welcome (Visitors £2 . includes
coffee/biscuits) New Members welcome £8 per year. For further details, call 01933 625855
and… it was a brilliant summer fuchsias in 2013… so if you want to learn more about these
wonderful blousy plants…
The Northants and District Fuchsias Society has meeting tomorrow March 2nd A visit is
organised to ‘Jacksons and on March 4th Chris Woolston ia speaking on ‘How to bring your
Fuchsias out of Hibernation’ There is a Care and Culture evening –with issue of newsletter.
Fur further information please visit http://ndfs.btck.co.uk/
Wellingborough Horticultural Society meet for the first of this years meetings on March
20th at 7.30 pm. It’s the AGM/Spring Show & Plant Exchange followed by John Gibson
speaking on ‘Tulip Time’. Salem Hall, Salem Lane, Wellingborough. www.wellingboroughgardeners.com
The Hardy Plants Society
Meet on 5th October Roger Turner entitled ‘Late season Perennials’ as usual at 2pm at
Moulton Village Hall. The next meeting is on Saturday 7th June 2014 at 2pm “Pictures from a
library garden” Brian Ellis. For further information please contact Jan Craig on 01604
740401/Peter Ryder on 01604 01903 279003. Membership enquiries contact Linda Guy on
01908 673440. http://www.hardy-plant.org.uk/groups/northampton/programme.php
Moulton & District Gardeners Society meet on the 4th Wednesday of the month at Moulton
Village Hall at 7.30pm, excluding June, Aug and Dec. For a full listing of events check the Village
Events page here http://moultonparishcouncil.org.uk/index.html Annual Membership
£10.00, Non Members £3.00 per evening. For further information please contact Chairman
Mick Craddock on 01604 492277, General Secretary Joan Gardner or Outings Secretary
Sarah Bedding on 01604 645875.
Kettering and district Fuchsia Society meet again in January, Subject & speaker TBA. They
meet at Midland Bank Club at 7.30, for further info please see website
http://www.thebfs.org.uk/index.asp
Plant Heritage – Meet on March 3rd . Its their AGM followed by a talk from Susie PasleyTyler entitled ‘Mixed boarders’
‘Held at the School for Boys , Billing Road. 7.30.pm
Daventry & District Flower Club meet on 27th March with demonstrator Philip Statner from
Cottesbrooke Hall entitled ‘Time for Tea’ Held at The Abbey Centre Market Square,
Daventry 7.30, all meetings are the 4th Thursday at 7.30pm. For further details please
contact Area Secretary Jan Oldfieldon 0121 705 7670 or by email at
[email protected]
The Weston Favell Garden Society - The Northampton Group meets at Weston Favell
Parish Hall on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm (excluding April and August) For
further details please see website
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/groups/Northampton/home
The Rose of the Shire Club meet at Kingsthorpe Baptist Church Hall near Waitrose. For
further details please contact Area Secretary Jan Oldfieldon 0121 705 7670 or by email at
[email protected]
For Flower enthusiasts….
Wellingborough Flower Arrangement Society Meet at St Marys Church Hall Wellingborough at 7.30pm St Mary’s Church Hall is on the
corner of Knox Road and Elsden Road. For further details please see website
http://www.southmidlandsnafas.org.uk/wellingborough.html Chairman is Angela Sharpe on
01933 222326, Secretary is Jill Pinnock on 01604 870275.
The Bugbrooke & District Flower Society meet at 7.45pm at Nether Heyford Village Hall.
For further details please see website
http://www.southmidlandsnafas.org.uk/bugbrooke.html President is Mrs Maureen Wright
on 01327 340789, Chairman is Simone Squire on 01327 342167, Secretary is Christine Watts
on 01327 340041 or email [email protected]
Coton Manor, near Guilsbourough - Coton Manor, Coton, Northamptonshire, NN6 8RQ. Tel.
01604 740219, opening times Tuesday 1st April to Sat 27th September, Also Bank Holiday
Weekends (Sat, Sun, Mon) and Sundays in April and May 12 noon - 5.30pm (last admission
4.45pm).
The British Cactus and succulent society : For further details please see website
http://www.bcss.org.uk
A message to the Gardening Society’s, Clubs and Associations to send me
their 2014 programmes –and I will be able to give out your events as usual.
This is Johnnie Amos on the Kevin Saddington show –wishing you a
great gardening week ahead!