PICK TOMATO PLANTS
If you have already sown tomato seeds, they can be germinated by now and be ready to punch. This is the process of moving the seedling into its own container to grow.
You know they are ready when they have a couple of leaves and are big enough to handle. Be sure to hold your seedling by the leaves, because touching the stem can burn it.
Before planting, prepare the container in which you are going to move – ideally a 9 cm pot – filling it with a general compost without peat and tamping the surface.
Then, carefully holding the leaves, use a small wooden or plastic dibber to shake the roots of the seedling without damaging them.
Make a hole with the dibber in the compost of the new pot, then gently lower your seedling into it and stop the growing medium around it.
Water using a can with a fake attachment and put your new seedling in a pot in a bright place with a temperature of at least 16C.
When the first flower buds appear in a few weeks, your tomato plant will be ready to move to its final growing position.
FAMILY FUN
sunflower (Helianthus annuus) are easy to grow and make a fun project to do with the kids.
The seeds are best sown in April or May in individual pots filled with peat-free compost.
Plant a seed in a pot and water it well, then leave it in a warm and sunny place to germinate.
Have fun trying different varieties, from the huge Giant Russian to the Russian tones Desire Red or pale Lemon Queen.
GROUND POTATOES
The soil is the process of drawing the soil around the potato plants as they grow to protect the shoots from late frost damage and ensure that the tubers are not exposed to light.
When the potatoes reach about 23 cm in height, pull the soil around them leaving about 10 cm above the surface. Repeat this process several times until the ridge is 20-30 cm high.
If growing in containers, add extra compost until the surface is just below the rim of the pot.
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
The bleeding heart plant is a spring-flowering perennial herb that gets its name from its distinctive arching stems that bear a dozen or so small pink heart-shaped flowers, each with a white “drop” emerging from the bottom .
Native to China and Korea, it has only been cultivated in Europe for the past 200 years.
Formerly known as dicentra, it prefers alkaline or neutral soil in a sheltered location, in partial shade or dappled sunlight.
It is also available in pure white and yellow varieties. It dies back in the fall, but is resistant and reappears the following spring.
THE READER’S QUESTION
Should we remove aconitum from our garden?
Peter Boyle, Lymington, Hants.
Aconitum, or monks as it is commonly known, is a beautiful but toxic perennial.
Also known as wolfsbane, it gets its name from its distinctive purple flowers that look like little monk’s caps.
If you have curious children or pets who are frequent visitors in your garden, then it is probably a good idea to dig up and dispose of the waste safely, as all parts of the plant are very poisonous if ingested
Cover your arms and wear gloves while handling, as toxins can penetrate the skin.
