The gardening season for 2023 is in full swing and the sunshine has decided to finally join us out in our gardens too. It feels as thought the season has been a little slower getting started that the past couple of years after having a rather cold spring. But it doesn’t take much of that sun to shine before everything starts to POP in the garden and suddenly everything is bursting into life.
In our blog this month we are going to be talking about a few things we will be doing in our own gardens and allotment plots and our top tips to keep them flourishing.
Planting out pumpkins
Now is a perfect time to plant out any pumpkin and squash plants you may be growing. We know that pumpkins and squash are very hungry and thirsty plants so to ensure they are looked after properly all you are going to need is a plant pot and some of our incredible magic mulch. When planting out (see image) you want to plant a plant pot in the same holes that you plant out your seedling, this way when you water, you water directly into the hole so the water goes directly to the roots and wont then evaporate off the surface. Our other top tip is to surround the seedling with Magic Mulch and mulch your plant into its growing position, mulch helps to deter slugs, suppress weeds but most importantly helps feed your plant and retain moisture in the soil below.
Dahlias
For all those who love to grow dahlias in gardens and on allotment plots you should be starting to see some good growth on the shoots from your dahlia tubers that have been planted. This will be a perfect time to pinch out your shoots to create healthier, bushy dahlia plants with more flowers. To pinch out you want your plant to have a few sets of leaves. Find the sprout on the main stem and snip it with snips just about the top set of leaves. This will allow to new shoots to grow from either side of the main shoot you just pinched out, making the plant bushy and redirecting the energy to make more stems and leaves rather than early buds.
Tomatoes
It’s a great time to be planting out your tomatoes in their final positions. That could be outdoor or indoors inside your greenhouses or polytunnels, we have the perfect set up. Our extra deep fill 60litre Tomato & Veg Planters are great for holding 4 tomato plants at a time. Our Fruit & Veg compost is also a perfect blend to plant out tomatoes into any hanging baskets, container or pots you may be using. Don’t forget once the flowers appear on your tomato plants give them a feed once a week and pinch out any side shoots that appear in between the main stem and branches.
Plant Fuel
As your pants are starting to establish it’s important for some fruit, vegetable or flower plants to be fed regularly. If you are growing any fruit or vegetables and see them starting to flower you can start to feed them once a week. For any flowering plants that are starting to flower you can also start to feed them once a week too. Our Plant Fuel is a chemical free liquid feed with high levels of essential N:P:K 4-2-6 and bio ready nutrients and microbes that will enrich your soil and get straight to the plant roots to boost their vitality and growth.
Seed Sowing
There are lots of seeds that you can now sow directly outside now the weather is warmer. The following seeds can be sown directly outside in prepared beds and containers.
- Runner beans
- French beans
- Sweetcorn
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Courgettes
You can also sow the following things once a week- 14 days, so you get a successional harvest of salad.
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Rocket
- Spinach
If you are looking to sow flowers the following flowers can be started now, they are biennial so will produce leaves in the first year and flower in the second year.
- Foxgloves
- Wallflowers
- Pansies
- Hollyhocks
- Sweet William
- Honesty
Happy gardening
RocketGro Team
