• Many of the bulbs will have finished flowering by now and begin to look untidy, do not be in a hurry to cut back the foliage although it is wise to pinch off the dead flowers to prevent seed forming.
• The dying stems and foliage help build up the bulbs for next year, so it is most important that the foliage be left for about six weeks after flowering to die down naturally. 
• Top dress with a handful of bone meal this will also help the bulb to swell and become a storehouse for nutrients for the next flowering season.
• Now the soil is warming up and things are starting to grow, add general purpose fertiliser before covering with mulch especially in borders, the fruit and vegetable patch and containers. Only mulch if the soil is moist.
• Spray roses with fungicide to ward against black spot and mildew. Repeat every fortnight until the autumn. Remember that if an infection sets in, all the stricken leaves must be burnt – do not leave them on the compost heap as this will become the perfect incubation site. Feed with a foliar feed and beware of greenfly – treat immediately if an infestation occurs.
• ‘Chelsea chop’ – for summer and autumn flowering herbaceous perennials. Heleniums, Sedums, Echinacea etc.

• The cut-back is performed usually in late May or early June – i.e. around the time of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

          Benefits are: The plants are not so tall and leggy, need less staking and the flowers are smaller but more numerous.

• Clumps of perennials can literally be chopped back by one third to a half using shears or secateurs. This will delay the flowering until later in the summer and keep plants shorter and more compact.
• If you have several clumps of one plant, try cutting back a few, but leaving others. This will prolong the overall flowering time.
• Another method is to cut half the stems back at the front of the clump which will extend the season of flowering rather than delay it.

Should bedding plants be bought yet?

• A full range of bedding plants, container and basket plants are now becoming available –if you are tempted to plant tender plants out early then you must protect on cold frosty nights with fleece or some other method of covering.  Bedding plants such as Asters, Antirrhinums, Carnations, Cineraria maritime, Geraniums, Lobelia, Petunia and Stocks are quite hardy.
• Bedding plants such as Ageratum, Begonia, Impatiens, French Marigolds, Fuchsia’s and Nemesia are far less hardy; these plants will need tender care until the last week of May when planting out.
• When planting young bedding plants give the soil a generous top dressing of general-purpose fertilizer, water in well after planting.

CONTAINER GARDENING

Containers are not just for smaller gardens, they can be an attractive addition to larger gardens, especially if you position them close to your kitchen door where you can grab a quick handful of the freshest veg or herbs possible. From carrots and salads to peppers, potatoes and beans there isn’t much that won’t grow well in a container.

There are many reasons why it is an advantage to grow crops in containers:

• Great for those with no garden or just a patio
• You can control soil texture, composition, and nutrients.
• Containers can be sited in positions that are easy to access, so people with mobility problems can still garden.
• It is easier to control pest damage to plants in containers rather than in a garden.
• Trailing plants can be displayed effectively.
• Plants can be protected indoors to give early crops, such as salad crops.
• Downside is that the watering regime is much more important.

Types of Containers – Pros & Cons

• Clay/Terracotta – look good – dry out quicker (put layer of plastics around inside to help retain moisture) – prone to cracking – look for frost proof – to reduce risk of cracking, stand on feet, anything to keep off flat surface (this applies to all containers in the winter).
• Plastic – lighter – don’t dry out as much.
• Metal – frost proof – don’t dry out – heat up quick in summer and can burn roots.
• Wood – half barrels popular for growing fruit trees – problem with rotting over time – extend life with a plastic lining and ensuring holes for adequate drainage.
• Other quirky containers – old baths, jars, tins & pots – make sure adequate drainage – if not drill holes.
• Size – salads & herbs thrive in shallow – 6 ins. deep, Legumes, onions & root crops do better in 12 – 18 ins. Deep.
• There are more sustainable and eco-friendly pots & containers now available, mainly for seed sowing and small plants.

LAWNS

• Continue mowing, increase the frequency as necessary and lower the height of the cut closer to the summer level.
• If we have a warm May once a week mowing will be required.
• In most seasons, this is the best month for weed killing with either a selective weed killer or moss killer. 
• Remember the need for dry grass, moist soil and a fine still day when using lawn weed killers – drift from lawn weed killer or moss killer can very quickly scorch tender young bedding plants or shrubs planted around the edge of the lawn.

FRUIT GARDEN

• At this time of year keep a careful watch for signs of aphid, caterpillars and mildew. These pest & diseases are the main problems this month. If you are not completely organic, a regular spray programme each week should keep things under control.
• In recent years there have been quite a few insecticides, fungicides and weedkillers that have been withdrawn from domestic use. There is still a wide range available both organic and non-organic treatments, so if you are not sure which to go for ask at the garden centre or go to the RHS website and you can find a listing of all types available which includes the active chemicals in each.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Birkacre and other Garden Centres have a good supply of vegetable plug plants, which is much easier for novices than growing from seed. Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sprouting Broccoli, Leeks, and Onions will have been fully hardened off, so it is safe to plant without any frost protection. 
• Runner Beans, Tomato Plants, Marrows Courgettes, Cucumbers and Melons will need frost protection until the end of the month when cold nights are forecast.

TREES & SHRUBS

• When planting any new container grown tree or shrub it used to a recommendation to plant with some form of planting medium such as peat or multi-purpose potting compost and a little fertilizer. Research by the RHS now recommends that you do not do that, because the plant will tend to grow within that added compost when you want the plant to grow out into the surrounding soil as quickly as possible. Dig the hole slightly larger than the plant container. If the roots are growing around the pot, then tease some of them out. Place the plant in the ground at the same depth as in the container and infill with the garden soil. Then water well and continue to water regularly throughout the coming summer. Mycorrhizal fungi are also an effective aid to establishing both bare rooted and container grown plants.

Chorley Gardening Society – May 16^th at 7.30pm – Herbs talk by William Woods
St Mary’s Church Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton – Visitors Welcome!

Plant Sale – Saturday May 13^th – 9.00am till 4.00pm – Fazackerley Street, Chorley Town Centre
Bargains Galore!

• April can be a cold month with low night time temperatures.
• Beware late frosts and keep vulnerable plants and new shoots protected at night if frost is forecast. Don’t be tempted to put out tender bedding until much later on in the month and even then, be prepared to cover it if necessary.

Jobs for April

• By the time we get to the middle of the month, Forsythia will be almost finished flowering, now is the time it should be pruned. Cut out the stems that have just flowered but keep all young stems as it is. These are the ones that will bear the best flowers next year. 
• Remove any frost damaged shoots from evergreens damaged by earlier cold weather. Remove any reverted green shoots on hardy variegated evergreens, to prevent reversion taking over.

• Now is a good time not only to plant new evergreens and conifers, but also to move to a different location if needed. The secret to success is to dig up the plant with a good, big ball of roots. On most soil types the root ball is wider than it is deep.
• Lightly cut back lavenders and winter flowering heather to dead head and prevent them getting too leggy and woody. The lavender will not grow new shoots if you cut back into the old brown woody stems.

• As the daffodils and early spring flowering bulbs come to an end and begin to look untidy, only remove the old flower heads to prevent seed formation and top dress with bonemeal to encourage the bulbs to swell and grow larger under the soil for next year. Leave foliage intact for 6 weeks. Keep deadheading spring bedding to keep it looking neat and encourage new flowers.

Fruit Garden

• It is now a good time of year to plant a new strawberry bed, Remove any dead or damaged leaves and old runners from the plants.  If the plants are getting older, thin out the smaller crowns leaving 3 to 4 crowns per plant. Remember, plants start to reduce their yield over 4 years old.
• Stone fruit trees, such as cherries, plums and nectarines are prone to silver leaf disease which will gradually kill the tree and spread to others. Therefore, they should only be pruned in the spring when starting into strong growth.
• Fruit tree blossom will be appearing over the next few weeks, therefore need to be protected from any overnight frost. If you cover with horticultural fleece, remember to remove during the day for the bees and insects to pollinate. (One layer of fleece represents approx. 2 deg.of frost)

Vegetable Garden

• Most garden centres and nurseries will now have plantlets of vegetables, salads and herbs. For those that find growing from seed daunting or do not have the facilities, this can be the ideal solution to create your vegetable garden, raised beds or containers.
• Brussels, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sprouting Broccoli, Peas and Lettuce Runner Beans. Most of these plants will have been fully hardened off so there should be no need to protect from frost damage. However, Runner Beans being the exception as these are very tender.

Compost – different types

As most of you will know peat-based compost for the amateur grower is being phased out in 2024, and we are all being encouraged to make that switch. Like all types of compost some brands perform better than others, however, there has been a gradual improvement in peat free compost in recent years. The types listed below generally cover both peat based and peat free.

Multi-purpose – only use for 1 year planting, seed sowing, cuttings, planting, – (better to use special seed compost for fine seeds) – only sufficient feed for 4-6 weeks.

Soil-based compost – shrubs and plants in containers for longer than a year. Retains moisture and nutrients better – John Innes No.3. Can mix 50/50 with multi-purpose to go further except for larger shrubs or trees.

Ericaceous – this is for lime hating plants, such as rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and pieris. Available in both peat, peat free and soil-based versions.

Grow Bags – these generally have a coarser grade and contain a higher percentage of potassium.

Bulb Fibre – most bulbs do not like waterlogged conditions, open grade of peat with grit added. Can contain charcoal or oyster shell to keep sweet, with little or no fertilizer.

Hanging basket – usually contain water retentive gel. However, this not recommended for winter baskets which need plenty of drainage. (An alternative to using water retention gel is to place a disposable nappy in the bottom of the basket to help retain the moisture in warm weather!!)

Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. It’s time to get busy sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden. However, remember we are not usually guaranteed frost free till mid-May in our part of the world!

Shrub Border

• Early March is a good time of the year to have a handy pair of secateurs in your pocket.
• Buddleia, Hydrangea and some of the Winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering can be pruned now.
• Late March is a good time to carry out pruning on Evergreen shrubs that may have suffered frost damage such as Hebes with the young growing tips scorched by frost.
• All rose pruning should be completed by mid-March. Start spraying them with fungicide to ward against black spot and mildew. Repeat every fortnight until the autumn. Remember that if an infection sets in, all the affected leaves must be burnt – do not leave them on the compost heap as this will become the perfect incubation site.
• Feed acid loving plants such as camellias and rhododendrons with ericaceous feed if you are on neutral or alkaline soil. A dose of sequestered iron also helps prevent the leaves turning yellow.
• Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems.

Lawns

• Work on the lawn really begins this month.  As soon as the grass has started to grow and the weather and ground conditions are favourable, rake the lawn to remove leaves and surface rubbish.
• Do not rake too vigorously at this stage or you may damage the grass.
• The first cut should just remove the top of the grass…close cutting at this stage will result in the grass yellowing.  Choose a day when the surface of the lawn is dry.
• Due to the excessive wet conditions we have experienced this past winter, many lawns have been saturated for long periods of time, particularly on heavy clay soils…the end result is lots of moss.
• It is the time to apply the first moss kill of the season – read the instructions on the packaging carefully before treating your lawn.  Choose a period in the month when the weather is mild, when the grass is dry and frost free.
• Avoid mowing the lawn three days before and at least four days after treatment.  You may have to retreat the lawn in four to six weeks time to eradicate all the moss.
• It is important not to get any “Moss Killing Chemical” on to any shrubs or tender plants planted in borders around the lawn.
• Do not compost grass clippings from the first cut of the lawn following any form of chemical weed or moss control treatment.

Herbaceous Border

• Unlike so many bulbous rooted plants, Snowdrops can be lifted and divided as soon as the flowers fade. It is advisable to lift and replant in this way every few years. If the bulbs are too closely packed together, many may fail to flower in future years.

• A large variety of young herbaceous plants are now available in garden centres and can be a very cost-effective way of planting up a border for the future.
• As you will have noticed, many weeds are the first thing to come back into growth and will quickly dominate the soil surface. Best to remove them regularly whilst still small, before they get out of hand!
• Top dress containers with fresh compost. Pots and tubs benefit from topping up with fresh John Innes compost. Old compost can be removed and replaced with new if there is not much room for topping up.
• Lesson for Beginners – Annuals are flowers which complete their entire life cycle from seed to last blooms in one season. They are not hardy enough to make it through the winter months and need to be replanted in the spring. Perennials are flowers that are planted once and come back year after year. In one season, they grow, bloom and go dormant. In the autumn, plants can be cut back, and will start again in spring from the previous root system.

Fruit Garden

• Plums and Damsons will now be coming into flower this month. Peach, Nectarines and Apricot trees growing on walls will also come into flower now.
• At this time of year there are few insects flying about so hand pollination with a small artist’s paint brush will aid pollination and lead to a bigger fruit yield, simply brush the pollen from one flower to another.
• Raspberries will benefit from a mulch of well-rotted manure not only to feed the plants but also protect the roots and keep them moist.
• As Apples, Pears and Plums come into leaf watch for the first signs of insect damage, spray as soon as pests appear.
• It is very important not to spray any insecticide or fungicide whilst fruit trees are in flower, wait until flowering has finished.

Vegetable Garden

• The work really begins now with early sowings of onions, parsnips and broad beans direct into the garden.
• Broad beans and peas that have been sown in pots in the greenhouse or frame should be hardened off now before planting out.
• Towards the end of the month carrots, turnips, radish and lettuce can be sown.

The Garden Pond

• As the weather warms up begin to feed your fish.
• March is the last month in which you can clean out your pond.
• Divide and repot large established pond plants before they come into growth.

Chorley Gardening Society – 21^st March – Primulas and Woodland Plants – talk by Neil Huntley – St Mary’s Church Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton – 7.30pm

Visitors Welcome