It looks like we are in for another very dry spring.
ALERT! Plants that have been put in during the pandemic will need some TLC to get them underway. Water them every week for as long as the dry spell continues. This need not be every day but a good soak twice a week will encourage root growth: this will enable the plants to start drawing on the natural resources around them.
The clue to all this is in the word nursery! At the garden centre and the growing nursery, plants will have been cosseted by having wind barriers, ideal nutrient mixes, pest and disease protection… and the full attention of the accounts department! The nurseries need good turnover and attractive plants to survive!
Once bought, the plants are sent out into a cruel, hard world where they have to learn to survive! Weaning them off the level of care found in nurseries is of course, also part of a good process. After one year, most plants should, by and large, be able to fend for themselves.
Pots can sometimes have root systems that are so developed, they choke the plant and end up growing in a circular direction. Secateurs can cut open the plastic pot and by teasing the roots outward they can be encouraged to spread. The RHS has recommended digging square planting pits for shrubs and trees to encourage this growth.
The main jobs for this month are:
· Tie in climbing and rambling roses as they take off in the warmer weather.
· Loosen tree ties where necessary.
· Cut back the stems of Forsythia once they have finished flowering and hardy Fuchsia to healthy buds.
· Plants that have attractive young growth, such as Cotinus (smoke bush) and Sambucus (elder) can be cut back to make way for the bright new juvenile stems.
· Feed trees and shrubs with either an all-round slow-release fertiliser, such as ‘Blood, Fish & Bone’ or with an organic fertilizer such as horse or cow manure. Be generous to depleted looking plants and newly planted ones.
· Grass seed can be sown to create a new lawn or repair an old one. Add slightly more than the recommended amount as conditions are rarely perfect and, one way or another, quite a lot of seed can be lost to the birds, the frost or to damp.
· Be gentle with your lawn: if you cut it too hard, the structure of the stems will be damaged. For the average garden lawn, 30mm is an ideal height of grass to aim for at this time of year.
· If you have not done so already, cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) shrubs to 150mm from the ground. This will increase the chance of producing bright looking stems for the winter.
· Divide and replant water lilies when they show signs of growth. Do the same for other pond plants.
· It is quite natural for your pond to go green in spring. It should clear of its own accord but if it does not, consider adding oxygenating plants. Feed your water plant baskets with specially prepared fertiliser that will not turn your pond dark green due to the excessive nitrogen.
· Try to get on top of the weeds in borders as they emerge. A well laid out garden should have plenty of dense plant cover to suppress the weeds. Hoeing is probably the most effective and easiest way to keep weeds at bay: it is also kinder to your back!
· Once again, watch out for dry spells: these can knock the growth of a plant back, so be prepared to do some watering of newly planted trees and shrubs.
It is hard to see how the pattern of drier, longer growing seasons will change in the near future.
Maybe time to think about more water storage, using roof water run-off and choosing more drought tolerant plants? You would not be the first if you incorporated these into your garden!