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Nettle leaves can be used to make a highly nutritious liquid, useful for boosting leafy growth on plants. In spring there is plenty of nettle growth for you to use. Simply follow our step-by-step guide:
Using shears and wearing gloves, cut the top new growth of nettles. Young stems and leaves are best as they have a higher nutrient content than…
Michelle shows you how to pot on seedlings for strong plants to set outside in summer
Water the seedlings and allow to drain. Fill a module tray or small pots with JI No 1 or multipurpose compost, tap lightly to settle.
Turn the pot containing seedlings on its side, lift out the rootball with care. With your fingers, tease out individual seedlings.
Remove…
Dealing with hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)
Michelle tackles the most troublesome weed in her garden
Hedge bindweed grows and scrambles over hedges, shrubs and trees at a very fast rate, choking plants quickly. It has large heart-shaped leaves and white trumpet shaped flowers throughout summer and early autumn.
Spread
This form of bindweed spreads from underground stems called rhizomes, or directly from its roots.…
Michelle continues to identify weeds we have in our gardens
Sun spurge: Latin name Euphorbia helioscopia L.
Sun spurge is classified as an annual weed, and is common throughout the UK. Seedlings usually emerge from April to October, but it can grow all year round, especially in mild climates. The picture below was taken in my garden, in January.
Control
Control is best done…
Throughout the next year Michelle will help with weed identification and the best way to get rid of them organically, and with the safe use of herbicides
When I was training for my RHS qualifications at Sparsholt College, one of my favourite lessons was weed identification. I found it fascinating. Getting rid of weeds is always one of the top jobs…
Michelle checks over her standard wisteria
Back in summer (AG 21 July) I wrote about training a wisteria as a standard. Not forgotten, but left to grow, a few days ago I decided to make sure it was happy and healthy in its pot.
Pleasingly, in just a few months, the stem had grown and all the ties used to keep it straight…
Michelle shows the correct way to use a buckle tree tie
It is important to correctly place tree ties. If they are not attached properly to the tree and the post, they can cause injury to the bark, increasing the risk of weather, disease and pest damage. I like to use ‘buckle’ tree ties, commonly sold in garden centres.
(1) Feed the…
Grapes vines need a hard prune in winter to encourage heavy cropping, but how you grow them will determine how you prune them, says AG garden writer, Michelle Wheeler
Rod and spur system:
For fence/wall/trellis trained vines and those grown under glass:
If in its first year, prune out two thirds of the trunk (the rod) and cut the side branches (spurs) to…
Amateur Gardening video: AG garden writer, Michelle, shows you how to plant up a hanging basket for a winter display
There is still time to sow sweet peas for early flowering next year, Michelle shows you how:
[1] Sweet peas like a good depth of soil. The inner tubes from toilet rolls are ideal, one seed per roll, or sow three seeds per 3in (7.5cm) plantpot. Sow 1/4in (1cm) deep in free-draining seed compost.
[2] Water well then cover with a clear…
