Alexander Park, Newtown
- Wigan Borough in Bloom - Handy Hints
How should I care for my hanging baskets?
Positioning: A sheltered south-facing wall is ideal for your basket. Windy or exposed sites will cause damage to the individual plants and the basket will dry out more quickly.
Watering:The key to a successful hanging basket is watering on a regular basis. Once the basket is established, even if it rains, it will still need watering. The foliage (leaves) of the plants form an umbrella for the soil, rain water simply runs off them and over the edge of the basket. Even after heavy rain the compost can still feel dry to the touch. You can increase the amount of water that your basket retains by inserting a liner before you put in the soil and the plants and by adding moisture retentive gel to the compost to capture the water and release it slowly to the plants. Ideally you should remove the rose attachment from your watering can or hose before watering your basket, so that you can ensure the water reaches the soil. However, if you are watering with a hose try to maintain a low pressure to avoid forcing the soil out of the basket or damaging the plants.
Feeding:Once established, the basket will need feeding on a regular basis. This is best done at least once a week, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Dead Heading:Remove any dead or damaged parts of the plants, and remove the dead flower heads on a regular basis to encourage new flower heads to grow.
Holidays:Don't forget, if you go away for a week or two the basket will still need to be watered and fed. If it is left and the plants dry out, they may never recover, no matter how much you feed or water them on your return.
My beautiful Laburnham tree is creating a big shady patch in my garden. What can I plant in this shady area?
There are many types of shade-loving plants available but one of the most versatile and successful is the Hosta. There are many different Hosta Varieties to choose from ranging from the blue-green leaves and purple flowers of Hosta Elegans, through to the spear-shaped variegated leaves of Hosta Crispula, with bright white tips. Check out the Royal Horticultural Society's web site at www.rhs.org.uk where you'll be able to see the full range of shade loving varieties and choose the one you like best.
The Dahlia 'tubers' and Gladioli 'corms' will be happiest if you start them of in the Greenhouse during May. This helps them get better established before you plant them outside in June. If you plant them out any earlier than this you run the risk of them being damaged by late frosts. You shouldn't need to feed them early on as most compost contain about six week's worth of fertiliser.
My house plants keep getting brown leaves. Why is this?
This is usually down to either dryness or cold. Try watering it at regular intervals and do make sure the water is draining away properly from the soil. You may find it easier to place the plant in the kitchen sink and leave it for about 20 minutes or so to allow it to drain well. If this doesn't help the problem it could be that the plants are becoming a little cold. Try moving them to sunnier/ warmer positions in the house. If the plants are situated near your heating source this could cause drying out or even burning or scorching, so do try moving the plants around.
The Honeysuckle should be sprayed with an insecticide to kill the whitefly and then with some fungicide to tackle the rust. Go along to your local garden centre for advice on which fungicides and insecticides you can use and please remember to be careful when using garden chemicals. Always read the label and follow the instructions. The only other way of control is to prune out the affected growth but this would sacrifice any flowers which would be produced later.
My lawn's a mess! I cut it regularly but its waterlogged and going brown in patches
It sounds like drainage is a problem for your lawn. To try and correct this I'd start off my 'scarifying' it, which means giving it a good rake to remove all the 'thatch' or dead grass. Then try to relieve the compaction in the soil underneath the grass by driving in a garden fork at intervals. This will create drainage holes for your lawn to help with the water-logging. Finally, try to work some sand into the holes you've created to improve the drainage further. These are maintenance tasks usually carried out in the autumn/winter, but removing thatch and 'aerating' the lawn is beneficial during the growing season.
If you have any horticultural queries or issues, please do not hesitate to contact us at inbloom@wigan.gov.uk
Wigan Council, Gateway House, Standishgate, WN1 1AE. T: +44 (0)1942 828 990 F: +44 (0)1942 828 992