November; Planting and Poo !

Well I didn't expect the frost this morning!

I guess we have all been lulled into a dreamy Indian summer feel. Now is the time to think about protecting those tender plants and taking those fragile pots inside.

Last week I planted ( well - my teams and I did!) some 650 plants and 9 trees. Already I am thinking about adding some more protective compost onto the semi-tender Agapanthus and Pennisetums (Phygelius are just as vulnerable).

During the planting I became more and more like a stuck record....."Only a teaspoon of Blood, Fish & Bone for the herbaceous plants, a tablespoon for the shrubs and a handful for the trees please!". The trouble is - if you put too much fertiliser in then you can end up burning the roots of the plants.

So - always stir the fertiliser into the compost with a twirl of the hand and make sure the base of your planting hole is flat when you plant up. Nothing will kill your plant quicker than an air gap under the roots. Try to avoid bashing anything - potted plants have just come out the nursery and it is proven that if you throw around trees, potted plants and anything bare-rooted, their growth will be impeded. 

In the Autumn I like to use an organic slow-release fertiliser such as B, F & Bone or Bonemeal so there are still plenty of nutrients being released in Spring. Although close to it's organic origin with the benefits of a range of nutrients, these fertilisers have been through chemical processes. 

Growmore is one further step away again from the natural world and only has the major nutrients of Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Potassium ( = NPK ). The more expensive water-soluble and fancy feeds off the shelf are great in the growing season but somewhat wasted at this time of year.

For the real thing - go for Poo - well-rotted horse is best though chicken is ok. There is nothing like it as it has the minor (or 'Trace') nutrients such as Iron, Magnesium and Boron as well as major nutrients that plants need. It also has the additional benefit of improving the structure of the soil ( ie. the thing that stops the soil being too compacted or loose and therefore better able to hold onto it's moisture and nutrients).

Organic materials need to be well dug in or, again, it will burn the roots. I usually dig a 'pit' 150mm under the roots of trees or hedges then back-fill it with soil and manure.

Sea-weed is excellent and has a very high Nitrogen (N) content, and that's the nutrient that makes the green parts of a plant grow well. Phospate (P) encourages root and the energy processing growth and Potassium (K) - the fruit and flowers.

I have to say I shy away from treated sewage on the garden. Each to their own however; feel free to introduce something into your neighborhood that will win friends and influence people!

In summary;

• Get those fruit trees and bushes in.
• Finish planting your tulip bulbs ( at approx 3 x depth of the bulb itself)
• Put grease bands on your fruit trees as pest protection
• Get the most well-rotted manure on to the veg patch
• Still time to scarify your lawn but doing over-do it in wet weather if you are on heavy soil - you will begin to wreck the structure of your soil ( see above).
• If not done already, cut your roses back by a third to stop them getting too wild and woolly in the winter months.

And please................just try to find time to have a beer or a cuppa in your outdoor space and look at the colours that are now emerging. You will see nothing like it in any gallery that I know about.