Grow a Salad Box & Garden tips from Donegal Seaweed

April 04, 2022

So, it is great to have the long evenings again, more time for gardening or you may love to golf. Thanks to Donegal Seaweed most club greens are in great shape and ready for the season ahead.

Here in Burtonport we just had a beautiful spell of weather for the past two weeks. Bright blue sunny skies the kind of weather to get you motivated but alas we had a heavy ground frost last night. Garden experts always tell us not to start the tender bedding plants too soon, so I hope you were not caught off guard this time. So instead of planting right now, what can you do?

• GIVE FLOWERS THE CHOP…… it is a tried and tested pruning technique to make herbaceous perennials more compact bushy and floriferous.
• TIE IN NEW CLIMBERS……train new climbers by tying them to posts, netting or trellis to help them develop a decent shape and structure. You can also pinch out the growing tips of long stems to encourage side shoots.
• THE BEST TIME TO PLANT SEEDS WAS YESTERDAY…. THE NEXT BEST TIME IS NOW Start your seeds in ideal conditions. You want fast germination so plants can be transplanted outside in 2-3 weeks. Soaking seeds in a solution of water and Garden Force from Donegal Seaweed will speed up germination, soak for about six hours. Fertilize after the first three leaves have sprouted with Garden Force and continue to fertilize each week. First you need to harden them off by placing them outside in the sunshine in their containers for daylight hours, do not let them dry out. Transplant your seedlings when they have two pairs of true leaves to a bigger container until all threat of frost has gone.
• TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS……..prepare individual pots or cell trays with moist multipurpose compost so they have enough room to develop their own separate root ball. Make a hole in the compost for your thriving seedling plant with your little finger or a pencil. Carefully lift each seedling with your pencil, always hold seedlings by the leaves NOT the fragile stems.

DEADHEAD YOUR DAFFODILS…..it gives more strength to the root system for next spring and they'll bounce back better than ever.

PLEASE WATCH VIDEO

 Interview with Patricia O'Donnell Byrne

 

 

 

       

What are your 3 Gardening tips for April?.

 

• Clean out your used pots from last year, gently topple half the used soil into a wheelbarrow protecting last year’s perennials and bulbs. and mix the old soil with new soil. Wipe down the outside of your pots with a damp cloth. Set aside your soil only pots for new planting and repot your perennials and bulbs and cut back if necessary. Now that you have given the roots new nourishment you can spray the plants with Garden Force to give them that extra boost.
• Gently weed your flower beds, taking care not to disturb developing plants and bulbs. This will prevent more difficult weeds from developing in the future. If you are lucky enough to own a stove or open fire you can use your ashes to mix with compost and add the new layer of nourishing soil to your flower beds.
• Tidy up and define the edge of your flower beds, it prevents grass from your lawn invading your flower beds and undoing all your arduous work.

 Which plants give you the most joy year after year?

 Daffodils and Bluebells still bring such excitement and instils hope for the year ahead.

When did you develop a love for gardening?

As a child I spent so many happy days helping my father in our garden, I have been mowing the lawn since I was knee high. That is where it all began and has giving me immense pleasure over the years.

 Thank you so much for your time and for giving our audience such valuable information. I see your love of mowing hasn’t subsided either , she never stops folks. That's her hubby Brian taking a well earned rest.

 

APRIL CHALLENGE FOR BEGINNERS - Grow a salad box

Salad leaves are perfect to grow in a container of your choice. Sow a salad leaf mix or pick your own combination of salad leaves to grow.

Here are a few  varieties to choose from:

• Ruby Chard 
• Red-veined sorrel
• Land Cress
• Rocket
• Lollo rosso
• Mizuna

1. Fill your chosen container with potting mix and level out.
2. Sow seeds across the surface.
3. Sprinkle with compost to cover and water seeds gently.
4. Place in a sunny spot
5. Keep the soil moist but NOT saturated.

Germination is likely to take one to two weeks. Once plants are 4ins (10cm) high, individual leaves can be carefully cut, twisted, or pinched off and just gently rinse off and they're ready for your salad.

Thanks for stopping by folks, hope to see you back for future posts. Take care out there and thank you from all at Donegal Seaweed.

 

 

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Argiculture & Horticulture