Gardens How To

How to….Prepare Bulbs For Next Year

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

At this time of year, bulbs in pots are finishing flowering, but what do you do to keep them healthy for next year?

 

Our very own Nigel Hopes has all the answers and will have your bulbs ready and waiting to burst into flower in spring 2019.

 

Preparing Bulbs Tips

  • If you‘re flowers are coming to the end of their bloom, give them a high potash feed – this will build the storage bulb up, ready for flowering next spring

 

  • This is essential as the flowers will produce a much better show the following year

 

  • We advise doing this every 10-14 days to ensure the bulb is rejuvenated and full of energy

 

  • Lastly, let the foliage die down naturally. The energy in the leaves will be sucked back into the bulb to make next year’s flowers, so don’t cut it off!

 

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How To…Plant Plug Plants

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Are you planning to plant some summer bedding plug plants? Watch the video below as Wayne Williams, head of internal areas, shows you how we plant geraniums and other plug plants at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

 

We use 1000s of plug plants around the garden, throughout the summer and winter, so we are well versed in making sure the seedlings aren’t damaged as they are transplanted. Follow the tips below and watch as your plants flourishes:

 

Plant Plug Tips

  • Best way to get plug plants out of their cells is to use a green cane, and push them from the base

 

  • Now, place them in modules, along with a slow release fertiliser used at the recommended rate. These should last 3 to 4 months

 

  • Use a dibber (the green cane) to make a hole in the center of the cell, (this will make sure your plant has even root growth) before inserting and firming the plug plant in

 

  • Once this is done, place them in your greenhouse for 6 weeks before you have to harden them off

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How to….Care For Your Lawn

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Now is the perfect time to start prepping your lawn, nurturing the bare patches and encouraging new growth. You may think that it is a simple case of throwing some seeds on the damaged area and watering heavily – but you would be very wrong!

 

Nigel Hopes, head of external areas at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, has some top tips to help rejuvenate your lawn and make you the envy of your street this National Gardening Week.

 

Caring for Your Lawn Steps

Caring for your lawn takes work, but once you are sitting in your garden this summer, looking proudly over your patch of heaven, you’ll be glad you did.

 

  • Firstly, take out any weed growth as these will compete with any new grass seedlings as they come up. Make sure you dig over the area with a border fork as some will be quite compacted

 

  • Then, break up the ground ready for the new seeds. The seeds have to be sown in fine soil, so make sure you keeping digging and turning the soil over until it is perfect

 

  • If you have a cultivator, use this over the soil to make sure you get it as fine as possible

 

  • If you have any divots, fill them up with dry topsoil to ensure your lawn is the same level. Once you have filled the hole, use the sole of your shoe and slowly press down to make sure any holes are gone

 

  • Once all the divots are filled, sprinkle grass seed over the area, before gently raking the seed in

 

  • Finally, water the area to encourage the seeds to grow and germinate

 

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How to Sow Small Seeds

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Cut some wooden garden cane or dowel to the size of a pencil and sharpen it, ready for the next job…sowing your seeds!

 

Some seeds are minute and it can be hard to separate them, giving them enough space to germinate and grow. Chis Howell has a handy tip to help you out….

 

Sow Small Seeds Tips

  • Firstly, sharpen your cane with a pencil sharpener

 

  • Next, soak it in some water and make sure you’ve got your compost at the ready. Top tip: ensure that the wood has soaked up as much as it can before you use it.

 

  • Now, use the wood to pick up your seeds and evenly place them on top of the soil, giving them a good amount of space between each other. Ensure the soil is pre-watered as dry compost will stick to the wood

 

  • You are now ready to cover your seeds, water them and place them at the required temperature.

 

Sowing them evenly will make it easier to prick out your seedlings when they are big enough

 

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How to Take Dahlia Cuttings

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Dahlias are perennial plants, but are not completely frost hardy. Some people further south successfully leave their Dahlias in the ground through winter, but some will lift the tubers and store them inside. What’s more advantageous, you could also give your favourite Dahlia away as a present to friends and family.

 

Chris Howell, part of the gardening team at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, is here to show you an easy way to take cuttings of Dahlias this National Gardening Week. He will be using a very rare cultivar called Dahlia ‘Hazel Bishop’, which you won’t find in the shops!

 

Dahlia Cutting Tips

  • First thing to do is gently remove the Dahlia from it’s pot and start exposing the shoots from where they come out of the tuber (this is where the new roots will emerge). It may take a little bit of time to find them

 

  • Once you can see one, very carefully cut the stem, with a tiny bit of tuber attached. Remember to follow all health and safety guidelines if you are using sharp implements

 

  • Next, remove the lower leaves. Too many leaves will require a lot of the plant’s energy – if you remove them the energy will go back into the bulb

 

  • Now, pop the shoot into some general-purpose compost that has been watered. You could even add some perlite to help with drainage

 

  • Take a few more cuttings and put them in separate pots, or one if you have quite big pots. Make sure you also firm the soil around them to keep them stable

 

  • Now, to save the shoots from losing too much moisture, place a clear plastic bag over the top of them, with canes to stop the bag from falling on the plants and hindering their growth. An elastic band is useful around the pot to hold the bag in place

 

  • Lastly, place your cuttings in a warm place out of direct sunlight so the leaves won’t be scorched. Under the racking in a greenhouse is ideal. Check regularly to make sure the compost is moist and water when necessary

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