I live next door to some lovely people.
Lovely people - but, how shall we say ... not blessed with the greenest of fingers!
But even I had to feel sorry for them when they decided to plant some new roses. They simply couldn't understand why they were having problems. Fortunately I know that the lady of the house bakes rather fine Chocolate cake - so with this in mind I offered to help!
I quickly worked out the problem - we call it rose replant syndrome. RRS is found when new roses are planted into soil that has supported other roses previously. In the old days some gardeners used a chemical called Armillatox but this is now banned for use with plants because they tend to get rid of all the living organisms from the soil.
The other alternative is large scale soil removal and replacement - but that's a bit too much hard work for an old 'un like me. So I find the most economic - and easiest! - option is to treat the new plants with my good old Friendly Fungi. Using Rootgrow I can confidently predict that the roses will soon be prospering. The fungi act like a buffer between the plant and the soil and help the roses ability to tolerate attack.
I'll let you know how they get on.
Oh and the cake was up to scratch - only managed the two pieces though
Monday, 11 June 2007
Water, water everywhere .....
Those of us who live in the Garden of England sometimes worry for the future of the traditional English Garden.
The weather experts tell us that we are suffering from one of the driest years on record. Rather worryingly, if this trend continues, 2007 could prove to be a tricky one for gardeners and they are warning that many thousands of pounds may be lost by buying plants that go on to die due to a lack of water.
Many of us have also had to work without the benefit of using hose pipes and the traditional way of using high inputs of water and chemical fertiliser simply will not work since the nutrients do not have water in which to move in the soil towards the roots of the plant.
Thankfully, Mother Nature does have a solution. Which, if you think about it stands to reason - after all how do plants grow quite happily in deserts? Methinks we can learn something from studying plants in those environments.
Our boffins at Rootgrow have carried out studies into survival mechanisms and one of the most important is an entire group of friendly fungi called mycorrhizal fungi that live on the roots of virtually every plant on the planet.There is now much scientific evidence to support the fact that mycorrhizal fungi can provide a reliable natural mechanism for plants to enhance drought tolerance. Plants shown to benefit include tomatoes, roses, corn, ornamental flowers and trees.
In reduced water conditions these fungi enable the plants to function for longer and extract the maximum amount of water remaining in the soil. The fungi exude a sticky glue-like substance in the soil which hosts many beneficial bacteria as well as building the soil structure and keeping it close to the plant roots - which is important for nutrient uptake.
The benefits to the plant of its friendly fungal partner actually increases as the drought conditions get more severe. These fungi are symbiotic organisms and can not survive without a host plant. Therefore it is in the fungi’s ‘interest’ to keep its host plant alive at any cost.
So there you have it - Rootgrow is the natural solution for hosepipe bans!
The weather experts tell us that we are suffering from one of the driest years on record. Rather worryingly, if this trend continues, 2007 could prove to be a tricky one for gardeners and they are warning that many thousands of pounds may be lost by buying plants that go on to die due to a lack of water.
Many of us have also had to work without the benefit of using hose pipes and the traditional way of using high inputs of water and chemical fertiliser simply will not work since the nutrients do not have water in which to move in the soil towards the roots of the plant.
Thankfully, Mother Nature does have a solution. Which, if you think about it stands to reason - after all how do plants grow quite happily in deserts? Methinks we can learn something from studying plants in those environments.
Our boffins at Rootgrow have carried out studies into survival mechanisms and one of the most important is an entire group of friendly fungi called mycorrhizal fungi that live on the roots of virtually every plant on the planet.There is now much scientific evidence to support the fact that mycorrhizal fungi can provide a reliable natural mechanism for plants to enhance drought tolerance. Plants shown to benefit include tomatoes, roses, corn, ornamental flowers and trees.
In reduced water conditions these fungi enable the plants to function for longer and extract the maximum amount of water remaining in the soil. The fungi exude a sticky glue-like substance in the soil which hosts many beneficial bacteria as well as building the soil structure and keeping it close to the plant roots - which is important for nutrient uptake.
The benefits to the plant of its friendly fungal partner actually increases as the drought conditions get more severe. These fungi are symbiotic organisms and can not survive without a host plant. Therefore it is in the fungi’s ‘interest’ to keep its host plant alive at any cost.
So there you have it - Rootgrow is the natural solution for hosepipe bans!
What's happening to summer?
It's only a week ago that I was forced to stop my pottering every 20 minutes or so, to take a break. With temperatures comfortably in the 70's I found myslef struggling to keep the momentum going. Not that I was complaining of course - whilst you'll find me in the garden most days, I have to confess that I love to work with the sun on my back!
On Friday though, I was in the Rootgrow garden to do some more planting, some potting up, some tidying up ... and to check up on the temperatures in the glasshouses we use for research. Unfortunately I drew the short straw and was tasked with moving plants from a neighbouring glasshouse which neccessitated a short 25 yard walk outside - and my, what a change in the weather.
Howling wind, cold, driving rain - is this the same country that was basking in Mediteranean temperatures just a few short days ago?
Yesterday though the flippin weather changed again and it was back to sizzling seventies again! I managed to catch up on some planted and I put down some onions and peas. Naturally, I added some of my employer's friendly fungi to each hole and dug it into the soil before I planted them. It's a delight too to see the benefits of what Rootgrow can do to your pride and joy though - but to make sure we can continue to make the claims we do, we always plant what the clever people call a 'Control'. This involves splitting our planting into two - one lot receive the Rootgrow treatment and the other is left to its own devices. The differences can be truly amazing!
Mind you, these scientists still need a little bit of help and I made sure after I planted that each plant had a brassica collar around it to try and stop the nasty creepy crawlies from laying eggs around the stem and then I covered the lot with a fine grade mesh to keep the butterflies out.
I'll let you know how we get on!
On Friday though, I was in the Rootgrow garden to do some more planting, some potting up, some tidying up ... and to check up on the temperatures in the glasshouses we use for research. Unfortunately I drew the short straw and was tasked with moving plants from a neighbouring glasshouse which neccessitated a short 25 yard walk outside - and my, what a change in the weather.
Howling wind, cold, driving rain - is this the same country that was basking in Mediteranean temperatures just a few short days ago?
Yesterday though the flippin weather changed again and it was back to sizzling seventies again! I managed to catch up on some planted and I put down some onions and peas. Naturally, I added some of my employer's friendly fungi to each hole and dug it into the soil before I planted them. It's a delight too to see the benefits of what Rootgrow can do to your pride and joy though - but to make sure we can continue to make the claims we do, we always plant what the clever people call a 'Control'. This involves splitting our planting into two - one lot receive the Rootgrow treatment and the other is left to its own devices. The differences can be truly amazing!
Mind you, these scientists still need a little bit of help and I made sure after I planted that each plant had a brassica collar around it to try and stop the nasty creepy crawlies from laying eggs around the stem and then I covered the lot with a fine grade mesh to keep the butterflies out.
I'll let you know how we get on!
My favourite time of year!
I love May.
Not just because I can actually work my garden with the chance of some sun on my back. And not just because of the pleasure I get from seeing the first of my perennials emerging. Or beacuse my hectic spring-time planting programme is in full swing.
No - it's because if it's May, it must be Chelsea!
I refer not, of course, to the under-achieving team of footballing mercenaries in West London but to the Chelsea Flower Show which I attended with my bosses from Rootgrow - I think they see it as a little perk for me! In fact, I have to be honest, I spend the whole of the February, March and April getting ready for it - and I love it! I suppose it's because I feel at home - people are generally very friendly, very knowledgeable - and they seem to enjoy my company too!
But, do you know, I actually find the Chelsea experience very similar to watching my favourite football team. In much the same way as an old fashioned and rather cumbersome Centre Half can sit and admire the silky skills of the multi-talented footballing superstars of Manchester United or Arsenal, I can, as a self-confessed hard-working, but practical gardener, stand back and admire the fabulous creations presnted to us at Chelsea each year.
And, of course, whilst I could probably never dream of matching those creations - I can, at least dream.
I'll bring you some nice photos that I took - just as soon as the much-beloved gets them back from Boots!
Not just because I can actually work my garden with the chance of some sun on my back. And not just because of the pleasure I get from seeing the first of my perennials emerging. Or beacuse my hectic spring-time planting programme is in full swing.
No - it's because if it's May, it must be Chelsea!
I refer not, of course, to the under-achieving team of footballing mercenaries in West London but to the Chelsea Flower Show which I attended with my bosses from Rootgrow - I think they see it as a little perk for me! In fact, I have to be honest, I spend the whole of the February, March and April getting ready for it - and I love it! I suppose it's because I feel at home - people are generally very friendly, very knowledgeable - and they seem to enjoy my company too!
But, do you know, I actually find the Chelsea experience very similar to watching my favourite football team. In much the same way as an old fashioned and rather cumbersome Centre Half can sit and admire the silky skills of the multi-talented footballing superstars of Manchester United or Arsenal, I can, as a self-confessed hard-working, but practical gardener, stand back and admire the fabulous creations presnted to us at Chelsea each year.
And, of course, whilst I could probably never dream of matching those creations - I can, at least dream.
I'll bring you some nice photos that I took - just as soon as the much-beloved gets them back from Boots!
What is the world coming to?
I've a confession to make.
I'm no spring chicken!
In fact, your Garden Expert is probably closer to the Victor Meldrew generation than the Ant and Dec generation and the 'Long Suffering' is always chastising me about my 'What on earth is the world coming to?' protestations.
However even she almost choked on her Shredded Wheat this morning when she opened the newspaper to see a story about members of the public being asked to water a city's trees!
I kid you not!
The residents of that fine city of Derby are indeed being asked to help ensure that newly-planted trees survice - by regularly watering them.
And the reason?
Well, according to the chap from the council "The more money we spend on watering then the less we have to spend on planting trees so if the community are able to assist us in getting these young trees established, that means we can continue with the tree-planting programme," he said.
Oh.
Well that's all right then.
What next?
Feed your local schoolchildren so that we can spend more on books?
I'm no spring chicken!
In fact, your Garden Expert is probably closer to the Victor Meldrew generation than the Ant and Dec generation and the 'Long Suffering' is always chastising me about my 'What on earth is the world coming to?' protestations.
However even she almost choked on her Shredded Wheat this morning when she opened the newspaper to see a story about members of the public being asked to water a city's trees!
I kid you not!
The residents of that fine city of Derby are indeed being asked to help ensure that newly-planted trees survice - by regularly watering them.
And the reason?
Well, according to the chap from the council "The more money we spend on watering then the less we have to spend on planting trees so if the community are able to assist us in getting these young trees established, that means we can continue with the tree-planting programme," he said.
Oh.
Well that's all right then.
What next?
Feed your local schoolchildren so that we can spend more on books?
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