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What
a glorious autumn we are having at the moment
- although the weather we have had this year has presented challenges
to all gardeners across the UK, at least we can delight in a stunning
autumn as a result. Our hostas are finally giving way and the gold
leaves are turning brown and withering. We
have just completed our autumn splitting session and so can leave
the plants in peace over the winter. We generally advocate spring
splitting of garden-based hostas due to the fact that it is physically
easier to see what you are doing without all the foliage and the
split plants have the whole season to settle. However, we do not
get much opportunity to split in the spring due to the start of
the show season so most of our splitting is done at this time of
the year. As this has been a brilliant year for hosta growth we
have had a significant amount to do, handling several tonnes of
growing medium mix in the process. We can't wait to see the emerging
shoots come the spring...
So what to do now...
Try to resist pulling the leaves off your hostas
until they actually give way without a struggle, even though they
may look a bit of a mess. This will ensure you don't inadvertently
damage the plant crown. If you wish to tidy up then simply cut the
leaves back for now, a couple of inches above the ground.
Apply a dressing of your favourite mulch to your flower beds but
before you apply your mulch, scatter a few slug pellets around the
base of your hostas. The slugs that cause the damage to your emerging
shoots are those that hibernate under the soil over winter so you
may catch some of the little blighters as they take a last feed
before retiring. Over the winter, the mulch will help retain moisture
in your flower bed and prevent your hostas from becoming too dry.
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Your
hostas may be at risk of drying out, even over the winter
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Do remember that if we experience
a warm, dry winter then there is a risk that your hostas could
dry out so keep a weather eye and water lightly if necessary.
This is a particularly important tip for pot-grown hostas as
they are more likely to quickly dry out in such conditions.
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so much wet that there is a risk our plants, not just hostas,
will rot in the soil. If your hostas are in pots then we advise
you lay them on their sides, perhaps at the back of your flower
bed, to avoid becoming waterlogged. This will also prevents
frost damage to your pots. |
Lay
your pots on their sides to avoid the contents becomming
water-logged
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Don't worry about frost unless it is severe
and deeply penetrating, in which case hostas are not the only plants
that will suffer. Hostas go dormant over winter and frosts are part
of the dormancy cycle. Many of our sales plants are frozen to the
benches in the tunnels over winter, yet they emerge in the spring
all the stronger for this. It seems that hostas positively benefit
from cold winter hibernation. The only exception to this may be
miniature varieties in exposed locations so if you have a cold greenhouse
or cold frame then you might be better popping your hostas in there
over winter for peace of mind.
Battle preparations...
If we have yet another mild winter, as many are predicting, then
be prepared for a significant pest problem in 2008.
If we don't have a sufficiently cold winter then we will see the
early emergence of slugs and an even greater proliferation of snails
and vine weevils. In our experience the only really effective way
to deal with pests is to act early so we reiterate our advice from
the February
issue of the newsletter with the addition of the following
points:
'Much Ado About Mulching' - don't underestimate
the power of mulch. Not only does it supply much needed nutrients
to help enrich your soil, it protects young shoots from early
frosts and, more importantly where pests are concerned, provides
a valuable food source. Slugs and snails hunt by smell and love
decomposing vegetation more than anything. A tender emerging shoot
will only do if nothing better is on offer. So try not to be too
tidy in your garden and leave some tasty morsels for the pests
- it works!
'The Taming of the Slugs' - now before
you exclaim in horror and cross yourself vigorously knowing we
are about to advocate the use of slug pellets, stop and consider
what you actually need to achieve with your pest control. Slugs
and snails breed like you wouldn't believe so whether you prefer
them to drown in a bowl of beer or be crushed under the wheels
of passing motorists, they must be culled. However, not all slugs
and snails are vegetarian monsters so you only really want to
search and destroy those intent on scoffing your lovely hosta
specimens. Therefore, we recommend a targetted approach or 'strategic
campaign' if your guns are really out:
- Start using your chemical (metaldehyde-based)
or organic (iron phosphate-based) pellets early on in the year,
when the first warm weather hits.
- Use your pellets wisely, don't scatter widely
and wantonly, remember slugs and snails hunt by smell so you
risk attracting more of a problem than you need to solve.
- Keep your pellets dry by putting a teaspoonful
of pellets in a jar (on its side) hidden among the foliage.
This keeps the pellets effective for longer and any slugs in
the vicinity will snack on the them in preference to your plants.
- Good luck!
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PSST...now
you can get 'organic' slug pellets too.
For the past couple of years we have been
using a ferric phosphate control - Advanced
Slug Killer, which we have found to be as effective as
the traditional metaldehyde-based form. Contact Growing
Success for more information. |
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This month
sees the 20th anniversary of the 'great storm', which hit the south east
of the UK in the early hours of 16th October 1987.
It was an event that we would not forget in a hurry and one that caused
so much destruction.
We were woken by some terrifying sounds early on that morning
and spent several hours huddled in sleeping bags in the hall, which was
the quietest part of the house.
As dawn broke and the wind began to die down we surveyed
the wreckage of our newly erected tunnels:
The damage assessment concluded that the force
of the wind, as it was deflected over the top of the first tunnel, was
sufficient to lift a jumbo jet...
... consequently the rest of the tunnels didn't
stand a chance and were torn apart. We often wonder where the polythene
ended up.
Take
a look here for more images.
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