As a gardener, it’s important to remember that no ‘one size fits all’, and the timing of certain tasks needs to align with the prevailing weather conditions in your local area, and even the microclimate within your garden. In general, in Manchester, we are a few weeks to a month behind those in the ‘soft-south’ so the to-do list needs to be tailored accordingly.
Dead-heading the hydrangeas
For example, I might have been inclined to leave the protective mops on the hydrangeas for another couple of weeks, in case we get another hard frost or two. However, over the last two weeks, I decided to go ahead with the de-mopping (dead-heading) task on account of the strong winds having the potential to cause more damage than any frost. Remove the heads just above a pair of healthy leaf buds.
Hydrangeas with their mops
Seed-sowing
The instructions on the backs of my seed packets (probably authored by southerners) are hectoring me in to thinking I should have started sowing my veggies and annuals in February.
I’m trying to resist the seed-sowing temptation for another week or so; it just results in me having loads of seedlings that need to be re-potted and grown on when I’ve run out of space for them inside and it’s too cold to put them outside.
My supposedly fool-proof cosmos seedlings are looking decidedly worse for wear, after being introduced to a cold greenhouse far too early for their liking. Live and learn…
Tomato seedlings; don’t be tempted to sow too early
Pruning Bush Roses
The Forsythia is now in bloom here. Apparently, this is a locally-appropriate sign that it’s time to prune the roses. Actually, I’ve been doing this particular job for a few weeks now, armed with my elbow-length leather gauntlets for the most hostile specimens.
For older bush roses, I have pruned the stems right down to 30cm, cutting to an outwards-facing leaf bud, so new growth forms a well-shaped bush. I have also removed the oldest, woodiest stems right at the base. After pruning, give them a mulch around the base, with a 5cm layer of home-made garden compost or well-rotted manure.
Renovating Climbing Roses
I’m now acquainted with a few climbing roses, and a number of them seem to be a bit congested and out of hand. I suppose I neglected them this time last year, as I retreated into the first lockdown for a few weeks, compounded by a sprained ankle.
Renovating crowded and unruly climbing roses seems a bit daunting at first. You need to be brave. Select around six young, long and healthy-looking stems. Cut the other, old and woody stems right out at ground level. Use a pruning saw if necessary, to remove thicker, older stems neatly, at the base of the plant.
On the remaining half-dozen stems, trim off the tips and shorten any side shoots, to encourage the stems to bush out. Now train and tie in the stems to their supports, so they are each spaced apart but as close to the horizontal position as possible. This might involve bending some longer stems into a zig-zag. Don’t forget to mulch and feed, as with bush roses.
Positioning the stems on the horizontal like this encourages upwards growth from the side shoots, and achieves better overall coverage, and I’m really looking forward to the display it will stimulate.
Looking forward to seeing the climbing roses