Welcome to “Gardening Tips and Advice” with Ardcarne Garden Centre, a new weekly feature here on Boyletoday.com. Every Wednesday, the experts in Ardcarne Garden Centre will provide relevant and topical items of interest to help you get the best from your garden.
Great to do now…
* Bring colour to your patio pots with Senetti flowers which have vivid daisy-like flowers for months in spring and early summer.
* Plant seed potatoes, onion sets, herbs and vegetable seed now for a bumper harvest!
* Feed hedges and shrubs in borders with Chicken Manure Pellets to encourage strong new growth.
* Plant a few strawberry plants now to enjoy your own crops of tasty fruit this summer. They grow easily in the garden or pots and are fun for children to plant.
* Apple trees, plums, pears and other fruits can all be planted now and will quickly establish in the moist, warming soil.
* Summer flowering bulbs such as dahlias, gladioli, begonias and lilies can all be planted now for great summer colour this year.
Focus on… Lawn Care
A good lawn really enhances a garden and creates a calming contrast to bustling busy borders. Lawns are also a practical use of space, especially in large gardens and offer places for relaxation and play. What are the secrets for having a good lawn? It’s all about a little regular care every year.
Feeding is the key for a perfect lawn and NOW is the perfect time. Feeding will not only keep it green and healthy, but will discourage weeds and moss from establishing. Here at Ardcarne Garden Centre we recommend HumberPalmers fertiliser as it has a slow release action, therefore keeping the lawn green all summer. It’s used by professional green keepers and it’s organic. A second application is beneficial in late summer to keep the lawn in good health over the autumn and winter period.
Controlling moss
In the west of Ireland moss is a problem that really needs to be addressed every year, otherwise it can build up and smother the grass. To treat a very mossy lawn use Sulphate of Iron, which kills the moss and turns it black. This should then be raked out, with a spring tine rake or a mechanical scarifier for large areas. Although the lawn can look bare for a while, it will quickly recover, especially after feeding.
There are several other products available for controlling moss in lawns including Osmo which not only kills moss, but also feeds the lawn for three months as well. A big advantage with Osmo is that you don’t need to rake out the dead moss, as it just withers away. Other lawn care products include Westland Lawn Feed, Weed & Mosskiller, which controls moss & weeds and feeds the lawn at the same time.
For more information contact:
Ardcarne Garden Centre
Boyle, Tel: 07196 67091
Roscommon Town: Tel: 09066 27700
Email: [email protected]
OPEN 7 DAYS
