Creative Gardens Q&A - Growing Herbs

QUESTION

I would love to grow herbs that I could use in cooking. I don't know what to do, is it difficult to grow herbs?

ANSWER

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. There are just a few basic points to follow and you will be rewarded with beautiful fresh flavours.

Location - Herbs can be planted in open ground or in containers in a sheltered, sunny position with minimum of 4 to 7 hours of direct sunlight. If you are going to plant the herbs in containers, use a mixture of 50% compost and horticulture grit. Ensure the container has a drainage hole to ensure good drainage as herbs dislike wet conditions.

If you are planting your herbs in the open ground the soil should be free from weeds and overhanging branches. Fork in organic matter (farmyard manure) and rake over the soil so that the area is level.

Design - Small formal herb gardens are timeless. These are based on geometric patterns, framed by low hedges and paved paths. Stepping stones can be provided to provide access to the herbs for harvesting.

Planting - Gently loosen the root ball to encourage new growth, and plant to a depth just under the soil level. After planting firm in the soil gently around the plant and then water.  Some herbs such as Spearmint can be invasive, restrict their spread by planting them in containers sunken into the ground.

Aftercare - Water newly planted herbs regularly but once they are established they are naturally drought resistant.

During the growing season use a well balanced fertilizer. Always use half the dosage given on the packaging. The reason for this is the essential oils of the herbs that 'suffer' a bit are more concentrated, increasing their flavour.

To encourage healthy, bushy growth, remove dead leaves and flowers. If you use your herbs frequently, pruning may not be necessary as you would be pruning when harvesting. When harvesting use a sharp knife or scissors, do not break or tear off the branches as this will affect healthy growth.

Herbs are not very prone to pests, but if you see any aphids/white fly, simply cut back the herbs or use an organic pesticide.

Creative Gardens Q&A - Cuttings

QUESTION

I have some pretty flowering Hebes in my garden. I would like to try taking cuttings from them. Any tips?

ANSWER

Spring is the perfect time to take Softwood cuttings and Hebes can be easily multiplied this way. You need to wait until the shrub has produced some nice fresh new growth.

Here is what you need; a good clean sharp knife, horticultural sand, peat or seed and cutting compost, hormone rooting powder, a pot or seed tray, label and pencil and a watering can.

Choose a good healthy plant that has produced some nice fresh new growth. Choose a non flowering stem and make the cut just below a node (the swollen part of the stem where the leaf is). Your cutting should be about 7 – 10 cm long, that’s 3 – 4 inches.

Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the base in the rooting powder.  This will encourage roots to develop.

Fill a pot or tray with a 50/50 mix of peat and sand. Place your cuttings carefully in the pot.

Don’t let your cuttings dry out. You can purchase a mini propagator quite cheaply which is ideal for controlling humidity and can be used for seeds as well as cuttings.

Water and label your cuttings and keep them in a bright area but away from direct sunlight.

After a few weeks check if your cuttings have rooted by gently placing a dibber underneath and lift cuttings to expose root system. When there are plenty of roots produced pot the cuttings in to single 3” or 4” pots and when the roots have filled these pot on into a larger pot. Eventually by next year you will have a small shrub ready to plant in your garden or why not give the lovely gift of a home grown shrub to a friend!

Creative Gardens Q&A - Unhealthy Shrubs

QUESTION

Some of my shrubs are straggly and didn't flower that well last year. Should I cut them back or will that damage them?

ANSWER

If you have been disappointed by some of your shrubs that have not produced an abundance of flowers, pruning in Spring will encourage new flowering stems. Left unpruned deciduous shrubs that bear flowers on the current season’s growth tend to become congested and flower quality deteriorates.

Here are some shrubs that will benefit from spring pruning:

Abelia, Buddleia, deciduous Ceanothus, Forsythia (after flowering), Fuchsia, Spiraea,  Perovskia.

It is best to use a good sharp pair of secateurs, long handled loppers are needed for thicker stems or use shears where there is a great deal of dead weak light growth which needs to be removed.

As a general rule the best time to prune your trees and shrubs is immediately after flowering. This helps to promote good healthy growth of new stems. As well as helping to control the height of your shrubs removing any damaged or dead stems which can become diseased is important. If you are unsure which stems are dead scrape a small section of the stem or branch. If the lower layer is green then the branch is alive if the tissue is brown then it is dead and should be removed.

Prune out the stems of the previous year’s growth to within 2 – 4 buds of old wood. Always cut the stem at a 45 degree angle making a sharp clean cut just above an outward facing bud. This will encourage the new stem to grow outward and not inwards. Cut back some of the main stems to the base to retain an open framework.

Buddleia needs a more drastic prune. Using loppers cut back all the main shoots that flowered the previous year to within 1 -3 buds of the old wood. 

Evergreen shrubs such as Rhododendrons and Azaleas do not need pruning at all unless they have dead or damaged stems.

All you need to do now is add a good quality fertiliser to promote fresh healthy growth. You will almost hear your shrubs breathe a sigh of relief, glad to be rid of dead and unhealthy branches.