Gardening - Frequently Asked Questions!

lawn care, gardening

I came across some information at http://www.yates.com which I thought was of interest and recommend it to you. terry

Q. What do I do with my bulbs after they finish flowering?

A. Trim off dead flower stems and, if you want to keep the bulbs for next year, water them regularly with a soluble fertiliser (like Thrive or Aquasol) until the leaves die down completely. Then lift the bulbs, clean them and store them somewhere cool and dry. Cool climate bulbs - like tulips, hyacinths and daffodils - should be placed in the crisper section of the fridge in February and left for two months before planted out. Re-using bulbs can be a chancy business, especially if your winters are not particularly cold, and if you want best results you should buy fresh bulbs each year.

Chemical Disposal

Q. What is the best way to safely dispose of old chemicals?

A. Contact your local council for collection of chemical materials. To dispose of containers rinse thoroughly, smash or put holes in them and put in rubbish bin or take to tip. Do not recycle. For disposal of larger quantities of chemicals contact your local council. For pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, wrap the container in paper, put into a plastic bag and dispose of in the household garbage collection. The best way to dispose of any left over chemical, is to talk to your local council, who may have periodic chemical collection days, where you can safely leave old or unwanted garden chemicals.

Fertilising

Q. Why hasn't my plant flowered? It has lots of beautiful leaves and looks very healthy?

A. The soil may contain too much nitrogen relative to the other nutrients. Apply Thrive Flower and Fruit or Sulphate of Potash.

Q. When I spread dry fertiliser around my garden the plants ended up all turning brown on the edges. Why?

A. Dry fertilisers contain a high proportion of soluble nitrogen that will take water from the nearest plant if there is insufficient moisture in the soil. Always water dry fertiliser in well immediately after application.

Q. Why is it best not to fertilise in winter?

A. Most plants grow predominantly during the warmer months of the year. This is when they require both moisture and nutrients for growth. During winter, when there is no or minimal plant growth, plants require little or no nutrients, therefore it is unnecessary and also wasteful to fertiliser in winter.

Q. What is the dilution rate of hose-on products?

A. Hose-on applicators dilute at approximately 30 : 1.(water to product) Therefore Weed'n'Feed hose on can be used @300ml per 9l water and applied over 20 m2 with a watering can and sprinkle bar. Confidor Hose-On for lawns can be used in a watering can @10ml in 9litres water over 3m2 then watered in. Dynamic Lifter Hose-On plant food: 300ml:9 litres water:15m2.

Q. Are the heavy metals in Fertilisers dangerous?

A. Many of the nutrients in mineral fertilisers are originally derived from natural mined sources. These contain a small background level of heavy metals, just like garden soil. It's important to note, however, that common foods also contain heavy metals. For example chocolate contains cadmium and seafood contains mercury.These foodswill most likely provide more heavy metals in the diet than home garden fertilisers.

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com

I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article.

Article Source: http://www.yates.com