Propagation made easy with Bell Plantation! As Spring gets closer it is time to start thinking about growing your own vegetables, fruit and plants! In this article, Trevor, our Horticultural Manager, will take you through the stages of Propagation so check back for updates and new videos! Watch our quick guide on how to propagate Why propagate? Growing from seed is a less expensive way to stock your garden Plants produced from seed are hardy and have a strong root system Starting the seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the average date of the last frost (depending on variety and where you live, check the seed label) can extend the blooming or production time For things like herbs, you can grow more varieties than you can buy as plants in the supermarket Whilst growing your own plants from seed might seem a daunting task at first, it doesn’t have to be. You can grow from seed in a small windowsill or you could go all out and use a greenhouse – it is completely dependent on the space you have available. Getting started: Sowing In this video, Karen takes you through the process of sowing your seeds. We’ve also detailed the steps below. 1. Ensure your seed trays are new, or clean. 2. Almost fill trays with seed compost and then water the compost with a watering can with a fine rose before planting the seeds to avoid disturbing the seed once planted. Use tap water rather than from a water butt so as not to introduce infection 3. Sow seeds sparingly to make pricking out easier later (separating the seedlings to pot on) 4. The packet will tell you how deep the seeds need to be sown, but generally seeds need to be planted 1½ times deep as they are in size 5. Cover lightly with compost 6. Write labels with variety and date planted 7. Cover tray with piece of glass, sheet of newspaper or purpose transparent lid until seeds start to germinate 8. Ongoing watering: Water from above (with a watering can with fine rose), trying to avoid wetting the seedlings, or water from below (stand pots in a tray and pour water in to the tray for the soil to soak up) Why use Seed compost? This compost has the right formulation of nutrients to nurture the plant at this stage in its life cycle and encourage strong root growth. It’s finer and less lumpy, light and well drained. However, it doesn’t have enough nutrients for older plants Multi-purpose compost can also be suitable for seeds and seedlings Next steps: Pricking out / potting on Video coming soon! Once seedlings have produced their second set of leaves (on average, 4-6 weeks after sowing) they should be large enough to pot on to give them more space to develop Have the new pot ready to transplant in to Hold on to one of the lower leaves (never handle by the stems as they bruise easily) and gently work the roots out so as not to damage them Use a dibber or finger to make a hole in the compost in the new pot and tuck the roots down in to the hole, then gently press the soil in around it Don’t forget to water them Common mistakes when growing from seed Not enough light Too much or too little water Starting seeds too early Planting too deep Temperature too low Bringing them outdoors too soon Hardening off Gradually acclimatise seedlings to being outdoors over the course of around 10 days Put trays/pots in a protected position (sheltered from wind and direct sunlight) for a couple of hours during daylight. If possible, lower the temperature of the greenhouse/propagator for rest of day Gradually increase the amount of time spent outside so that by time of last frost they are used to being outside Cold frames are excellent for hardening off seedlings If you’d like to find out more or have questions then please do come and talk to our experts CONTACT US

January in the garden The Christmas decorations are down and with the New Year comes renewed energy and grand plans for the coming 12 months. So get out in the garden on a crisp, sunny day and start your gardening year! Here’s a summary, but scroll down if you want more information on any of these jobs! In the Vegetable Plot Start planning for this season Start to grow under cover In the Flower Bed Remove leaves from Hellibores Cut back grasses Deadhead Winter Pansies Check Dahlia Tubers Around the Garden Shred your Christmas Tree Don’t step on the lawn! In the vegetable plot Start planning for this season Start thinking about what you’d like to grow this year. Make a list, but be realistic about what you have space for, can cope with, or what you’ll actually eat. Once you’ve got your list, start planning out your vegetable plot. In the flower bed Remove leaves from Hellebores Remove old leaves from Hellebores so that you can see their beautiful flowers as they emerge, plus they can harbour a fungal infection which causes black spots on the leaves. Cut back grasses Cut back ornamental grasses to within a few centimetres of the ground before new growth starts to come through. Deadhead winter pansies Deadhead Winter Pansies to encourage late blooms and prevent them self setting. Check Dahlia tubers Check your Dahlia tubers if you are storing any to make sure they aren’t showing signs of rotting. Discard any that are. Around the garden Shred your Christmas tree If you had a real Christmas tree, shred it and add to your compost heap, or strip the branches and use them as pea sticks! Look after your lawn There’s not much to do with your lawn at this time of year except trying to avoid walking on it when there is a heavy frost or snow so that you don’t damage the grass. Easier said than done if you have small children around! Feed fruit trees and bushes Give your fruit trees and bushes some help by using Sulphate of Potash around the base and gently hoeing in to the surface of the soil, being careful not to damage any shallow roots. This will help them to flower and fruit well. For the wildlife… Keep feeders topped up Make sure bird feeders are regularly topped up with fat and calorie rich foods. Bird boxes Clean out and put up bird boxes in sheltered areas before breeding season; or check existing boxes to make sure they’re fixed onto walls and fences properly. Remove any old nesting materials. Christmas trees Recycle Christmas trees by chopping them up and making them into piles for wildlife habitats. Bees Watch out for nesting bees when digging. What To Plant This Month If you’d like to find out more or have questions then please do come and talk to our experts CONTACT US

A new year means a new range of possibilities for your garden or allotment. Sowing this month means you have a chance of getting ahead and earlier harvests; though the weather is still bitterly cold, so keeping seedling in the right conditions is important. Here are our top recommendations for planting in the month of January… Veg to plant in January… Aubergine Aubergines can be sown this month – they need a consistent temperature for germination so heated propagators are best. Basil Basil can be sown and placed under a heated propagator. Flowers to plant in January… Sweet Peas Sweet peas can be sown indoors this month – use toilet roll tubes as pots that can then be directly planted out into the soil. Geranium Sow now for blooms next June to October. Dahlias Dahlias can now be sown into small pots. Delphinium Sow delphiniums now for summer displays. If you’d like to find out more or have questions then please do come and talk to our experts CONTACT US