Gardener's World with Paraic Horkan NDH

DIY - Recycling.

At least one half of your household waste is recyclable into valuable garden compost, which can be used as soil conditioner, planting compost and as garden mulch. Not only does it add beneficial nutrition for your plants it also helps to break up your soil and conserve moisture for plants in mid - summer.
Good garden compost is in valuable when planting new trees and shrubs or for digging in to the fruit and veg garden in early spring.
February is an excellent month to consider making garden compost.
Natural composting is all around us when nature break's down organic matter into valuable compost for all living organisms; you can copy this process for household waste and provide your garden with valuable compost all year round.

The increase pressure from our waste disposal organisations should encourage all households to reduce their waste output by recycling natural material and in turn reducing the cost of waste removal.

Construct your own compost bin.

Lets start with recycling, an old refuse bin or plastic drum makes ideal compost bin. The bottom of the plastic container should be cut off to allow the compost sit on the soil where earthworms can enter the compost and accelerate the breakdown of the household waste. Earthworms encourage the compost to decay quickly by breaking up waste particles and allowing air to circulate through which encourages the bacteria to work faster in turning your household waste into a clean compost matter.

Horkys tip: Start with two bins one with the original household waste breaking down and the second for recent material, which can be added to each day. When the first bin is empty simply add the contents of the second bin and start the process all over again.

Materials to add.

Most organic materials, which will readily decompose, are suitable for composting. For best results a mixture of coarse and fine materials are ideal, do not use all the same material like grass clippings, as the breakdown will be very slow.

Variety of material is the order of the day.
Add garden wastes such as grass clippings, non-woody garden prunings, green or brown leaves, flower and vegetable remains.
Kitchen waste including vegetable peelings, tealeaves, eggshells, and general cooked peelings. Newspapers and cardboard, sawdust and wood shavings, and wood fire ash.

DO NOT ADD cooked meats, woody plant material, rose pruning, treated weeds, and plastics.

The top of your compost bin should be covered to stop excessive moisture wetting the composting material, but the material should be slightly moist to allow de composition to occur.

Horkys tip: Add liquid compost activator when adding new material this accelerates the breakdown of material and encourages the bacteria to work faster.

When possible empty the contents of the compost bin to allow air to circulate around and through the material. Simply empty the bin and shovel the contents back in if this is carried out on a regular basis you will have beneficial garden compost in no time.

Summer colour two of the best

Osteospernum.

One of the most outstanding garden plants is the entire family of osteospernums. Available in many different colours they produce their large showy flowers from may right through to early winter.
Osteospernum come in a range of beautiful colours from pure white, yellow, soft pink, deep pink and purple.

They are at home in a sunny flower or shrub border as fillers or as a mixed or single planting in terracotta pots, window boxes or patio planters.
The large open flower gives a tremoundous show of colour with repeat flowers and flowering buds on the plant throughout the summer and autumn months.

The overall shape of the plant is compact with dark green foliage which supports the large showy flowers from early may right up until early November.

Horkys tip: Plant three osteospernums of the same colour amongst flowering and foliage shrubs for a brilliant show of colour all summer.
They are super in poor free draining soil particularly suited to rockeries and alpine borders.

Osteospernums can be propagated easily from cuttings in September for flowering the following season.

Verbena tapien.

A super summer flowering border plant introduced a number of years ago. At home in the mixed flowerbed or as a mixed combination in baskets and patio planters makes tapien suitable for all gardens large and small.

Tapien has large purple flowers carried from may through to late summer.the foliage is neat and compact and the stems spread across the ground or drape over the container to give a stunning display throughout summer.
Tapien can be inter planted with existing plants to give a ground cover effect in rockeries, raised beds or large containers.

Horkys tip: Plant three tapiens together to the front of shrubs to create a ground cover border and reduce weeding this summer. Feed with algoflash every two weeks for a stunning display.

Horky's weekly gardening tips.

• Apply slug liquid this summer on vegetables and flowers for the most effective method to control slugs and snails. Slug liquid is invisible to children or pets and is safe to use on all garden plants.
• Repot indoor plants now into Westland houseplant compost and feed regularly with algoflash.
• Continue to plant summer flowering and foliage shrubs, soil conditions are ideal at present.
• Plant the new double flowering petunia called petunia Priscilla, which has large double blooms, which are sweetly scented.
• Spray garden plants now with tumble bug to control aphids, which are damaging many garden plants.
• Plant up your empty containers now with a wide selection of summer flowering plants now available.
• Remember fuchsias will give long-lasting colour until late winter.
• Feed all containers with algoflash every two weeks.
• Remember Horkans garden centre castlebar are open seven days sun 2 to 6 for your gardening advice.

Remember Horkans Garden Centres in Sligo and Castlebar are open seven days Sunday 2 to 6pm. horky@iol.ie

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