| April is a busy
month!
Stopping
Stopping the last of my plants is carried out this month.
Cold frames now invaluable
As the greenhouses become too small to contain the chrysanthemums and the
bedding plants that now demand both space and attention I transfer many of
my chrysanthemums to the cold frames. The cooler conditions will benefit
the chrysanths and help to keep them short.
Greenhouse preparation
The greenhouses now have to be prepared for growing a crop of Earlies.
This means removing and storing all staging and other items so that the
beds can be dug over and a base dressing of fertiliser applied about ten
days before putting the plants into the soil.
Ground preparation
The outdoor beds have not been touched since they were roughly dug over
last October. Now, similar to the preparation fro the greenhouses, the
beds are dug over and base dressing applied. Windbreak netting is erected
around the beds.
Treatment of plants
Most plants are now beginning to fill their containers with roots, a
consequence of this is regular watering as they dry out fairly quickly in
the sunshine of early spring. Those plants that were potted up first are
also given a balanced liquid feed to keep them moving and help the
laterals to come away strongly.
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