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June 2004
Tokely’s Topical Tips

Andrew Tokely joins Lesley Dolphin for Tokely's tips at about 11.30am on Friday mornings on her mid morning show on BBC Radio Suffolk.

Take a look at his Topical Tips for week commencing 18th June.

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Every centimetre counts - growing Sunflowers for BBC Children in Need

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2004

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2003

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2002

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Topical Tips: Week commencing 18/06/04

Impatiens

1. Like me you have probably been busy over the last few weeks planting out summer bedding, and watering it regularly in the evening to get it established in the ground.

Well I have now noticed some small weed seedlings appearing, so before they get too big and take over, hoe carefully in between your plants. This will tidy up the flower borders as well as let a little air into the soil, which will certainly help the development of your bedding plants.

Tomato tumbler

2. The tomatoes I planted earlier in the year in baskets are growing away well now. Mine have their first trusses setting, so now is a good time to start feeding them with high potash feed (tomato food). This is now done regularly once a week throughout the season.

Beet Wodan

3. As space comes available on the vegetable plot, keep it full by sowing summer salads of rocket, lettuce, radish, beetroot and mixed salad leaves.

You can also sow turnips now for harvesting when young, used grated in a salad, or mature as a cooked vegetable. I like to use Oasis for this as it has a melon flavour when eaten raw.

Turnip Oasis

When sowing seeds outside at this time of the year in drills, it is always wise to water the bottom of the drill first before sowing. This way the moisture is trapped below the surface, where the seeds need it, and it won't evaporate away as quick as when it is splashed on the surface.

Hydrangea Hovaria Love You Kiss

4. During the summer as I travel around Suffolk I often see Hydrageas in gardens that have been changed from Pink or red to Blue.

Well if you have any of the traditional Hydrangea hortensia type in your garden that are pink or red, these can be changed to blue if you wish. Now is the time of year to water the plants with the blue colorant (aluminium sulphate). This causes no harm to the plants, but will change the flowers from pink or red to blue. This colorant is available for sale in most good garden centres.

Broccoli White Sprouting

5. Earlier in the year we sowed some wintergreens. These were sown either in a seedbed or raised in modules. As space is normally tight at this time of year I like to plant mine in between my rows of shallots or Japanese onions, as these will be harvested soon. This inter-planting makes good use of the ground and keeps my plot full and productive.

Canna Mix

6. Those canna bulbs we planted earlier in the year in pots underglass to add that tropical feel to the garden, are growing away well now. These can now be planted into borders, as a dot plant to add height and interest with their large brightly coloured leaves and later in the summer brightly coloured flowers. Or try planting in large containers on a sunny patio under planted with brightly coloured impatiens or gazanias for that dramatic effect.

Lettuce Little Gem

7. Many apple, pear and plum trees are loaded with fruit this year. Don't be tempted to thin out the fruits until you are sure we have had June drop. This is the natural method at this time of year of thinning the crop. Once you see some small fruits have naturally dropped off the trees, and if your trees are still over crowded then you can carry out this secondary thinning of the crop, so you produce bigger fruits to harvest later.

Radish

8. Once late spring flowering shrubs have finished flowering like weigela and philadelphus mock orange, they need pruning. These shrubs flower each year on new shoots produced the previous year, so it is important to prune them back once they have finished flowering. Both these shrubs respond well to hard pruning, so don't be afraid to give them a good haircut, provided you are not cutting back into very old wood.

Top | Nature Index | Home

e.g. Tom, Ipswich
hi can anyone tell me when should i plant my lilys i brought from the gfs

e.g. Tom, Ipswich
Please can you let me know what mimulus looks likeThanksJulie

Annette Kent
Should I dead head my anemone de caen? If so where do I cut the stem and how do I care for them?

david nottingham
how do i split begonia corms that have large growth

Beryl Kent
when should I plant my impatiens in the ground

gina burnley
please can you advise best way to hang flower pouches

chris, spain
whats the best way for growing corinander

PW Clacton
I want to put two small hardy plants,shrubs, on my parents Grave. What should I buy please?

leni norfolk
is it too late to plant grass seed

dawn george sevenoaks
do i need to protect my dipladenia plants from frost

Vimi Spain
Can you give me tips on how to care for Dipladenias, some say pinch out new shoots and some say don't.

tony sunbury
do i have to nip out the tops of my dianthus cuttings ?

Colleen Reading
Have grown yellow Verbascom from seed. When's the best time to plant out in the shubbery?

pete west mids
do i remove all stems & leaves on my newly planted rhubarb

Meryl Nottingham
what is the best compost to use when repotting hostas and when best time to repot

Diana O'Donnell, Hythe
I am disabled and unable to get to a garden centre. Where can I get a grease band on line please?

creina Spain
My arum lillies are not lasting very long before wilting and the foliage is going yellow. Am I watering too much. It has`been quite warm and they are on the irrigation line at 3 minutes per day. We have a very heavy clay soil which holds the moisture

Shaun, Oswestry
I have strawberry plants which have started to develop bblack patches and drying out leaves. Can you tell me what this is, and am I ok to use dithane fungicide on the plants?

karen Lincolnshire
how large do seedlings have to be to repot to a larger pot prior to going into the greenhouse and potting out after frosts? Very new to this, any advice would help! Have various seeds carnations, daisys etc just not sure how tall the seedlings should be?

diana chester
whn can i plant my nastertiums outside

Liz somerset
Can I put moss on my compost heap after I have scarified my lawn

graham, chester
our rubber plant is about 8 feet tall, we need to cut it back.Can we,if so when, by how much should we cut it down. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Regards Graham Futcher

Allan Derby
i am having trouble finding onion Beacon F1 seed?

Jenny, Peterborough
I am only a beginner gardener. I had some geraniums and begonias outside in pots, and on the advice of my garden centre brought them indoors when we started to get some frost. They are in the house as I don't have a greenhouse. They seemed to be OK until we turned the central heating on. I think I may have over-watered them to compensate. Very few flowers are left,just on one begonia, a lot of the geranium leaves have dries up, and several of the stalks have gone "mushy". Advice please - I was hoping they would look nice in the house through the winter, and I could put them out again in the Spring.

caroline ipswich
i have got a yellow zantedeschia in my back lounge at the moment and i have noticed just recently that a couple of the leaves are gone yellow please tell what to do,have i over watered it.

Mike N Wales
My rubber plant has grown long air roots, can I cut them off?

e.g. Tom, Ipswich
How do I look after banana plants

bethany leicester
is it possible to get seeds from trailing geranium plants if so, how?

Kate, Solihull
I have strawberry plants in pots, the leaves are growing too big, do I need to cut the old leaves off to make way for the new ones and do I need to do anything special to them over the winter. It is now autumn. Thanks.

Stan ,Manchester
My Hydrangea has very large blooms , but they are hidden inside masses of leaves

Helen, Surrey.
I planted two dwarf banana plants back in may and now need to move them. whats the best wat yo do it and at what time of the year?Thanks H

M Shaw Dorset
Arum lillies -should the dead flowers and seed heads be cut off

e.g. denise hampshire
do i have to trim the leaves from my courgettte plant there seems to be more leaf than fruit

Dianne - Co Durham
Most of my fuschias have leaves which have turned yellow and dropped, but a new set of buds are now ready to open. what could be the problem please?

Gordon----Plymouth
I have some pots 10"dia and 16" tall,i want to grow individual celery plants in each one, have you any advice please.

John - Antrim
When the flower heads on Arum lillies die back what should I do?

kirkbyken
any answers to these questions

Stewart /Wiltshire
Leaf Curl on Asters how do I treat

chrissie South Yorkshire
Im trying to save some overgrown shrubs either by cutting back or taking cuttings have found your site brilliant thanks!!!!

e.g. Tom, Ipswich
Can I cut the leaves off courgette plants

jack london
how do I get rid of japanese anemones?

connie london
i planted arum lily this year but so far nothing is showing. have i done the correct method

Nora, Cairneyhill
Should I dead head my anemone de caen? If so where do I cut the stem and how do I care for them?

e.g. Tom, Ipswich
Blackcurrant bush with red blistering on leaves nnd stunted growth. I. D. and treatment, please.

jo leicester
how do i get rid of black fly on nasturtiums? please help

Angie Cheshire
I have trasplanted a rhubarb crown (sept 2006) can I harvest the fruit this year?

sammy worcester
How do you get a wisteria tree ?

e.g. gabby, cheshire
can I use moss from the lawn in my compost bin? will it make good compost?

terry hull
i need to paint wooden garden furniture i have tried the shed and fence paint but was no good advise please

LAKOOKARACHA
Tell me if birds are affected by music.

george cambridge
Were can I get icarus sprout seeds?

Jane, Shropshire
I Googled for advice on how to treat chrysanthemum stools over the winter and found your advice most helpful, thanks :O)

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