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February 2005
Tokely’s Topical Tips 

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

SEE ALSO

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2005

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2004

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2003

Tokely's Topical Tips - 2002

Planet Suffolk

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Topical Tips: Week commencing 04/03/05
Orchids
Orchids

1. It is Mother's Day on the 6th March, so don't forget to go out and buy your Mother some flowers. This could be fresh cut flowers, or an attractive houseplant or why not buy a nice shrub like a Camellia for the garden.

Sweet peas bright and breezy
Sweet Peas Bright and Breezy

2. Sweet peas sown under glass in January should have 2-3 pairs of leaves by now. These can have their tops pinched out so they are encouraged to bush out and make stronger plants, plus you will get more flowers this summer. Once weather turns a little milder move plants into a cold frame to gradually start to harden them off before planting outside next month.

Pansy universal mixed
Pansy Universal Mixed

3. After the recent wet, frosty, snowy weather, lots of spring bedding like winter flowering pansies and polyanthus, are looking very weather damaged. If you can reach your plants without treading on the borders, it is wise to clean the plants up, as this will encourage them to carry on flowering. If you can't reach, wait until the borders dry out a little first.

Polyanthus
Polyanthus

4. Now March has arrived, if you have any houseplants that are getting a little pot bound, and appear to be suffering, now is a good time to repot them. Only move plants on into pots that are 1-2 sizes bigger than the original pot, and always use good quality potting or houseplant compost.

Garlic
Garlic

5. There is still time to plant garlic cloves. At this time of year, I find it best to plant individual divided up cloves into 9cm (3 ½ in) pots and grow them on in a cold glasshouse. Once they are shooting well and planting conditions are better on the vegetable plot, you can safely plant them out, and you should still get a good harvest later in the year.

Celery Galaxy
Celery Galaxy

6. March is the best month to sow celery or celeriac. This should be sown under glass in a heated propagator set at 15-18 C (60-65F). I like to grow either Celery Victoria or Galaxy and Celeriac Monarch. Seed germinates easily and needs pricking out as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle.

Niche Salad Leaves Mix
Niche Salad Leaves Mix

To grow this vegetable well you need to keep your plants growing all the time, so they must never become pot bound (full of roots), so repotting regularly until planting out time in June is vital. Once planted all you need to remember is water, water, water. Then hopefully you will be enjoying some fresh crunchy celery or celeriac of your own.

Surfinia Petunia
Surfinia Petunia

7. If you didn't save your old basket plants from last year, most garden centres have young basket plants like surfinia petunias, verbena, fuchsia and nemesia for sale now. At this time of year I like to buy one or two plants of varieties I may not have and pot them up into 9cm (3 ½ in) pots and grow them on in my heated glasshouse or on the windowsill.

These will quickly grow and produce some new young shoots, which I can take as cuttings. Why don't you do the same, as I find it is an easy way of getting plants for free, filling a large number of baskets cheaply, all from the 1 or 2 plants that I originally bought.

Radish Mirabeau
Radish Mirabeau

8. Sow some salad leaves or radish in wooden boxes or large pots filled with compost. Once sown these can be grown on in a cool glasshouse or conservatory, and you will be amazed how quickly you will be harvesting some fresh salads.

 
comments
 

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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