APHIDS

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Aphids are slow-moving and defenceless insects found feeding on many garden plants and trees. They are also referred to as greenfly, black fly and plant lice. There are many different species of aphids, more than 500 in Great Britain. They range in size from 1-7mm long and are yellow, pink, white or mottled in appearance.  Some cover themselves in a fluffy wax secretion which gives them a woolly appearance.

Aphids feed on on foliage, stems and flowers and cluster around soft new vegetation, although some will suck sap from plant roots. This causes distortion of the plants and can transmit viruses from plant to plant and is a particular problem on strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, dahlias, tulips and sweet peas. They excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which adheres to the plant foliage and encourages the growth of sooty moulds. 

You can spot aphid infestations on your plants as they will gather in numbers around shoot tips, flower buds and the underside of younger leaves.  The plant will look stunted and leaves distorted, whilst the sticky honeydew will start to allow the growth of black sooty moulds on the plant. Empty aphid cast skins may gather on the upper surface of the leaves.Aphids are not fussy eaters and most plants are susceptible to attack including ornamentals, vegetables, glasshouse plants and house plants. They are at their most active spring to late summer, or all year round under glass.

Aphids live in wingless female colonies, and aphid wings only form when conditions become overcrowded or the host plant deteriorates.  Females give birth to live young, who are pregnant at the time of their birth.  During cold spells aphids overwinter as eggs.

Aphids can be controlled by biological means as they have many predators including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, hover fly larvae, lace fly larvae.  Aphids predators can be used successfully in glasshouses the effect is limited as it takes time for natural enemies to build up their numbers. Where possible you can squash aphids between your fingers.

Insecticides can effectively be used to control aphids.  Contact pesticides based on natural compounds have a short persistence and can be used on edible crops. Chemical contact pesticides have more persistence and give longer lasting control but have less effect on aphids within distorted leaves and more restrictions on spraying near harvest time. Systemic insecticides are absorbed into the plant tissues and will effect aphids hidden in curled leaves that contact insecticides will not reach.

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HOW TO GROW SQUASH

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Squashes belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, along with pumpkins, gourds, cucumber and melon.  Plants bear palmately lobed, alternate, and simple leaves and have spiraling tendrils. They have yellow flowers and their fruits are specialized berries called pepos, which can grow very large. 

It is useful to differentiate between summer and winter squash.  The summer types are fast maturing, have soft rinds, are consumed when the fruit is immature, and are quite perishable. They include yellow squash, Courgette and scallop squash. 

On the other hand, the winter squash like butternut squash  take longer to mature, one hundred days versus fifty days, have a long storage life, several months versus two weeks, are consumed when the fruits and seeds are fully mature, and have durable rinds

Hubbard squash and  buttercup squash belong to the C.maxima species. The cushaw squash belongs to C.mixta, whilst the butternut squash belongs to C.moschata.  Acorn squash and summer squash belong to the C.pepo species.

Growing squash from seed

Squash are relatively easy to grow from seed and can be planted direct into the soil between April and June.  However the plants can grow very large so ensure that you have enough room in your bed to accommodate them. Bush summer squashes and courgettes should be planted  90 cm / 3 ft apart for , marrows 1.2 m / 4 ft apart and trailing squashes 1.5 m / 5 ft apart. 

Prepare the seed bed by digging planting holes at regular intervals two weeks before sowing. Fill with a mixture of compost and soil and incorporate a general fertiliser.  Sow a single seed into each planting pocket.

Alternatively you can grow squashes successfully in large containers or grow bags. Plan a single plant in each container, or two in a grow bag.

You wish wish to get a head start on the season and choose to  start off your seedlings indoors. Sow your seeds into a 11 cm pot filled with compost. Plant these seedlings out in June after you have hardened them off. 

Maintenance

Squashes are thirsty plants so water well to ensure that the soil is kept constantly moist. However the neck of the plant can rot if water sits around the top of the plant.  You can sink a 15 cm / 6 " pot alongside  the plant and water into this to ensure that water reaches the roots. 

Squashes are hungry too so feed every 2 weeks with a liquid fertiliser once the fruits have started to swell.  Harvest summer squashes when the fruit is still quite small.  For winter squashes allow the fruit to mature on the plant and remove the fruit just prior to the first frost.

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ROSE PEST AND DISEASES

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Rose gardens are so popular but I often feel disappointed when I visit them due to the amount of pest and disease damage they often exhibit and the lack of decent flowers.  This is often due to inadequate pest and disease control and poor pruning they receive. However with a little care and regular inspection you can control the majority of pest and diseases that can affect your plants and ensure a great flower display. 

Roses can suffer from numerous diseases such as rose blindness, rust, black spot, mildew and rose sickness. Pest include aphids, brown scale and rose leaf rolling sawfly.  

Rose blindness

Roses that fail to produce flowers suffer from rose blindness.  Flower shoots develop normally but fail to form a terminal bud, or the bud will be empty or dry.  Leaf and stem growth appears healthy.  The cause is unknown but likely to be linked to weather conditions. Prevent rose blindness by growing roses in open, sunny positions. Cut back affected shoots by half to a strong bud. Feed affected plants with a rose fertiliser and add a mulch. In the winter prune out some of the old wood to encourage new shoots. 

Rust

Rust is a disease caused by the parasitic fungus Phragmidium tuberculatum.   In spring yellow spots appear on the upper side of the leaves, whilst dusty orange pustules appear on the lower surface. Prune out infected areas and fallen leaves as soon as they are detected to prevent the spread of spores.  Alternatively fungicides can be used. Most modern roses should be resistant to rust. 


Black spot

Rose black spot is is caused by a fungus Diplocarpon rosae.  It that causes black or purple spots on the leaves which yellow and drop early. The fungus adapts rapidly and so resistance to black spot is short lived. Popular garden varieties of hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers and patio types are usually susceptible.

You can collect and burn fallen leaves in autumn  However it is very likely that chemical control will have to be used and a suitable fungicide is often required. .

Mildew
Mildew is a white, powdery fungal growth Podosphaera pannosa. It affects the shoots and leaves. Flower buds may fail to open and shoots may become thickened. High humidity, dry soils or poor air circulation can make mildew worse. Water roses well in during dry spells and apply a mulch to prevent moisture loss.  Feed regularly to ensure vigour but avoid too much nitrogen as this encourages soft growth which is likely to be affected.  Prune out badly affected shoots and discard. Alternatively use a fungicide to control mildew, which has the benefit of also controlling black spot and rust.

Rose sickness

Roses are particularly prone to die back when planted in beds where roses have previously been planted. Roses planted in rose beds often suffer from lack of growth and vigour. This can occur just a few months after planting. Remove the rose, shake off the soil and plant it in an area of the garden where roses have not grown before and it will often recover. It is best to replant roses in new soil where roses have not grown before but if this is not possible then you will have to provide the rose with new soil around its roots.  Dig a hole 2 foot in diameter by 1 foot deep and replace with fresh soil from another part of the garden. Incorporate a nitrogen rich fertiliser into the planting hole.

Aphids

Aphids are also known as greenfly or black fly. They are sap sucking insects that can cause damage to the new growth and secrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which can cause the growth of sooty moulds. Some aphids can also transit virus's.

There are more than 500 species in Britain.   They are most active spring to summer when you may notice aphids around the new shoot tip, flower buds and under new leaves.  This can lead to curled and distorted leaves.

Aphids have many natural enemies, including ladybirds, hover fly larvae, lacewing larvae and parasitic wasps.  Crush aphids with your fingers on small scale infestations or spray with a chemical or organic pesticides.  Do not spray plants in flower due to the risk of affecting pollinating insects.

Brown scale

Brown scale is a sap sucking insect that lives on bark.  Deal with heavy infestations during summer when newly hatched scales are present by spraying with an systematic insecticide.

Rose leaf rolling sawfly

This insect lays its eggs in rose leaflets and secretes chemicals that induces the leaf rolling. The caterpillar-like larvae emerge and feed within the rolled leaflets.  Pick off infected leaves if lightly affected.  Chemical control is difficult as insecticides often do not reach the larvae in the rolled leaves and several applications are required to kill the adult.  Plants in flower cannot be treated as pollinating insects may be affected.

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WHAT IS GREEN MANURE?

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Green manures fast growing crops that can be grown in your beds to cover bare soil.  They help to smother weeds and prevent soil erosion.  They are dug back into the soil whilst still green and this provides the soil with additional nutrients in a similar way to adding a manure.  

The use of green manures can reduce your use of chemical fertilisers and help you to garden organically.  Herbaceous borders, summer bedding, vegetable plots or sub tropical borders could benefit from the use of a green manure.  They are particularly effective in a beds where tender plants are removed in the autumn and planting commences again in the spring.  

Green manures are also useful when beds that remain unplanted for some time as the presence of the crop not only add nutrients to the soil but also keeps the beds weed free. The plants are sown when the beds are emptied in the autumn and the entire plant (including the roots) is dug in at the end of the winter prior to planting in the spring.

Sow your green manure directly into the soil late summer/autumn after you have stripped out your summer planting.  Prepare the soil by forking over the soil deeply and removing any plant material from the previous planting prior to sowing seed. Keep the bed clear of weeds until the seeds establish and water if necessary.

A month before you plant out your beds new plants chop the green manure up.  Leave the plants to wilt before digging over the bed and incorporate the entire plant  into the top 10 inches of soil.  Allow at least two weeks before planting to allow the green manure to break down as decomposing green material will slow down your new plants.

Green manure crops include legumes, plants belonging to the pea and bean family.  They are very particularly effective green manure as they have an additional benefit of fixing nitrogen. They have nodules on their roots caused by a bacteria in the soil that helps them to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, and therefore increase nitrogen levels in the soil.  This nitrogen fixing benefits successive plantings considerably as nitrogen is an essential nutrient for leaf growth.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) form dense foliage that will effectively suppress weeds.  Other green manures include clover (Trifolium hybridum, Trifolium incarnatum), mustard (Sinapis alba) and bitter blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius).

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NYMANS: SUBTROPICAL BORDERS

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Nymans gardens are located in the heart of the Sussex Weald.  The estate consists of over 600 acres which includes 300 acres of farmland, 275 acres of woodland and 30 acres of formal gardens.  Included within the gardens is the sub tropical borders.

The sub tropical borders have a fantastic location in the garden, next the picturesque ruins of the old house which are covered with clematis, wisteria and roses. . This provides a dramatic backdrop for the borders and creates a sheltered micro climate which means that tender exotic plants can be grown, albeit with some winter protection.

The sub tropical are designed using plants from the sub tropics. The beds at Nymans are at their peak July to October.  The borders features a framework of hardy exotics uch as Tetrapanex papyrifer 'Rex' (rice paper plant), Musa Basjoo, Musa sikkimensis.  These are left outside in the winter but given winter protection by packing with straw.

Tender exotic plants that require winter protection are located in the borders too, along with Summer bedding that adds colour and seasonal interest. The tender exotic plants are not hardy and so need to be lifted in the winter and kept in the glasshouse on site. These include the Aeoniums, Musella laslocarpa, Echium wildpretii and Cycas palms.

The bedding plants are annuals that are grown each year and planted out in May.


Significant plants include: 

Magnolia grandiflora

Half Hardy Plants

Musa Bajoo
Mus sikkimensis
Tetrapanex papyrifer 'Rex' (Rice paper plant)

Tender Exotics
Aeoniums
Cycas palms (Cycads)
Musella laslocarpa (Chinese banana)
Ricinus communis
Kolecashia
Eucomysis (pineapple lily)

Bedding
Salvia
Verebena borensis

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