Horticulture and Gardening 06-14

Horticulture and Gardening how to 1.Pinch out sweet peas Sweet pea plants (especially those that have become tall and leggy) can be pinched out now. Simply nip out the tip of each plant using your fingers or a small pair of scissors, just above a set of leaves. In doing so, you’ll encourage the plant to develop more side-shoots and produce more flowers for you to cut and enjoy. 2. Support herbaceous perennials Herbaceous perennials and tall annuals can be damaged by the weather as they grow. Some also become top heavy and may flop onto other garden plants as they mature over the summer. Getting in early and providing a backbone or frame for these plants will pay dividends later. Use your favourite plant support (bamboo canes, metal stakes, pea sticks, whatever you fancy) and create a structure which is capable of supporting growth without confining the plant. 3. Sow courgettes For early crops, sow courgette seed indoors. Plant one or two seeds 13mm (0.5in) deep in a small pot, water in and place somewhere warm (minimum temperature 13°C). Once germinated, make sure the emerging seedlings have plenty of light. If you’ve sown two per pot, weed out the weakest and, once the remaining seedling is well-rooted (check for signs of root coming out of the bottom of the pot), harden off and plant out once all threat of frost has gone.