Most vegetable waste can be composted for your garden, but do not try to compost meat or cooked food as this may attract vermin.  Ensure woody material is either shredded or cut into small pieces.

The composting process can be speeded up by adding a compost accelerator additive such as Vitax Compost Maker.

Heat is generated during the compost making process which helps the breakdown of organic matter.  Mixing the compost within the bag will also help speed up the process and ensure enough air gets into the compost.  Good quality compost should be achieved in about 3 months.

Using the 3 bag system with Botanico’s Home Composting System, will ensure a continuous supply of compost can be produced, as the contents of the first bag will be breaking down whilst the subsequent bags are filled.

The compost produced can be used for digging into beds and borders to improve the condition of the soil, aid water retention and add to the fertility of the soil.  This type of compost is not suitable for sowing seeds and growing plants in pots.

Plant Me Now stock a full range of products to help produce your own compost.  You can find more in their Home Composting category.

Although in the first half of the year, the season was running about 3 weeks behind normal, nature has caught up most of the delay and things are only about 5-7 days behind normal now.

Below you will find the Autumn Bulb Update from Adam Taylor, Taylor and Sons Bulbs Ltd.

UK Daffodils

The recent dry conditions have made slow work of lifting and UK daffodil bulbs yields are lower than expected as a result of two consecutive arid growing seasons (UK daffodils spend two years in the ground).

Species Narcissi, Tulips, Hyacinth and Crocus

Many varieties are short on predicted yields whilst others have coped much better and yields are just as expected.  Crocus have been the hardest hit and are likely to be the first notable group that run short.  However, there is not an overall shortage of other bulbs.

Symptoms and Clues

Close up of a leatherjacket

Brown or yellow patches will appear on the lawn.  The leatherjackets will eat the roots of the grass which means your grass gets less water.  The problem is more visible in times of drought as there’s less water to go around.

You may also notice an large number of birds pecking at the brown areas.  They aren’t damaging the lawn, but they are hunting for the leatherjackets which are beneath the surface. Foxes and other animals will also feed on leatherjackets, scratching the surface of lawn to uncover the leatherjackets below.

In August/September you can see daddy long legs hopping along the surface of the lawn laying their eggs, this is a dead giveaway that there’s a problem.

Test for Leatherjackets

An easy way to find out if you have leatherjackets:

• In the evening during Summer, thoroughly water a patch of lawn where you suspect leatherjacket activity.
• Cover the patch with a bin liner or piece of polythene.
• The next day, lift the polythene and any leatherjackets will have risen to the surface.

Treatment

Provado Lawn Grub Killer

You can treat the problem with Provado Lawn Grub Killer.  Most people aren’t aware of the cause until they see the daddy long legs appear in August and September, but if you’re aware you have a problem you can apply Provado earlier.  Provado Lawn Grub Killer is a contact and systemic insecticide, one treatment lasts all season.

Safety and Environmental Information

Children and pets need not be excluded from treated areas once dry.  Grazing animals like rabbits and Guinea pigs should be kept away from treated areas for 4 weeks.

The chemical in provado lawn grub killer can be hazardous to bees, always mow the lawn before applying (to remove any flowering weeds like dandelions, buttercups or daisies) and apply in the late evening that way bees won’t be around until it has dried.  Do not use when lowering weeds are present.

Do not apply near ponds or streams.

Provado Lawn Grub Killer contains imidacloprid, always read the label, use safely.

For the 2010/2011 season, we’ll be stocking among other seeds a full range of  Mr Fothergill vegetable seeds.  Mr Fothergill is a well know brand based in Suffolk in the UK, although now a large business, Mr Fothergill’s is still family fun.  The Fothergill’s range this year includes an extra 74 varieties of which 28 are exclusive including a complete extra pea and bean seeds collection.

Vegetable Seed Highlights

Basil Pistou

Exclusive – ‘The windowsil basil’.  Small compact and rounded plants, with a ‘big’ basil flavour.  Grow all year round indoors or in pots on the patio in summer.

Beetroot Rhonda F1

Exclusive – Bred to have a particularly high sugar content which converts into a sweet tasting beet with top quality flesh.

Lettuce Multired 5 Multigreen 3 Mixed

Exclusive – The latest in ‘multi’ lettuces, bred to give the fasted salad bowl around!  Simply cut and the leaves fall apart ready to wash.

Marrow Sunbeam F1

Exclusive – We believe this to be the first yellow bred to harvest as a marrow, on very productive semi trailing plants.

Spring Onion Katana F1

Exclusive – Hybrid vigour gives top quality, slow-bolt spring onions which will stand in the ground longer than most!

Hot Pepper Orange Wonder

Exclusive – Highly decorative and ideal for container growing.  Upward facing small ‘candle’ shaped fruits, pack a but of a ‘punch’!

Rocket Trizia

Exclusive – One of the fastest to grow yet, amazingly, slow to bolt! Uniform plants have high tolerance to downy mildew, allowing long season cropping.

Tomato Mila

Exclusive – Our top ‘tom’ in the trials last year, showed excellent tolerance to blight and gave some of the heaviest yields of large ‘grape’ sized fruit.

Broad Bean Monica

Exclusive – Probably the earliest spring sown broad bean bred to date! Produces good crops of large beans on medium height plants.

Dwarf Bean Rondo

Exclusive – Quality fine stringless beans with white seeds which are slow to develop giving tender dark green pods.

Plant Me Now proud stockists of Mr Fothergill seeds and this year we’ll be continuing our offer of Free postage and Packing on all packets of seeds!  Now’s never been a better time to start your own vegetable gardening.

Larger Bulbs

We’ve opted to delist the smaller bags of daffodil bulbs we’ve sold in the past.  The large bulbs we now stock in the 2kg bags will produce better, bigger flowers in comparison.  Personally, I believe that buying a smaller grade bulb would be false economy, the larger grades produce more flowers for your pound.

Larger Bags

The bag sizes we’ll be stocking this year are 2kg and 7kg nets.  Although as the bulbs dry out the bags will become lighter, it does give a rough idea how big the bags and the bulbs are.

Last years nets contained 25 small bulbs (weighing approximately 250g) this year, the 2kg net contains appromately 30 bulbs.

More Variety

You can find our full range of daffodil bulbs on our site www.plantmenow.co.uk including some more unusual varieties.

In the 2kg bags, we’ve added the following new varieties:

• Las Vegas
• St Keverne
• Sir Winston Churchill
• Yellow Cheerfulness
• Ice King
• Tamara
• Binkie
• Camelot

In the 7kg nets, we have the following new varieties:

• Binkie
• Camelot
• Carlton
• Dutch Master
• Fortune
• Golden Ducat
• Lotherio

We’d love to know what you think, you can leave a comment here, follow PlantMeNow on Twitter or join PlantMeNow on Facebook.

Our full range of spring flowering bulbs will be in stock from late August / early September – weather permitting.

Tete a Tete Bulbs

Our tete a tete value bags contain 35 bulbs.  These bulbs are graded between 10 and 11 so are a good sized bulb which will produce a welcome show next year.  Tete a Tete is by far the most popular of the short stemmed daffodils growing to around 15cm in height.  We plant to retail our value bags at £4.95 each.

Woodland & Meadow Selection

The woodland and meadow selection value bag contains a mix of 40 spring flowering bulbs to create a woodland feel in the garden next spring.  Planned to retail this Autumn at just £4.95 per bag.

Contains:

• Anemone blanda mixed
• 5 Eranthis hyemalis
• 5 Fritilaria meleagris
• 5 Galanthus nivalis
• 10 Scilla siberica

Field Grown Snowdrops

Usually the first signs of winter coming to an end are snowdrops peaking up out of the lawn.  Our snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) value bags contain 70 single snowdrop bulbs for flowering February/March.  Planned retail price £9.95 per bag.

These Star Buys include some of our best performers and at £3.95 are great value for money.  We’ve made sure all the bulbs are a good size and grade so flower quality isn’t compromised for price.

Included in the range are 6 Narcicci, 9 Tulips, 3 Crocus and of course Snowdrops.  The varieties are below:

1. Organic Slug Pellets

Certified as organic by the Organic Farmers & Growers this definitely tops my list of slug control products.  The active ingredient is ferric phosphate (sometimes the brand name Ferramol is used).

Why do I like it?

• Harmless to anything other than slugs and snails
• After eating slugs stop feeding, then crawl away to die – no need to collect the dead slugs
• It’s biodegradable, turning into iron and phosphate (which is actually beneficial to the soil)
• It’s water proof – so it doesn’t wash away.  Slugs actually prefer to eat moist pellets
• Suitable to use around edible and non-edible plants in the garden and in pots and containers

You can find ferric phosphate in a number of different slug pellets including Growing Success Advanced Slug Pellets and Bayer Garden’s Slug Bait.

2. Copper Tape

Copper tape is a very simple way to keep slugs away from pots and containers.  This method is natural and organic, but won’t keep slugs out of the flower bed.  The copper tape acts as a barrier that a slug can’t cross as the combination of ‘slime’ and copper produces an electrical charge that repels the slug.

To use copper tape, stick a thin band (about 1cm in width) all the way around a plant pot or container which the slugs can’t then cross.  Growing Success Slug Barrier is copper tape with an adhesive backing, ideal for this purpose.

3. Sharp Stones, Granules or Sand

Another form of slug deterrent which won’t kill the slugs, but provides a barrier which they can’t cross.  Applying a layer of sharp sand, grit, shells or stones to the top of a plant pot, or by making a ring around ‘protected’ plants in the garden creates an area that a slug won’t go on.  The slugs dislike the sharp surface and they won’t cross it.

This method is both organic and natural, but it can be a bit fiddly.  The barrier needs to be topped up after a rainfall as it tends to wash away.  If the area you need to protect is large, then you may find the job too big to keep on top of.

You can buy Growing Success’ Slug Stop which is made from crushed volcanic stones, which is ideal for this task.

4. Metaldehyde

My least favourite method of slug control.  Metaldehyde is a chemical which is widely used in the UK as a slug and snail killer.  It is usually combined with an animal repellent as a pellet to stop it being accidentally eaten by animals – or in liquid form when it is transparent and can’t be seen by animals.

Metaldehyde pellets when used as directed, are safe for animals and can be used around edible and non edible plants.  They are shower proof and they do biodegrade.  They’re usually blue (this stops them being eaten by birds who can’t see them and won’t mistake them for seed).

Metaldehyde liquid can’t be used around edible plants.  It forms a clear layer on the surface which is poisonous to slugs or snails.  Metaldehyde liquid needs to be re-applied if it rains heavily as it is soluble in water.

You can find metaldehyde in Bayer Garden’s Slug and Snail Killer as pellets or in Scotts Slug Clear in its liquid form.

The Legal Bit

• Advanced Slug Killer contains 10g/kg ferric phosphate
• Slug Bait contains 10g/kg ferric phosphate
• Slug & Snail Killer contains 3% metaldehyde
• SlugClear contains 228g/l metaldehyde

Always read the label.  Use safely.

Lawn Disease Control

Lawn Disease Control is a new product developed by Bayer Garden now available to the home garden market.  Lawn Disease Control treats common lawn problems like Red Thread and Fusarium which cause patches and discolouration in lawns.

Available in boxes containing 3 sachets which treat an area of 20sq m each (1 box treats 60sq m).

When to Use Lawn Disease Control

Lawn Disease Control can be used all year round.  Do not treat your lawn more than twice in the same year and ensure there is at least 4 weeks between treatments.

Lawn Disease Control should only be applied to established garden lawns.  If you have identified a disease or fungus such as red thread or fusarium treat the whole lawn not just the effected areas.

Ideally, Lawn Disease Control should be applied at the first signs of infestation.  Do not apply during droughts and in frosts if the ground is frozen.  Lawn Disease Control can be applied after mowing, but allow 48 hours after application before you mow again to let the active ingredient take effect.

Always allow the spray to dry before using the lawn.

How to Use Lawn Disease Control

Mark out the garden into 20sq m sections, this will make applying the correct dosage of product much simpler.

Fill a sprayer with 1 litre of water and tear open a sachet of Lawn Disease Control.  Inside the sachet you will find another clear sachet containing Lawn Disease Control granules.  Do not open this second sachet!

Drop the second sachet into the sprayer and leave to stand for 2 minutes.  The inner sachet is water soluble and will dissolve.  Shake the sprayer gently to mix.

Apply the spray evenly over a 20sq m area of your lawn.

Safety and Environmental Information

Lawn Disease Control is only for use as a home garden fungicide.  It is very toxic to aquatic organisms an should not be used near ponds, streams or other aquatic environments.

Dispose of any unused product at a household waste site, your local authority can give you more details.  Do not empty this product into drains.

Never open the water soluble sachet, Lawn Disease Control can cause skin irritation.

Lawn Disease Control contains 500g/kg trifloxystrobin as a water dispersible granule.  Always read the label, use safely.

The new seeds will be available from mid August 2010 and available to order online from us.

New Flower Seeds Highlights

Aster Palette mixed

Quality plants bred for cut flowers.  Simple blooms on sturdy upright stems, just cut the whole plant and it presents as an instant bouquet.

Coreopsis Unbelievable

Striking vigorous, tall plants with masses of unbelievably coloured flowers throughout the summer, plants will fill a border or create an annual hedge.

Delphinium High Society Mixed F1

Posible the best quality flower spies you can grow from seed? Fantastic perennial blooms in a range of colours which flower in the first year.

Marigold (African) Kiku Mixed

Marigolds with a twist, the vibrant colour flowers resemble chrysanthemums in shape.  (Kiku means chrysanthemum in Japensese).

Penstemon Humming Bells Mixed

Petite plants with delightful softly coloured blooms that easily flower in their first year.  Perfect bee friendly container plants.

Phlox Moody Blues

Perfect in a ‘blue’ world or in a blue border, delicate shades from white through to intense blue on easy to grow plants.

Sweet Pea Summer Sizzler

A designer blend of quality, long stemmed Spencer types in some of the hottest colours available!

Sweet Pea Twighlight

A complimentary designer blend of quality, long stemmed Spencer types, this time n soft soothing combinations.