CULTURAL DIARY   2017

Ron Aldous

Growing Begonias My way

June

 Hi everyone yes I'm running late again but things haven't been going so well here, I'll let you know about it some time in the future.

Well onto my text.  During the month of May here in North Wales we had some very hot weather, it reached 104°f in my greenhouse and my begonias did not like it one bit.
I had just moved some of last years cutting tuber plants into my small greenhouse which were fine all day until late afternoon when I was checking to see things were okay only to find fifteen had been badly scorched, I wasn't happy.  Also my Multistems and my restricted were not looking like they had been a few days earlier.
All of the month of May continued to have quite high temperatures and I have been trying very hard to keep temperatures down but I'm sure all of you know it isn't easy.

Now it is a few days later and most of my begonias have picked up quite a bit.  You will see by the photos my plants are putting on weight now and are bulking up so I am feeling better again. I am now feeding every watering at half strength 20/20/20 Chempak my Multistems and a little less my restricted and cut blooms.  I've also been quite busy working around the rest of my garden, my herbaceous border which gets neglected every year at this time much to my wife's disgust. You would not believe the sacks of weeds I get out of it.
 I got all of my baskets, tubs, urns and pots potted up around the garden last month and they are beginning to get going now. My chrysanthemums are still doing well, I've got them all stood out on the standing ground with canes in and clipped to the straining wires.  I have stopped all except one variety to get them to flower when I want them to (I hope).

 Well I hope all of you are having a good season up to now and things keep going that way, speak to all again next month

Ron. 

                             
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