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Central Area
Area Representative
Steve Jones
17 Bevere Close, Worcester
WR3 7QH
Tel: 01905 457963
Mobile: 07923 589131
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2020
A few pictures from the garden of
Steve Jones for this season.
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March |
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I start my tubers off in multipurpose compost and at
the first potting they go into a mixture of JI No 2 ,Multipurpose and
Grit. |
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April |
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The weather has been very warm so shading added. |
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May |
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Things have been moving on in the greenhouses with
lots of plants moved into their final pots, you can see the
difference in growth from the early potted plants to the latest. Don't
over water plants only give a good watering when dry. There are plenty
of nutrients in the fresh compost so do not feed for at least six weeks
,only give water. I have plenty of water storage tanks so I always use
rain water. As you see the canes have been put into the pots, they are
loose at first but when roots grow inside pot this makes the cane firm .
When selecting plants for 7" pots you only want one main stem all the
other shoots coming from the tuber can be taken as cuttings which can be
seen in picture below. This applies to the 10" pots any shoots removed
can be taken as cutting as you only want three or four main stems in
these 10" pots. I do not use any rooting powder on cuttings I just put
them into 50/50 mix of peat and sharp sand as rooting powder and
the nutrients in multipurpose compost may stop your cuttings rooting
making them rot. It has been very hot this may with temperatures of 109
deg in my greenhouse. |
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June |
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All my plants are in their final
pots, growing strongly with canes inserted and strings
attached which are adjusted as each plant grows. Not giving any feed yet
just watering as and when each pot requires. The pictures show the
growth the plants have made. Some of the early cuttings have been
repotted into 5" pots which they will stop in until the tubers are
harvested in December or January. The Baskets of Isabella are growing
well hopefully the cutting taken off these will produce some good tubers
for next season. I have no room for any more plants in 7" or 10" pots so
I will keep the remainder in 5" pots to produce some good sized tubers
again for season. With these plants as they are close together and
the bench is water tight I have put capillary matting on the bench so
I just water the matting when plants go dry. I will feed these plants as
time passes also will remove all the side shoots and top shoot after two
pairs of leaves. I have about 25 of these plants without any name labels
so will let these flower and then be able to name them fingers crossed.
My misting unit I was using has gone faulty so I contacted Simply
controls who said return and they would fix, hopefully they will
be able to repair. At the moment I have approx 100 cuttings under the
bench which with this hot weather may have been better under the mist
system.
The plant in flower picture is what I am trying achieve in
August.
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Temp tiers installed to show plants
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Ready to go outside |
Take flower buds off. |
Side shoots removed |
Check for watering |
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Nearly all space taken
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Growing well. Drilled out corks for protection at top of canes. |
5" pots growing for next years tubers. 91 pots |
First of cuttings potted |
Trying to achieve |
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Tubers for next year letting flower as not labelled.
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Large greenhouse plants growing well
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Spreading plants out so as not to break leaves. |
Canes placed to the rear of the plant
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Showing stems tied pulling over towards canes.
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Leaves pointing forward canes to the rear.
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I will stop removing buds 56 days before show date.
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Some grow faster than others. |
Some more of his years cutting just potted into 5" pots.
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All of the growing tips and side shoots removed.( To get a good tuber
for next season) |
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Some grown for three blooms some with side shoots.
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Adjust strings as plants grow. |
Longest day coming into flower so I can name. |
Last of this years cuttings under mister. |
Earlier cuttings going along steady. |
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Feeding with Phostrogen.
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Plants in 10 " pots growing well |
Plants don't look that big |
Until I put hand against. |
56 Days to show date all buds removed from every pot
plant. |
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Remove each bud carefully.
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All buds removed |
All buds removed |
All gone |
Left buds on Baskets for this year |
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Have to be careful watering easy to snap leaves. |
All plants being fed with Phostrogen.
Given seaweed plant stimulator a couple of times
watered onto top of compost in pots. |
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July |
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To see the rest of 2020 season from the current
and 6 times 7 pot Champion join the NBS . |
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