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GARDENING 101


TEMPTED BY TULIPS?


WASTE NOT, WANT NOT


Have you heard of the Japanese term Bokashi? It’s a form of composting that uses inoculated bran to ferment kitchen waste. Meat, dairy and many other foodstuffs can be recycled to create nutrient-rich compost for the garden. The secret of Bokashi’s success in dealing with foodstuffs that are generally non-compostable, is the anaerobic process. This is unlike the general compost bin system that allows air into the waste. The straightforward equipment includes a composting bucket, which generally has a low tap, through which you draw off a ‘tea’ whilst the composting process is underway.


The kitchen waste is mixed with inoculated bran and pressed into the bucket until full.


After standing for up to 12 days, the pickled contents can go straight onto the compost heap or can even be buried in your garden soil. It is too strong for plants at this point. Tempted to ramp up your recycling rates? Consider this Bokashi composter from Hozelock (hozelock.com), £55, from various local retail outlets. It quickly and effi ciently recycles and reduces kitchen waste and creates a nutritious fertiliser for your house and garden plants.


November is the best month of the year to plant tulip bulbs simply because of a pesky problem known as Tulip Fire. The normal cold weather this month is likely to freeze the fungus, Botrytis tulipae, which causes brown spots on the fl owers, together with leaves that look scorched and twisted. There is still enough warmth deep down in the soil for tulip bulbs to put down roots and, because most tulips emerge slightly later than many other bulbs, planting late is not a hindrance. Back in the 1600s a single tulip bulb was worth more than its weight in gold. Literally. Tulipmania, as it was known, originated in the bulb-capital of the world, Holland. Just a single bulb could sell for enormous sums of money – normally about 10 times the annual salary of a craftsman. Never before had garden lovers seen such bright and beautiful blooms and it’s not surprising that so many people wanted them. Nowadays we have become rather blasé about the range of colours and styles of tulips available – you can have tulips fl owering from early spring right through to mid summer if you plan your display – it’s all about successional planting. Remember to plant en masse for maximum effect. For one of the most


spectacular displays locally of tulips, make a date for the Annual Tulip Celebrations at Hever Castle and Gardens next spring. For more information, visit hevercastle.co.uk


Gently does it


This is the time to prune your roses. Most hybrid tea, fl oribunda or bush roses can all tolerate hard pruning in spring, but the reason we give them a gentle prune in November is to protect them through the windy season. Rose rock, caused by buffeting winds, can destabilise the bushes and allow


disease to infi ltrate the roots when gaps appear in the soil next to the stem. Trim off the foliage and give them a light prune, then revisit them in March so that they are ready for the new season. Many roses are grown for their hips as well


as the fl owers. These can be left on over the winter as they will give some welcome colour and will eventually provide food for the birds.


© Hever Castle & Gardens


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