Plant something long-lasting like a tree, such as Marshalls peach, Avalon.
GARDENINGNOT the most glamorous of Mother’s Day gifts, but a fruit tree can be a peach of a present, or the apple of her eye.
Bare-rooted trees can be planted right up until bud burst and it will have paid to hold off a while with the ground so heavy, wet and compacted.
Containerised fruit trees are now plantable throughout the year and are available at garden centres around the Island, but bare-rooted remain the best.
Deacons at Godshill is a great source for (almost) any fruit tree under the sun. I’ve used this great Island company a lot and can vouch for the quality and shape, especially if you want to train in a particular style.
They’re also widely available, of course, online through the post and I was led by the Island 2000 Trust a couple of years ago to Ashridge Trees for my hazel and a couple of fruit trees to-boot.
The company also has a comprehensive tips website that guides you through the jobs of the month.
Now is round about the latest time for pruning (and always remember that stone fruit trees are only pruned in summer). That’s a tip for Steve and Laura, a couple of plots along from me at Sandlands, who are mad keen to have a go at their plum.
All fruit trees can be given a winter wash to kill aphid eggs — this is usually done two or three times over the year and this month is a good time for the first blast.
The product to use is called Growing Success Winter Tree Wash — it’s the last one that’s still legal — and you will need a coarse filter on your sprayer.
It is suitable for organic use but it is (of course) indiscriminate and will also kill friendly bugs.
Peach Leaf Curl affects both peaches and nectarines — use a copper fungicide on them now to save yourself disappointment later.
Young, small trees can just be covered with a big umbrella or something similar that keeps the rain off while letting pollinating insects and airflow in — if the branches stay dry, the fungus won’t be able to spread.
If you are going to do any pruning of your hazelnut trees, a good hint is wait until you can see the catkins are shedding pollen, about now.
All the shaking of the branches will ensure good pollination and lots of nuts, a positive bonus from good housekeeping.
If you’ve got some strawberries on the go, cover some with cloches or a plastic tunnel for an earlier crop and ventilate them whenever it is sunny.
It generally cant hurt to give your fruit trees and plants a little feed and Sulphate of Potash should be used right now.
• Ashridge can be found at:
www.ashridgetrees.co.uk