Green Fingers in early Spring
Down at Caves Folly Nursery in Colwall, it’s all systems go for Bridget as she prepares for Spring.
Here we are on the cusp of spring with a new growing season to look forward to. Brave little bulbs and hellebores are flowering through the frosts giving us a taste of the spring delights to come.
I have been planning seed sowing and working out times to sow. I try to sow by the cycle of the moon as I have found this to be very successful.
The Full Moon names date back to the native Americans of North America. Tribes kept track of seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring moon. Whether you believe in the folklore behind this or not, you could try sowing when the earth’s gravitational pull is right for germinating seeds.
The basic idea behind gardening by the moon is that the cycles of the moon affect plant growth. Just as the moon’s gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, the idea is that it also affects moisture in the soil. Therefore, some gardeners believe that seeds will absorb more water during a Full Moon and a New Moon, when moisture is pulled to the soil surface.
The basic rules for sowing by the moon are;
- Plants that bear their fruits or vegetables above ground are planted on the light of the moon during the waxing of the moon.
- The waxing phase is the increasing brightness off the moon.
- Plants that bear fruits or vegetables under the ground are planted on the dark of the moon during the waning of the moon.
Dates and American tribe names of the first new moons for 2022:
- February 16th - Snow Moon, harsh winter snow
- March 18th - Worm Moon, worms start to make casts
- April 16th - Pink Moon, named after the masses of wild pink ground phlox
- May 16th - Flower Moon, a time of abundance of flowering plants
- June14th - Strawberry Moon, season for strawberries
- July 13th - Buck Moon , New antlers on buck deer push through
Why not try an experiment when sowing seeds and see if it makes a difference?
Other jobs in the garden for February and March:
- Cut Cornus and Willow stems down to 5 centimetres to encourage new growth for good stem colour.
- Divide and replant snowdrops, perennials.
- Dig out any perennial weeds.
- Prune winter jasmine after flowering.
- Carry on putting out food and water for the birds. As it is the start of the breeding season for garden birds, put out material such as hair or wool to encourage them into your garden.
For the veg garden:
- Sow seeds indoors
- Chit potatoes
- Prepare seed beds outside
- Mulch soil around fruit plants
- Spring is not far away now, have a lovely February and March!
Bridget
Bridget runs Caves Folly Nurseries on Evendine Lane in Colwall (WR13 6DX). They are open from March until October, Thursdays to Saturdays from 10 - 5. You can contact them on 01684 540631 or visit their website:
www.cavesfolly.com