April Weather: Bareroot Season Extension!

Last month we looked at the weather forecast for the fictional city of Leeds and proposed the real likelihood of a late Spring. Although there were some warmer days, there were also colder nights, with frost much as predicted. Looking at the April forecast, there are cold (under 7C) nights for the first 12 days,… Continue reading April Weather: Bareroot Season Extension!

Monty Don Gives the Green Light for Aerating Lawns

This episode of totally healthy and appropriate fawning over Monty Don is brought to you by the phrase “Monty Don shares”. Disappointed as we were to discover that Monty is not called Mo’ Dough, nor Monty Donty, or even just George at home, and underwhelming as the “news” that hazel trees live for over 34… Continue reading Monty Don Gives the Green Light for Aerating Lawns

Why Are My Cherry Laurel Leaves Turning Yellow?

It is true that Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus, is a trooper and will grow almost anywhere, but that is not the same as looking tip top as a hedge in all situations. A few yellow leaves here and there are natural, especially in the early years after transplanting when it’s still catching up on root… Continue reading Why Are My Cherry Laurel Leaves Turning Yellow?

Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Picking on Huw Richards Inspires Us to Make Better Tree Planting Videos At Ashridge, we feel a bit responsible for how well people plant trees. We are not the the Huw Richards police; we would never pick on him because he is YouTube famous and we want some of that. We totally agree with his… Continue reading Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Opening Packs of Spiral Guards

Open rabbit spirals quickly like a pro, smoothly separating rolls out into 5 individual guards Hedge spirals, rabbit guards, are manufactured in rolls of 5, coiled up like springs: the harder you try to pull them apart, the more they grip one another. Unwinding them from the outside takes too long. To pull them apart… Continue reading Opening Packs of Spiral Guards

Watering Newly Planted Trees & Hedging

Proper watering is crucial for all new plants while they are establishing. Watering New Plants Water all new plants deeply and regularly during their first growing season. This includes plants that are drought tolerant: they all need you to water them in Year One. Best Time of Day to Water How often to Water New Plants Frequency varies depending… Continue reading Watering Newly Planted Trees & Hedging

Building Wire Supports To Grow Fruit On Walls, Fences & Posts

How to start training fruit trees on wires These instructions apply to fixing wires to existing fences or walls for training maiden fruit trees into cordon, espalier, fan, and sometimes “step-over” shapes.Some nurseries sell some of those shapes in a starter form, lashed to a bamboo frame, for reasonables. At Ashridge we stick to the core forms:… Continue reading Building Wire Supports To Grow Fruit On Walls, Fences & Posts

Best Apple Tree Varieties to Grow in the UK

The British climate makes for ideal apple territory. They like well drained, fertile soil including clay, and with shelter can grow inland at altitudes up to about 900 feet / 275 metres!  Apple trees are the largest range of fruit trees we have for sale. Before you buy an apple tree, have a think about which varieties… Continue reading Best Apple Tree Varieties to Grow in the UK

Best fast-growing hedge plants for blocking the neighbour’s view!

If your neighbours are seeing too much for comfort, a mature hedge between you is a fine sight! But growing a privacy hedge in order to block the neighbour’s view requires patience. With these fast-growing species, your hedge will be towering tall as quickly as possible. The High Hedges Act Applies to any hedge over… Continue reading Best fast-growing hedge plants for blocking the neighbour’s view!

Applying Winter Wash Fruit Tree Insecticide

How to Apply Winter Wash to Fruit Trees It’s good to apply winter wash to your fruit and ornamental trees in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees (the spray will scorch leaves, so it is only suitable for winter use). Our winter wash is an organic pesticide that works by attacking the waxy compounds that make up… Continue reading Applying Winter Wash Fruit Tree Insecticide

Apply Fruit Tree Grease Bands to Protect them against Moths

Grease Bands are Convenient on Young Fruit Trees If you apply grease bands to your young fruit trees, it will help prevent winter moths laying their eggs. When these hatch, the caterpillars eat the leaves and fruit. You only use grease bands on younger fruit trees with smooth bark, older trees need to be painted with grease. VIDEO… Continue reading Apply Fruit Tree Grease Bands to Protect them against Moths

Apply Grease to Fruit Trees to Protect them against Moths

Applying fruit tree grease from November onwards is used to trap a wide variety of winter moths before they can lay their eggs and preventing caterpillars eating the leaves and fruit. In the video below, we show you how to apply the grease to protect your fruit trees. You will need an old paint brush to apply the… Continue reading Apply Grease to Fruit Trees to Protect them against Moths

Preparing Clay Soil

Why Clay Soil is Special Soil compaction tends to be worse on heavy clay, so breaking up the soil to a good fork’s depth at the bottom of the planting hole is often very beneficial, as is working over a larger area than strictly necessary for the planting hole.  Improving Clay Soil Options Improving Planting… Continue reading Preparing Clay Soil

Prepare Soil For Planting Trees, Shrubs & Hedges

This article is primarily about preparing soil before planting trees (ornamental or fruiting), hedging, roses, and other shrubs. It won’t consider vegetable beds, where more work might be justified, or perhaps No-Dig methods. Soil preparation is important because it helps strong roots to establish quickly. If the roots struggle to settle in, the whole plant will struggle. Like so many things in gardening,… Continue reading Prepare Soil For Planting Trees, Shrubs & Hedges

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