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Ashridge Blog > Gardening Tips

Category: Gardening Tips

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

Transplanting Evergreen Trees & Shrubs

Moving Evergreens Without Killing Them This article is all about moving evergreens like box, yew or pyracantha. Moving plants is not complicated, but by minimising the stress they endure, your success rate will be much higher. Preparation before digging up your plants You need a plan. Are you going to replant immediately? If so then make sure the new… Continue reading Transplanting Evergreen Trees & Shrubs

Best Time To Plant Hedges & Trees In the UK

“Which month is best for planting?” is an age-old debate! You can plant trees or hedges at any time of year. There are pros & cons to each season. Watering new plants well in dry weather until they are established is the most important thing. Bareroot Season Starts In Autumn – November With woody plants like trees, hedge plants, or rose bushes, it’s always better to… Continue reading Best Time To Plant Hedges & Trees In the UK

Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi and Ophiostoma ulmi fungi, which primarily attack members of the Ulmus family (Elm trees). The disease probably arose in the far East and was introduced to Europe in about 1910, arriving in the USA a few years later; it was just identified in the Netherlands first.  European and American elms trees which… Continue reading Dutch Elm Disease

Slit Planting Vs Planting In A Trench Or Hole

Compare Slit Planting VS Trench Planting Slit Planting Used for bareroot hedging & trees under 80cm Mainly for country hedges & forestry planting of sapling trees Does not allow you to improve soil Roots must be small enough to sweep down into a slit Quick and easy See our Country Hedge Planting Film Trench /… Continue reading Slit Planting Vs Planting In A Trench Or Hole

Rose Pests and Diseases

Deer love the top shoots, buds and foliage Leaving ragged stems and bare branches as they go. They are particularly attracted to new planting out of sheer inquisitiveness. Deer tend to graze at night so it is difficult to frighten them off. They are more of a pest when foraging elsewhere is reduced; when berries or… Continue reading Rose Pests and Diseases

Best Rose Varieties For Shady Gardens

All rose varieties flower best with plenty of sunlight: that is true for the majority of ornamental plants. However, the tough varieties listed below have the most tolerance for partial shade, meaning less than half a day of sun during Summer. They should flower reasonably well growing against a North facing wall with open sky above… Continue reading Best Rose Varieties For Shady Gardens

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