![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/waterCan-2.jpg?resize=169%2C197\")
<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\nT<\/strong><\/em><\/span>HE VILLAGE GARDENER<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Fed Up with What Claims to Be Compost<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I am so fed up with what claims to be compost just being a poor excuse for it. Even the expensive stuff for growing seeds and seedlings, needs to be sieved before you can use it to any effect. The wastage from general purpose is ludicrous. The gardener at Weycock Barns is using coir now, which comes in blocks and you just add water. He\u2019s mixing it with Supagrow from British Soil for seed planting as there are no weeds and no wastage. Silvia Davies, one of Wenvoe\u2019s really good gardeners, is using Lidl\u2019s compost, which she says is the best of a bad lot. Best of all, make your own if you have room.<\/p>\n The tremendous amount of rain we\u2019ve had over the winter will have washed a lot of goodness and structure out of the soil unless you had it covered or had a deep mulch on it. The best way to replace this is with manure. If you\u2019re using something like blood fish & bone then only put it where you\u2019re going to plant, or you\u2019ll only be feeding the weeds.<\/p>\n The lawns have taken a battering over the winter. Even the ones that drain well will have moss in them. Any treatment due now should include moss killer. When this has taken effect, you can rake it out. Don\u2019t panic when it looks awful, as this is the only way to start on improvement. Next job is to mix some grass seed with compost and sand then rake it in and water.<\/p>\n The village gardens have had their fair share of pest and diseases over the last couple of years. These include fuchsia gall mite and, unless your garden is sheltered, you will be affected. This affects the ends of the plant, and you will need to cut these off and bin them. The other pest which has caused devastation through the south of the country is the box tree moth. The caterpillars of this moth hide in a web on the bush, and they affect most strains of Buxus. There are some treatments, but you will have weeks of work in front of you and the bad news is that they will return. Even Alan Titchmarsh has taken them out and replaced with yew.<\/p>\n On the allotments there is a lot of growth on show. On inspection they look very vulnerable with their bright green leaves just perfect for a late frost or a hungry mouse or rabbit. Controlling weeds is always a full-time job whether it\u2019s a flower border or veg patch. The late Trevor Case always had a hoe on hand to tackle them on dry days and would leave them to wilt on the soil.<\/p>\n Take care and happy gardening.<\/p>\n THE VILLAGE GARDENER Fed Up with What Claims to Be Compost I am so fed up with what claims to be compost just being a poor excuse for it. Even the expensive stuff for growing seeds and seedlings, needs to be sieved before you can use it to any effect. The wastage from general purpose is ludicrous. The gardener at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[432,77],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s6cWjO-16766","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8296,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=8296","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":0},"title":"Your Jobs For September","author":"Alan Williams","date":"5th September 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER Your Jobs For September Environment team tips. Make sure your stored produce is mouse proof. Clean out the bird feeders. Leave the ivy if it's not bothering you as the birds will love the berries over winter. Save seed, don't get caught out next year. Clear the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Village Gardener"","block_context":{"text":"The Village Gardener","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=77"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/garden.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14508,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14508","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":1},"title":"Watering, Weeding And Dead Heading","author":"Alan Williams","date":"1st August 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER Watering, Weeding And Dead Heading Watering, weeding and dead heading are the jobs that need attending to every day at this time of year in an attempt to keep the garden looking it\u2019s best for as long as possible. Some of the late flowering plants, such as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Village Gardener"","block_context":{"text":"The Village Gardener","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=77"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9150,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=9150","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":2},"title":"Gardening Advice for March","author":"Alan Williams","date":"28th February 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER Gardening Advice for March Pam Owens of Hopkinstown gardens, Carmarthen, offers her tips for March. Start mowing if the ground is dry enough. Enjoy the early Spring bulbs. Put new batteries in your torch and get out after dark to catch those slugs. As soon as daffs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Village Gardener"","block_context":{"text":"The Village Gardener","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=77"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15710,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=15710","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":3},"title":"Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful A report by Police UK suggests that thieves target properties with unkempt gardens, as it gives the impression that the owners are away. The report goes on to recommend keeping the plants in the front of the house below a metre,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Items for July 2025"","block_context":{"text":"New Items for July 2025","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=423"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15981,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=15981","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":4},"title":"Summer Is Now Done","author":"Alan Williams","date":"29th August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER Summer Is Now Done Well, that seemed to go quickly. Summer is now done, and we must nurse what\u2019s left of the summer bedding for every last bit of colour we can before clearing the beds to plant bulbs, wallflowers, primula and pansies. Monica in Rectory Close\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Items for September 2025"","block_context":{"text":"New Items for September 2025","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=425"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14424,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14424","url_meta":{"origin":16766,"position":5},"title":"The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"THE VILLAGE GARDENER The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend\u00a0 The humble hoe is your best friend when it comes to keeping weeds under control during the Summer. On dry days just run the hoe between your flowers or veg beds. Not doing this at least a couple of times\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Village Gardener"","block_context":{"text":"The Village Gardener","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=77"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16766"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16766"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16769,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16766\/revisions\/16769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n
\n
\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"