Category Archives: how tos

Gardening How To’s Archive. Here are all of my gardening how to guides.

How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Roses (without chemicals)

There’s nothing better than a healthy rose in full bloom to brighten up the garden but aphids can sap your plants health. There are many chemical applications for sale that claim to clear aphids but what harm are they doing to the environment? How to get rid of aphids on roses without chemicals gives you the safer and also the prettier alternatives. If you’ve come to this page then you probably already have an issue with aphids so read on for the best organic cures for aphid infestations on roses. For the most effective Sprays To Get Rid Of Aphids… → Read More

Growing Parsnips in containers

Parsnips are considered to be difficult to grow by some gardeners, I have never had any difficulty with them. I always allow the soil to warm up before sowing my parsnip seed and this is usually long after the guide date on the seed packet. Growing parsnips in containers allows you to artificially raise the soil temperature and get an earlier start than is otherwise possible. Growing Parsnips in containers It’a all about the size when growing parsnips in containers. The container needs to be at least 24 inches (60 cms) deep to allow the parsnip roots to grow. I… → Read More

How To Germinate Seeds Quickly

Seeds require heat and moisture to grow, the growing medium isn’t particularly important. What is important is a constant temperature and adequate moisture content. That’s the beginning of this fascinating journey into how to germinate seeds quickly. What is a Seed? Any seed from the smallest mustard seed to the largest sunflower seed is an embryo. In it is everything necessary to nurture the life force of the emerging plant. Plants produce seeds to perpetuate their species and like any parent they ensure that the seed has all it needs. A good example of this are wild birds, we know… → Read More

How To Get Rid Of Stinging Nettles Organically

Stinging nettles are in most cases a nuisance to us gardeners, and if you touch them wrong they’re literally a pain. There are lots of ways to deal with nettles, and there are many chemicals that will do the job. But if you’re like me then you’ll want to know how to get rid of nettles organically. How to Get Rid of Stinging Nettles Organically Lets look at the way stinging nettles spread. They have evolved to survive, they do this in 2 ways. Stinging nettles spread by seed distribution and by spreading their roots. Getting rid of them without… → Read More

How to freeze broad beans without blanching

So you’ve grown enough broad beans to last you throughout the rest of the year, but you don’t want to spend the time blanching them before freezing. And I get it, I mean – who really wants all the hassle and a house full of steam? You want a quick and easy way to freeze broad beans without spending almost an hour blanching them. And here’s how you do it… How to freeze broad beans without blanching First and most important, remove the broad beans from their pods. They should be clean as they have been completely encased in the… → Read More

How To Conserve Water During Heatwaves

This summer has been unusually hot in the UK and particularly in Essex where I am based and I have been looking at ways to cut down on watering my plants. So this post is all about how to conserve water during heatwaves. On my allotment, once the water butts are empty, I have to use the water trough which is situated some distance from my plot. This is a problem every year but it’s even worse when it is so hot and everywhere is so dry. To water my plot adequately it takes 18 watering cans, each containing 2… → Read More

How To Grow Peppers And Chilli Peppers

I have had a few people ask me for the best way to grow peppers and chilli peppers lately, so this post is my answer to those questions. I’ll take you through the whole process from seed germination to harvesting. Here’s the best way I’ve found for how to grow peppers and chilli peppers. How To Germinate Pepper And Chilli Pepper Seeds Peppers and chilli peppers grow best in hot climates, so it’s best to give them some heat to start them off. There are 2 ways to do this, the first is to wait until the soil in your… → Read More

How To Grow The Tastiest Tomatoes

How To Grow The Tastiest Tomatoes No matter how many gardeners you talk to, they will all have their own preferences as to which variety of tomato is the best to grow. I have heard so many stories that if I had any it would make my hair curl. 🙂 So in answer to the question how to grow the tastiest tomatoes let’s break it down to basics. The Secret To Growing Tasty Tomatoes As with all crops the first thing is to get the growing medium right. If you’re growing outside add plenty of well rotted manure or compost… → Read More

How To Attract Pollinators To Your Garden

As the EU decides to ban the use of neonicotinoids in all member states by the end of this year it is our job as gardeners to increase the depleting numbers of pollinators. So how to attract pollinators to your garden and why to attract pollinators to your garden? What Are Neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoids are a group of pesticides that have been used in the commercial farming industry since the early 1990s. Ironically they were developed as a “safer” solution to the problems caused by large scale, monocrop farming. They are a systematic pesticide and are absorbed by the whole of… → Read More

How To Grow Poached Egg Plants In Pots

Poached Egg plants are such a useful plant to grow in your vegetable patch. Even if you don’t have a large garden and you grow all your plants in pots it is still a very beneficial plant to grow. So here’s how to grow poached egg plants in pots. What Is A Poached Egg Plant? The poached egg plant ( Limnanthes douglasii ) is an annual plant but as it produces so many seeds gets classed as a perennial. It’s common name comes from the flower, a bright yellow centre surrounded with white petals which looks like a poached or fried… → Read More