Gardening Tips
Your fortnightly gardening tips for indoors and outdoors |
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STRAWBERRIES
Now that you are enjoying the fruits of your labours, it is time to think about next
year's strawberry crop. Strawberry plants are not long-lived. They need to be replaced
after they have cropped for three or four years as viruses start to take their toll after
that time. It is a good idea to replenish your stocks regularly by buying in new plants or
propagating young ones from your existing bed. However, it is vital that you do not
propagate with diseased materia l- so only use healthy plants that have cropped well and
have deep-green healthy leaves that show no sign of distortion. Pale yellow leaves with
green veins, small foliage and puckered leaves are all possible symptoms of viruses. These
plants should not be increased, in fact they are best destroyed to prevent the problem
being spread by feeding greenfly (aphids). Those plants that are not needed for
propagation should have their runners removed because their growth will divert the main
plants energy away from making a good plant for next year.
1 Strawberries are easy to increase from runners. These are thin shoots that grow from the
main plant. Along their length they produce young plants and these are best spread out
from the parent as they appear, pinned to the soil and rooted. To encourage good, healthy
plants, nip out the rest of the shoot beyond the main plantlet.
2 Plantlets can either be rooted into pots of fresh multi-purpose compost sunk into the
soil, which makes it easier to lift and replant them later in summer, or rooted directly
in the soil. Soil- rooted plantlets are easier to water and care for, but they do need
more care and attention when transplanting due to the greater root disturbance.
3 Water the compost in the pots regularly and new roots will quickly be formed. The
plantlets will be ready to move after about six or seven weeks when you can cut them off
the runners. Plant them into a bed, which has been freshly prepared with plenty of organic
matter. Choose a spot in full sunlight for best results.
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| Embarrassing
Stories |
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I was going out with a boyfriend who had just bought
himself a nice new motorbike.
I used to meet him in Sheringham as I lived in Aylmerton. He offered to take me for a
ride, quite illegally I might add!
Of course, being young and liking the fact that MY boyfriend had a motorbike (very grown
up), I accepted.
In front of all my friends I cocked my leg over the bike, but before I could sit down, he
had taken off down the road, leaving me standing there looking like a cowboy without his
horse! |
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10th ANNUAL
POTTY FESTIVAL 4 - 6 JUL |
The Potty Festival started in 1994 and has grown and grown so we have to limit the number
of Morris sydes to about 20 each year. The Potty Festival starts on the Friday night,
meeting in the local pubs the musicians congregate to practice (well that's what they call
it). This year there is also a Beer Festival in the Lobster marquee, in addition to their
three bars.
On Saturday at 10:00am (morris time) the festival is opened by our own intrepid town
crier, Tony Nelson, followed by a procession through the town, to one of four dance spots
to dance until about 1:00pm when the dancers have their lunch. The Sheringham Shantymen
our local shanty choir will then entertain you in the main arena on Lifeboat Plain.
Dancing starts again at 2:00pm until about 3:30pm (morris time), when all the dancing
sides meet in the main arena for what we call mass dancing. This is where the musicians
have a chance to play together and the dancers have a chance to dance together. The
dancing day ends about 4:30pm ish!
Saturday night continues with music and singing in the local pubs.
On Sunday we start at 10:30pm with dancing in the main arena until the sides have to go
home, usually it ends at about 3pm.
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