The Plant Notebook

When to practice: Generally during June / July / August when the risk of fluctuating spring temperatures has passed. Aside of pollination, seed dispersal, influencing weather and ocean currents wind is also a kind of personal trainer for your plants. It helps plants to build stronger stems/branches. All this swaying causes plants to release a hormone called an auxin which stimulates the growth of supporting cells. Lack of this hormone makes plants more susceptible to damage.

Discover how over-applying chemicals weakens plants and how organic houseplant food and organic liquid seaweed can help build resilience especially in your potted plants.

Last spring I tested growing bulbs vertically with good success. So, of course it seemed reasonable to go from daffodils to the king of bulbs, Amaryllis. Last year's Daffodils and Cyclamens. This year's Amaryllis. Hailing from the Andes Mountains of Chile, Peru and Bolivia, this flower has reached Europe in 18th century where over the next 226 years it has been hybridised to the king of bulbs we know today. It has graced the glass houses of many a green fingered aristocrat,

While the god of gardening, Monty Don, combats winter with as much green as possible. I, on the hand, like a randomly awakened bee, need flowers. Outdoors and indoors. Hellebores for outdoors and Amaryllis for indoors. Is it winter that you are into? Not at all. I used to be. At least the snow, when it happened, had a way of reflecting light, even on the dullest of days. But the greyness of recent winters, especially with prolonged cloud cover we’ve had in the UK, has become

This time quick jobs for foliar and aerial root feed and longer jobs refreshing soil for the same pot or repotting your plants into fresh soil.

When to practice: Generally during March / April After bedrooms, living rooms are next in accumulating the most human and animal hair, our dead skin cells, textile and paper fibres, minerals, plant pollen and any other particles found in our environment. Since in winter we don’t open our windows as much it all settles on surfaces and plant leaves. We hoover our floors and wipe our tables, but plant leaves are often left untouched. All this settled dust blocks the light, maki