Got hedges that you cut a couple of times a year? What do you do with the clippings? You might just throw them in the compost to rot down, or you might put them in the recycling bin. Why not shred them and turn the clippings into mulch?

Shred all your twiggy waste and turn it into mulch.

Tooled Up have a great selection of shredders.

Handy Drum Garden Shredder Max 40mm Capacity 2500w 240v £134.95
The Handy Drum Shredder.Features:- Powerful 2500 watt motor- Quiet gear crushing action – self feeding- 40mm max cutting capacity- Auto reverse for jammed branches- Motor overload protection- 3m cable- Large wheels…

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Want to find out more about pest control? You cna get a free pest control book from Harrod Horticultural – you can download one so you can read it straight away.

It covers all the pests you might encounter and they sell products to deal with the pests, both as preventative barriers and treatments.

Ants
Aphids
Carrot Root Fly
Caterpillars
Chafer Grubs
Fungus Fly
Leaf Beetles
Leatherjackets
Mealy Bugs
Raspberry Beetle
Scale Insects
Slugs and Snails
Spider Mite
Vine Weevil
Whitefly

There are lots of things that gardeners need that some people throw away!
Jam jars are really useful in the jamming season and when it’s time to pickle your veggies or make chutney. You can never have too many jars!
Even if you don’t grow fruit yourself why not ask the gardeners you know who do if they’d like you to save the jars.

If you store them up and find none of the gardeners you know want them, then why not try offering them on freecycle! There’s loads of jam makers who faced with a glut of fruit would love the jars.

Just wash them and leave them to dry properly before putting the lids on.

You should also compost all your vegetable peelings and lawn clippings. If you don’t want to have a compost heap why not ask a neighbour if they have one, and if they want your vegetable waste! It’s a shame to throw it away – even if it is recycled at the tip!

Getting the most from your raspberries – you can give them plenty of good soil, support, and prune them right.

Some great raspberry related items at Harrod Horticultural.
My biggest problem with my raspberries is how to stop them going through my lawn and popping up both in the grass and the flower borders. It’s not a huge problem once I get the mower out. I have dug up a couple of plants though and moved them to where they can get growing and producing. Part of me wants to leave them to take over the whole of the front garden, but the sensible part of me (And my partner) reckons it’s a bad idea.
Last year I had so much fruit – I was picking about 500g a day – that I couldn’t turn it into jam quick enough and was stockpiling it in the freezer.

Raspberry Beetle Trap – Replacement Lure £5.95
Use this innovative Raspberry Beetle Trap which doubles as a monitoring kit to detect the early signs of raspberry beetle by placing it 1m above ground 4-6 weeks before first flower during April to July. The Raspberry Beetle Trap helps to improve the timing and efficiency of spray treatment thereby reducing crop damage or any unnecessary spray application. Attracted by the incorporated attractant lure and colour of the cross vanes (simulating a giant raspberry flower) the beetles fly into the cross vane fall into the funnel-shaped catchment area and down into the holding bucket below. If you discover 5-10 beetles per trap per week in the period from beetle emergence until onset of first flowering then use the Insect Killer Spray opposite. The attractant lure in the Raspberry Beetle Trap lasts 6 weeks the length of a normal raspberry season and a second replacement lure is provided for extended use; further individual replacement lures are available separately. Please note that the base section of the Raspberry Beetle Trap is green and not white as displayed in the picture to the left.

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Last years carrots had some pretty bad carrot fly damage. We’d not made any effort to protect them though so it’s our own fault. There are varieties of carrot which are supposed to be less troubled by carrot root fly.

So what does the damage look like? It’s horrible black eaten away bits that can go right through the carrot.

You can prevent the carrot root fly from getting to the crops by fleecing around them to make a barrier. It doesn’t have to be really tall as apparently they don’t fly very high. Many of the people on my old allotment used to grow carrots in tubs on the top of compost bins or other structures so it was higher up.

You can get barriers set up to stop the flys or you can try this which is available now at Harrod Horticultural

Carrot Root Fly Trap – Sticky Traps Refill Pack £4.95
With this Carrot Root Fly Trap system – containing 5 orange non-toxic sticky traps a field pole securing and fixing clips – you’ll have everything you need to monitor the presence of Carrot Root Fly in carrot crops for up to two years. Place the orange Carrot Root Fly Traps at the end of carrot rows in mid April to intercept the first generation of carrot fly and relocate the simple to move traps in late May before re-positioning in mid-July for the second generation of this persistent pest. The data is easy to analyse; if more than one carrot fly is caught per day then take remedial action with or our It’s safe to finally remove the Carrot Root Fly Traps at the end of August. Replacement sticky traps for the Carrot Root Fly Trap are available separately.

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If your soil is poor or prone to waterlogging then one of the best options for growing veggies is to use raised beds.

Raised beds at Harrod Horticultural

Everything you need for creating beautiful raised beds. From the raised bed, to the soil, to the plants, and accessories you’ll need.
Wooden Raised Beds and Plastic Raised Beds
Lovely items like the Maxi Manger Trough Planter allows you to plant even in small spaces! Perfect for patios!
They even have Irrigation Kits, Raised Bed Liners, mesh covers, cold frame kits and all the things you’ll need to grow lovely veggies!

two brand new Voucher Codes from Harrod Horticultural

Quote APRILNET to get a Free pack of Butterfly netting (4m x 3m) worth £8.70 with your next order or

Quote APRILMESH to get a FREE pack of Fine Insect Mesh Netting (2m x 5m) worth £12!

These two offers valid for 7 days only ends on 1st May.

Tons of great stuff for growing and sowing!
Standard Wooden Raised Beds
£22.00

‘ Best Buy’ Raised Beds, gardening Which Dec. 2010
Buy Now 10% Discount Online!

Oak Barrel Water Butt
£122.95

Tomato Success Kit
£49.95

Steel Round Column Obelisk
£120.00

Is this the UK’s cheapest raised bed? It’s available to buy at GreenFingers now.
It’s a specially designed jute bag that can be used to grow vegetables in! Ideal for small gardens.

Grow Your Own Crops – Large Salad and Vegetable Planter £4.99
Ideal for planting carrots beetroot spinach parsnips radish swiss chard dwarf peppers spring onions and all lettuce varieties this Grow Your Own Crops-Salad and Vegetable Planter is a must! This holds 80L of compost and includes a FREE tailored fleece cover to protect your crops from pests and diseases.

The fitted fleece means this would be great for growing carrots! Carrot fly is a real pest and it is easily kept out by using fleece!

New products at GreenFingers that will enhance the look of your garden.
Create clean lines in your garden with these edging products. Two ring sizes for edging circles around trees and edging strips for lawns.
Everyone knows just how smart the garden looks when you’ve had the edging half moon out but once the grass starts to grow the sharp edge disappears and the garden looks untidy again.
Buy this edging strip system and sort out the edge for ever! You’ll be able to trim up the edge, get a clean edge every time and your garden will look really fantastic.
Saves time having to cut the edge of the lawn and remove turf. Gives a smart edge all the time. Allows you to strim up to the edge making it quick and easy to get a good looking garden all year round.
Removes the amount of work you need to do to keep your garden looking good.

Everedge Garden Rings 75mm x 600mm – Brown £22.99
These Everedge Garden Rings are great for providing a clean circle around those trees and shrubs in your lawn. This is a 2-piece set which makes a circle of approximately 600 mm. Manufactured in the UK using the same tough durable and attractive galvanised steel material used on the popular garden edgings these rings help to separate different sections of your garden to keep it neat and tidy. The rings are strong yet also thin enough to be easily bent into shape. Made from Everedge Classic with a brown coated finish the rings are assembled by securing two simple coach bolts at each overlap to achieve a clean and sharp circle to go around trees and shrubs. These garden rings will suit any style of garden ranging from trendy town to quiet country. Dimensions: H75mm x 600mm diameter

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These are very lovely looking raised beds. Ideal if your garden is visible from your house and you want them to look really lovely.
GreenFingers have some great raised beds. And have free delivery on orders over £29

Premium FSC Veggie Bed – 6x3ft £104.99
This pressure treated FSC timber Premium Veggiebed has been made from half rounded pressure treated timber for a much more sturdy and unique take on a traditional product.Use this raised bed to grow your vegetables or plants through the seasons as this will suit the experienced or occasional gardener.In its natural timber colour this raised bed will blend well with your other garden accessories or even paint it to make more of a statement.Manufacturer

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