Dia duit!
My name is Stela and I’m the Manager of the Enable Garden Centre here in Honan’s Quay, Limerick. Thank you for joining me for what is the start of a series of regular blogs about Enable Ireland’s Garden Centres. I’ll be sharing an insight into the goings-on of our Garden Centre and tips on how to look after your plants. Let’s get the best out of your garden!
In the Polytunnel
This month we’ve been busy in our polytunnel. We’ve been sowing the seeds of herbs like Basil and Parsley into trays. The start of July has been particularly wet, so we’ve been keeping an eye on the sun to get the herbs out into its rays for a couple of hours every day. Exposing your herbs to natural sunlight, outdoor weather, and winds is a good way to strengthen their sprouts and encourage hardier growth. If you keep your herbs in a polytunnel or greenhouse, I recommend trying to get them out for an hour or so each day if you can.
Our tomatoes are starting to grow so we’ve been pruning their side shoots and starting to string-train them. The key to string training is to make sure your string is wrapped tightly around the main stem without suffocating the plant. It is good to check the string daily so you can catch if the string has loosened or become too tight. You can then adapt accordingly to help your tomatoes grow around the string.
We also feed them every 10-14 days with seaweed feed. Tomatoes love seaweed feed because it has useful plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate, and magnesium. It’s a great multi-purpose organic fertiliser which can be used for many plants, fruits and vegetables. Seaweed feed also helps prevent blossom end rot, a common problem when growing tomatoes. At the Enable Ireland Garden Centre in Limerick, we have Seaweed fertiliser available in both granule and liquid form. Make sure to ask our team about it the next time you visit us at Honan’s Quay.
In the Garden
Outside of the polytunnel, we’ve been pruning and deadheading our perennials to encourage flowering. Now is the time to feed your perennials, make sure you are giving them a good feeding every 10 – 14 days. Again, seaweed feed is a brilliant all-round fertiliser which will help flowers to bloom. We also have other feeds in store specifically for flowering like Boost. Our garden centre is currently host to a range of beautiful perennials that are now flowering vibrantly like Achillea, Geraniums, and Dahlias. Pop in to see our full range!
To finish this month’s blog, here are some tips for taking care of your Dahlias:
Dahlias love to be in a sunny location – an area that receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight is preferred.
Avoid planting dahlias tubers in soggy, wet soil that doesn’t drain well.
The best way to keep your Dahlia blooming is to deadhead spent blooms regularly.
Water at the base of the plant. Dahlias grow best when they receive a consistent supply of water.
Use Epsom salt and magnesium sulphate to fertilise dahlias.
At Enable Ireland Garden Centre we have all your gardening needs under one roof! Come and see us for help and tips to spruce up your garden and see our latest stock. Plus 100% of profits support Enable Ireland’s vital disability services. Visit us at Honan’s Quay, Prior’s-Land, Limerick. Email gardening@enableireland.ie or shop online.
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