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Tips

Growing in the bay

Some notes on conditions and the local climate.

Despite being situated in east central Scotland, Dalgety Bay manages to enjoy a relatively mild climate. This is mostly due to the proximity to the river Forth and the low lying ground (all under 150 ft ASL). Where this is most noticable is in the timing of the seasons and the variety of tender plants that are successfully grown.

Never-the-less most of the Bay is quite exposed to the South, South East and West and through wind-chill effects, it can at times get as cold as any other low-lying part of Scotland. Wind strength is another factor and strong winds and fierce gales are common, as is salt laden air.

For success with tender plants therefore, try to take advantage of what shelter is available and use the heat stored in house and boundary walls to create a milder microclimate for your plants. Remember also that fences, when they can be made to stay up, also provide good wind breaks.

Dalgety Bay has a variety of soil types. The underlying subsoil is clay on limestone although some gardens are almost all sand below the top soil.

Acid loving plants tend to grow well, as evidenced by the number of conifers and heathers planted. Care must be taken with lime loving plants, like pinks. But in order to best appreciate your own growing conditions, you should have your soil tested. This can be accurately determined by any of the professional horticultural societies who normally offer this service for a fee. It may also be achieved (less accurately) by using a kit which is available from any garden centre. The acidity or alkalinity of your soil can then be adjusted by top dressing or digging-in the appropriate material.

It is also a good idea to see what is growing well in other gardens in the Bay. You can also ask for advice on which plants to grow from other Society members, or from any of the local garden centres.

December can still be a lovely time to work in your garden. Choose a sunny day and wrap up warm. Give your garden a thorough inspection. If the ground isn’t too hard, there are still a few things that can be planted. Fruit trees and fruit bushes are best planted whilst they are dormant during the winter months. Harvest winter veg. as required. If you planted new potatoes in September then December is the time to start lifting them.

The Vegetable Patch in December

Sow garlic, shallot and onions

You can still plant garlic, shallot and onion sets. Planting them now gives them a head start and ready to leap into full growth as soon as spring arrives.

Sow autumn sowing broad beans

If you are going to sow broad beans early then make sure you choose a variety designed for overwintering, such as Aquadulce or Sutton. Germination may be slow, so it is worth starting them in pots in a greenhouse or covering the soil with cloches.

Dig your patch and add plenty of bulky organic matter

Ground that hasn’t got any crops can be dug over. Add plenty of manure, home compost or leaf mould to add structure to the soil. Leave the earth in big lumps, any frosts will break them down.

Keep your patch tidy

Remove as many weeds as you can, and anything that may provide a hiding place for slugs and pests such as wood, bricks and plant pots. You want the ground to be as open and exposed as possible so that the cold weather and birds can help rid the soil of any pests that might like to munch through your veg early next year.

Harvest winter vegetables

There are plenty of veg ready around now including winter cabbages, cauliflowers, parsnip, celeriac, salsify and scorzonera, brussel sprouts, leek, swede, spinach, turnips, kale and Jerusalem artichokes.

Check any stored vegetables

If you’re storing any vegetables, check them every couple of weeks to pick out any that have started to rot.

Stake tall brassicas

Ensure any tall brassicas, such as sprouts and purple sprouting broccoli, are staked to prevent damage from wind rock.

Check the pH of your soil

pH is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 being neutral, below 7 is acidic (or ericaceous) and above 7 alkaline (or limey). A level of 6.5 to 7 is good for most plants. If your soil is acidic then you can raise the pH a little, for example from 5.5 to 6.5 by adding lime.

The Fruit Garden in December

Cover rhubarb with forcing pots

Towards the end of December, cover your rhubarb crown with a forcing pot or tall bucket. This will give you some lovely tender rhubarb shoots early next year.

Plant fruit trees and soft fruit bushes

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can still plant fruit trees and fruit bushes. These are best planted whilst they are dormant. Most will be delivered as bare-root plants.

Plant strawberry runners

Bare-root strawberry runners can be planted in pots or in a strawberry bed, ready for next year.

Cut down autumn fruiting raspberry canes

All autumn fruiting raspberries canes should be cut down to about 3cm (1in) above soil level.

Check all support systems

Look over all your stakes and support systems replacing any that are damaged. Tighten any wires that are sagging.

Prune and mulch blueberries

Cut down some of the old growth after leaf-fall to encourage new shoots in the spring

Prune blackcurrants and redcurrants

Both blackcurrant pruning and redcurrant pruning should take place when the plants are dormant during winter.

Take hardwood cuttings of blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries

Choose this years growth, and make a straight cut below a bud at the base, and an angled cut above a bud at the top. Cuttings should be 20cm (8in) long for blackcurrants and 30cm (12in) long for redcurrants and gooseberries. Insert the cuttings directly into soil or into a pot filled with cuttings compost.

Prune apple and pear trees

Prune while the trees are dormant. Don’t leave it too late as pear trees in particular start growing again very early in the season.

Other Gardening Jobs in December

Browse the seed catalogues and plan you’re planting

December is a great time to browse the seed catalogues and plan your growing for next year. Buy your seeds now so that you’re ready to get planting early next year. Some seeds like tomatoes, chillies, capsicum, aubergine and broad beans can be started as early as January.

Feed the birds

Garden birds will be finding it more and more difficult to find food. Put out nuts and seeds to help them. Remember to break the ice on birds baths so that they have access to fresh water.