Warming Up for Spring: A Peek Behind the Potting Shed Doors
The almighty sun has finally appeared! Even though the wind is bitter up here at in the nursery, the winter woolies are worn and it's still outside for us to fine tune the plants for the coming spring. We need this sun to increase temperatures and bring growth, but also provide us all with some much-needed Vitamin D.
If you want to add some good structure to your garden this season, now is an excellent time to get those plants into the ground and get established before summer. Spring will produce root growth and foliage, taking this time to strengthen the plant's structure aiding to build up resistance & resilience against pests, diseases and harsher conditions that summer may bring. This moisture and higher temperatures create ideal conditions for organisms that live in the soil. These organisms help break down minerals and nutrients in the soil making them more accessible to the plant to uptake, further progressing plant growth and strength.
We've recently relocated our potted Lavenders onto a gravel area in a position that gets much more sunlight. They've been a little grumpy from the lack of sun and warmth the past few weeks, therefore their root systems conserve energy to survive. With colder temperatures, meristematic systems slow right down. Meristematic growth refers to cellular division that occurs in specific areas of a plant such as at the tips of roots and shoots. These meristems are crucial for generating new plant tissue and giving the plant structure. One way to help increase temperatures naturally is to use rocks or gravel. They can make excellent heat conductors, capturing heat during the day whilst the sun is out and distributing it over a certain area, and at night, it will then release that heat.
The birds up at Addenbrooke are abundant. During a lunchtime birdwatching moment, we have seen finch, tui, rosella, thrush and sky larks. The usual quails haven't made an appearance yet; some food offer must have been better elsewhere at present.
As we write this, a shared lunch has been called for the team to get together and brainstorm problems, situations, ideas and solutions. It's always good to keep a steady flow of collective ideas to keep up that momentum and keep things fresh, bringing stunning plants to gardens across the country.
Happy Gardening!
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