Bulbs

Bulbs should be planted from September to October.

Bulbs reproduce under the ground, if they are not taken out every year they will multiply too much and will be too compacted, not having enough space to let the plant grow properly what will mean less flowering.

It is good to take the bulbs out of the ground at least every other year.

Here is a guide for bulb depth planning

Transplanting a tree

To transplant a well grown tree we should cut around half the roots one year, between December and January in the dormant months, and the next year, the other half so the tree does not get under shock cutting all the roots at the same time.

From September to November the sap will go down from the leaves to the roots, so the roots will keep growing even if the leaves are falling. From November to January the roots will not grow. In February the sap will start going up and will make the tree grow again.

Potted trees

The potted trees are the ones we buy in a garden center and are given to us inside a pot.

The best time of the year to plant fruit and bushes potted trees is between November and March.

The sooner the better so that the roots can start to grow before the buds do.

They have to be planted at the same depth of the pott.

If it is a potted shrub they sould bee planted between November and May, being the best April to May.

Never plant a potted plant after May.

Nursery gardens

There are different ways of planting trees, mainly:

- From the seeds
- From the original plant (cuttings, layering or suckers)
- By pollination


In the nursery gardens they grow trees that they will sell to reatilers or to the general public.

One way of growing those trees is with the seeds or from cuttings.

The seeds or the cuttings will be planted in a first bed where they will be for a year time when some roots will grow. The second year they will be moved to a different bed. This will be done year after year, during at least 10 years. The roots will grow along those years, mainly the:

• Structural roots: large roots that have undergone considerable secondary thickening and provide mechanical support to woody plants and trees.
• Fine roots: Primary roots usually <2 mm diameter that have the function of water and nutrient uptake. They are often heavily branched and support mycorrhizas. These roots may be short lived, but are replaced by the plant in an ongoing process of root 'turnover'. A plant with a healthy mycorrhizas system will give the plant 10-15 times more nutrients and water.

During that time the trees will grow as well as their roots. If they are sold, they would be sold as bareroot trees (B/r). Their prices will go up to 25€.

When the trees grow higher and the roots are bigger, the nursery garden should start balling the roots of the trees. This is done by a machine that will take the roots out from the soil, with a big amount of soil around it and will put a net around the soil and the roots. The machine will rootball and wrap the roots all together.

Those trees are bigger and are called rootball trees (r/b). They can go from 1 m of diameter in their base to 10 m or more in very mature trees. Their prices are above the 100€ and can be as high as 6,000€ if it a mature tree.

When we buy a bareroot tree it has to be planted between November and March.



When the tree is a rootball one, it will be planted between November and May.

Salad greens

Salad greens are easy to grow during the winter time.

Pruning

Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. 

Reasons to prune plants include:

1. deadwood removal
2. shaping (by controlling or directing growth)
3. improving or maintaining health
4. reducing risk from falling branches
5. preparing nursery specimens for transplanting
6. harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits

Specialized pruning practices may be applied to certain plants, such as roses, fruit trees, and grapevines.

The apple trees need to be pruned to avoid plagues.

At the end of November or beginning of December, the roses are pruned.

The berryplants do not get pruned.  They do not have many plagues, so they can be pruned a little bit but not much, because they will not give enough fruit next year.

Pruning small branches can be done at any time of year. Large branches, with more than 5-10% of the plant's crown, can be pruned either during dormancy in winter, or, for species where winter frost can harm a recently-pruned plant, in mid summer just after flowering. Autumn should be avoided, as the spores of disease and decay fungi are abundant at this time of year.

Some woody plants that tend to bleed profusely from cuts, such as maples, or which callous over slowly, such as magnolias, are better pruned in summer or at the onset of dormancy instead. Woody plants that flower early in the season, on spurs that form on wood that has matured the year before, such as apples, should be pruned right after flowering, as later pruning will sacrifice flowers the following season. Forsythia, azaleas and lilacs all fall into this category.

Veg planner

More information about the veg planner can be found here:

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/veg_planner.asp

Preparing the beds for the winter time

School garden beds after being prepared

When the winter is coming we have to prepare the beds that we will be using in spring. The steps:

1. Clear the bed
2. Take away ant put into the compost all the dead plants and weeds
3. Modify the pH with lime if the bed is too acid with sulfur or wood chips if it is too alkaline
4. Cover with a net or plastic
5. Hold the cover so it doesn't blow with the wind

Malus domestica - Apple tree

Latin plant name Malus domestica Common plant name Apple tree Plant type Deciduous fruit tree  Size (meters) <3-12 m Distinguishing -features The leaves are alternately arranged simple ovals, petiole with an acute tip, serrated margin and a slightly downy underside. Blossoms are produced in spring simultaneously with the budding of the leaves. The flowers are white with a pink tinge that gradually fades, five petaled. The fruit matures in autumn. The center of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds, called pips.