Gardening Techniques From A - Z. Part Two.

Here is part Two of my mini series on gardening techniques. Dibbing In: Dibbing in is a simple and quick planting technique compared to using a trowel. The standard dibber is usually a stout wooden or metal spike bought from a garden shop or made in the home from an old spade handle. These dibbers are for big seedlings. For pot culture and for small seedlings outdoors use a pencil or dowel. The tip of your dibber should be rounded rather than sharply pointed. Dibbing in (or dibbling) calls for inserting the dibber sufficiently deeply into the soil so the roots will fit comfortably. Place the plant into the hole and then firm the ground by re-inserting the dibber point about 1 - 2 inches from the stem. Move the dibber towards the plant in an effort to press the soil all around the roots. This really is a good technique for planting vegetables which have been raised in a seed bed. Brassicas, like Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts etc, are popular examples. It is also trusted for planting cuttings, but in all cases you must make sure the hole is no deeper than necessary. The role of dibbing in is restricted - use a trowel and never a dibber for large size planting material such as bulbs or tubers, and don’t use a dibber in heavy, wet soil. Disbudding: Normally, flower buds in the garden are allowed to develop and open naturally to deliver the maximum display. For exhibitors however, and others interested in the size of individual blooms, the flower stems are disbudded. This calls for pinching out side buds as soon as they can be handled, leaving the central bud to grow to be a sizable specimen to catch the eye of the judge or earn the envy of your neighbours. Chrysanthemums, Dahlias and Carnations are frequently treated this way for show purposes. Many Hybrid Tea Roses produce more than one flower bud at the end of every shoot. With this flower it is nearly always desirable to seek the maximum size, so disbudding of side shoots is advisable. Delay taking off side buds if you want to hold back flowering for the day of your show. If the Rose variety produces very full blooms which spoil badly in wet weather, reverse the process and pinch out the terminal bud so that your side buds develop. Earthing Up: There are several reasons for earthing up, this means the drawing up of soil towards and around the stems. Potatoes are earthed up to prevent the tubers being exposed to light. When the haulm is about 9 inches high a draw hoe is used to pile loose soil against the stems to form a flat-topped ridge. The greens (Broccoli, Kale, Brussels Sprouts etc) are earthed up for another reason - soil is drawn up all around the stems of well developed plants to boost anchorage against high winds. The stems of Celery and Leek are blanched by earthing up. This begins with Celery when it is about 1 foot high - with Leeks it is done in phases, the height being increased a little at a time by drawing dry soil all around the stems. Earthing up is important on the vegetable plot but it has a place in the herbaceous border. Shoots may appear prematurely during a mild spell in early spring, it is advisable to draw loose soil over them using a hoe so as to avoid damage by severe frosts which may come later.

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