4161-4 Buck Dec-Jan - The Community of Bucklebury WIKI

in order that the cutters are sharp and
the engine starts to your command in
the spring when you really do need to
cut the grass. My friend, who services
my machinery, wishes that he could
charge a premium to make mowers and
the like work in the month of April, as
frustrated gardeners perspire as they
pull vainly on the starting rope during a
busy weekend.
Do also take this opportunity to clean
and, where necessary, sharpen your
garden tools; the secateurs must be
kept quite clean and sparkling bright –
the normal dull colour probably harbours
the disease that you tried to cut
from an earlier plant or shrub.
I think I mentioned pruning apple
trees last year but I will do so again; do
make certain that before you get your
head into the tree, you stand back and
have a good look at all the branches
and shoots. Look to see which branch is
obstructing which branch and where
one branch rubs against another which
one should be taken out for the good of
the tree. The best guide is to think of the
tree as a large wine glass or bowl with
air circulating in the middle.
I do hope you haven’t just burnt your
fallen leaves as they produce the best
soil conditioner within twelve months
that is available; dug into the surface of
the flower bed or vegetable patch,
absolutely nothing can beat this weed
free compost. It may be a bit late to buy
farmyard manure locally but if you can
still get it, it really does make a difference
to the productivity of your land;
manure has the ability to release the
goodness that is naturally in the soil yet
does retain the moisture that plants
need. I did mention, the year before last
(have I really been writing this for that
long!) that I was inclined to ‘double dig’
my vegetable patch thus incorporating
manure at a spit lower than usual and
breaking up the possible ‘pan’ that may
prevent free drainage. Unfortunately my
energy level is on the wane and this
year I have spread the manure on the
surface in the expectation that the
worms will work on both the manure and
the soil and incorporate the two together
– I know that there will be a downside
as the manure will be full of weed seeds
and I will have to turn the soil to bury
them, but nothing in gardening is easy!.
In the last two weeks I have received
my seed catalogue from Suttons and
will shortly order the seeds that I want
and at the same time plan out my garden
year – if you don’t plan or have a
diary plotting the approximate planting
times of seeds you will not get the benefit
of the final product; remember that
seeds are expensive but an individual
cabbage or lettuce may cost the same
as a whole packet of seeds!
If you have a greenhouse this is the
time to really get it clean; clean the glass
in and out and wash the staging to
6 DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011