Essentially Local January-February 2018

Home & Garden
Unwelcome guests
Rats - how do I prevent them?
Clean up around bird feeders, don’t
leave pet food around, or put cooked
food on your compost heap.
How do I know if they have moved
in?
Look out for rat droppings, holes
around sheds and materials shredded
for bedding. Check under decking and
listen for scratching sounds, especially
at night.
How do I get rid of them?
Traps and bait. You can do it yourself
but be very careful, if putting down
poison, that no child or pet can
access it and don’t block escape
routes or you’ll be left with a
decaying corpse. Traps leave you
to dispose of anything caught, so
sometimes it’s best to leave it to
the experts.
To rid your home of rats call:
Rentakeeper
01908 510189
killem.co.uk
Garden
plant of
the month
Camellias are exotic, fragrant
shrubs which originated in China
and Japan. Of the same family as
tea plants, they became popular
with collectors in the 19th century
and have been selectively bred to
produce the wonderful varieties
available today.
Camellias can thrive if given good
light with some shade, welldrained,
slightly acidic soil and
protection from strong winds.
Sow your spinach
Tasty, nutritious and versatile, spinach is a great choice for the
vegetable patch. Eaten raw in salads, wilted or cooked quickly, it adapts
to many cuisines.
Sow 2.5cm deep in rows 30cm apart in fertile soil enriched with wellrotted
compost. Make regular sowings for plentiful supplies.
Keep rows moist to prevent bolting in hot weather, protect plants from
birds and thin out, allowing air to circulate to avoid downy mildew.
With protection from cold, spinach can be grown almost all year
round. Sow summer varieties from February – under fleece or cloches,
outdoors from March to the end of May. Sow winter cultivars in August
and September, covering from October.
Try: Palco,
Monnopa,
Atlanta – a
hardy variety
for winter use.
Most flower buds form on current
year’s growth, so prevent flower
bud loss by ensuring the plant
doesn’t dry out. Camellias prefer
rain water.
Do not plant too deeply, as it’s
important for air to reach the stem
where it joins the root system to
prevent rotting.
For the best displays, fertilise
during the growing season – but
remember over-feeding these
plants can kill them.
Garden plant of the month has
been selected by the Flower
Council.
Written by Sheila Harvey
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