Growing Fruit and Vegetables - Fairweathers Garden Centre

10 of the Best Herbs to Grow in Containers

Herbs are one of the most rewarding container crops; most are also easy to grow. The simplest way to succeed with herbs is to buy plants, although some can be grown from seed. To ensure long lasting supply of herbs make sure you pick your herbs regularly during the growing season, and make sure you…

Christmas Potatoes

Grow tasty seed potatoes at home in time for Christmas with these top tips. Harvesting your first earlies allows you to re-plant ready for Christmas, you can get a second crop our of grow bags or potato tubs by planting these now. Alternatively visit Fairweather’s in July and choose from our ready-prepared varieties. Being tender…

Climbing Beans

We recommend climbing beans as the perfect crop for novice gardeners or children. Everyone will have success and will pick baskets full of juicy beans. They are an inviting crop; Large, often colourful, easy-to-handle seeds. Like to be sown straight in the ground. Grow quickly. Give a display of flowers as well Can crop for…

Crop Rotation

Why do we need crop rotation? Beneficial in minimising plant problems. Previous crops can benefit following crop. Here is a basic three year rotation plan: Year One Brassicas, Roots, Legumes Year Two Roots, Legumes, Brassicas Year Three Legumes, Brassicas, Roots Alternative growing methods: not everything needs to be grown in the ground, Tubs / Raised…

Growing and Using Edible Flowers

ONLY CERTAIN FLOWERS ARE EDIBLE AND EVEN THOSE LISTED AS EDIBLE NEED TO HAVE BEEN GROWN UNDER CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR CULINARY USE (NO CONTAMINATION BY ANIMALS OR PESTICIDE RESIDUES PRESENT). Edible flowers add colour and flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes. They have to be home-grown as they need to be gathered fresh on…

Growing Beetroot

A super food! Beetroot is a naturally sweet and nutritious root vegetable. It stores energy as sugar in its roots; if the plant completes its life cycle this stored sugar would be used to make the flowers and seeds. It has recently been proven that the pigment in beetroot can aid blood pressure regulation. It…

Growing Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are a particularly versatile fruit, packed with vitamin C. Use them in pies, summer pudding, jams, cordials, smoothies, fruit compotes and if there is a surplus they are easily frozen. One healthy bush will yield 10lbs of fruit. They are one of the easier fruits to grow; not fussy about soil requirements and straight…

Growing Blueberries

Blueberries are ericaceous (lime-hating) plants. They belong to the genus Vaccinium which also includes cranberries and bilberries. Blueberries cannot be neglected, but they are certainly worth the effort and a well grown mature plant will produce more than 5 lbs of fruit per plant. Planting In the New Forest many (but not all) of us…

Growing Citrus

Grow Citrus in a nutrient-rich compost such as Levingtons Citrus compost. Repot in spring when the plants become pot-bound. In years when not repotting, topdress (again, in spring), removing the top 5cm (2in) of compost and replacing it with fresh. Water freely in summer, but don’t allow the pot to stand in water. Water moderately…

Growing Onions from Sets

HAVE A GO AT GROWING ONIONS FROM SETS Onions are especially easy to grow if grown from onion sets. A set is a baby onion. You could choose to grow versatile white onions, sweet red onions for salads or shallots to store for winter stews. Planting Choose a sunny site. Ideally the soil will have…

Growing Potatoes

In spring, dig well-rotted manure into the top 30-cm (12-ins) of soil, if manure is unavailable use home made compost, bagged manure or leafmould with a general organic fertilizer. Never add lime before planting potatoes, as this can encourage scab. Chitting encourages the tubers to produce strong, sturdy sprouts and gives an earlier maturing crop.…

Growing Pumpkins

Preparing the soil Start by preparing the soil by applying three to five barrow loads of compost or manure for each plant you want to grow. This is best done in the Autumn but can be done in early spring so long as the manure isn’t too strong. In Spring, apply a good granular fertiliser…

Growing Raspberries

Raspberries are grouped into two types; summer fruiting and autumn fruiting. These two groups are distinct in their growth habits and have different training and pruning requirements. By growing varieties from each group it is possible to have a supply of raspberries from mid-summer to mid-autumn. Recommended varieties Summer fruiting; Glen Ample Autumn Fruiting; Autumn…

Growing Rhubarb

Invest in a rhubarb plant and it will produce stems for 20 years in good conditions. Planting You can plant rhubarb divisions; these are a piece of the fleshy root with a bud. Or you can plant young rhubarb plants in grown pots. Plant in the dormant season, which is autumn through to late winter. …

Growing Strawberries

Home-grown strawberries are sweet and flavoursome and you can pick just as you need them. Strawberries picked in the warmest part of the day will be at their sweetest. They are very easy to grow and adapt well to growing in containers. They just need a sunny spot with soil which drains well. Planting New…

Growing Tomatoes

A home grown tomato has a superior flavour to shop bought and you can grow more unusual tomatoes that can’t easily be bought. You can try growing interesting varieties such as Mr. Fothergill’s: ‘Black Russian’, ‘Cream Suasage’, ‘Green Zebra’, ‘Tigerella’. If you don’t have access to a heated propagator or greenhouse to rear healthy tomato…

How to grow Olive trees

Olive trees, or Olea europaea are generally considered the kings of the Mediterranean landscape, but popularity in the UK has increased in recent years. This fact sheet will tell you how to grow Olive trees successfully in the UK. Their combination of gnarled stems and tough silvery grey-green leaves provide handsome…

Investing in an Apple Tree

There are fruit trees available to suit every garden. They will reward you for years to come with delicious fruit and give structure and a sense of tradition to your garden. There is a bewildering choice available, especially when it comes to apple varieties. Luckily the specialist nurseries supplying Fairweather’s Garden Centre provide…

Planting a Container Grown Fruit Tree

Fruit trees are best planted in the tree’s dormant season (October to March). The earlier the better as the soil is more likely to be workable. Planting You will need; soil improver ( Westland tree and shrub compost), bonemeal, mycorrizal soil stimulant (optional), a stake and tie, a rabbit /squirrel guard for the lower trunk.…

Pruning Untrained Apple & Pear Trees

Always use sharp secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw. Start by removing crossing, rubbing, weak, dead, diseased, damaged and dying branches. Then shorten the previous year’s growth on each main branch (primary) by about one third to a bud facing outwards from the middle of the tree. This will encourage the development of new branches…

Pumpkins, Squash and Courgettes

These vegetables are all in the same plant family known as cucurbits. Although they can have different growing habits they are all cultivated in a similar way. Which varieties to choose? Summer squash include courgettes and patty pans. They produce prolific fruits throughout the summer but these fruits do not store. Patrick’s Patch favourite bush…

Success with Salad

Even the smallest garden will have room to grow salad leaves either in containers, raised beds or small areas of ground. They are very easy to grow, crop quickly and you can pick, fresh exactly what you like to put in your salad bowl. Wholehead lettuce You may choose to grow lettuce varieties which are…

Tomato Ring Culture

Overview: Ring culture is a means of growing Tomatoes that allows fibrous feeding roots to develop within a bottomless ‘ring’ (where fertiliser is applied), whilst courser water-seeking roots develop into the ground, aggregate, ‘Growbag’ or Container. Traditionally, the ‘ring’ or bottomless pot is about 8” (20cm) deep and 9-10” (22-25cm) in diameter, which is then…

Under Glass & Direct

Indoor Sowing: Fill seed tray or pot with compost, gently firm to eliminate air pockets, water and allow to drain before sowing. Place or scatter (depending on seed size) seed thinly over surface. Sieve layer of compost over seed. Do not cover exceptionally fine seed. Water with fine rosed watering can or stand in water…

Veg in Containers

If you don’t have a vegetable patch do not despair! Many vegetables perform well in pots, and arranged near your kitchen they are both attractive and convenient to pick. What container? Terracotta pots look attractive but tend dry out faster than plastic. Plastic pots are also lighter to move about. Consider recycled planters like old…