insideKENT Magazine Issue 90 - September 2019 | Página 110

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH
4. In some cases, a sharp knife, axe or lawn edging
iron may be needed to clea ve the clump in tw o.
5. Plants with w oody crowns (e.g. Helleborus) or
fleshy roots (e.g. Delphinium) require cutting with a
spade or knife. Aim to produce clumps containing
three to five healthy shoots.
Pick Autumn Raspberries
Raspberries are popular garden fruits that are easy
to grow. Try growing both summer and autumn-
fruiting varieties: just a few plants will r eward you
with plenty of fruit fr om midsummer until mid
autumn. If you end up with a glut, raspberries also
freeze well, and make wonderful jams, sauces and
cooked desserts.
CONT.
• Berries need to be collected before they are taken
by birds
• The plants from which you collect seed must be
healthy and vigorous. This will help ensure good
quality seedlings and plants
• Usually only species “come true” from seed –
seedlings from a hybrid will be extremely variable
• Most seed germinates best if sown as soon as it
ripens, whereas seed harvested while immature will
not germinate
Collecting seed:
1. Collect ripe seed on a dr y day, as soon as the
seedheads (e.g. capsules or pods) ripen. This is often
indicated by a colour change from green to brown,
black or red, but must be before they open and shed
their contents.
usually cause the ripe seedheads to explode into the
bag. Alternatively, remove the seedheads on their
stems as they turn brown and place in a labelled
paper bag.
6. Nuts should be collected ar ound the time the y
would naturally fall either by hand-picking, or by
placing a sheet at the base of the tree and shaking
the branches until they fall.
7. After extracting the seed, clean off any surrounding
material (chaff) attached to them, as this ma terial
could rot and lead to the seed damping of f. Chaff
can harbour moulds, pests and diseases.
Collect and Sow Seeds
Growing plants from seed is generally straightforward
and inexpensive. It is an opportunity to increase the
number of plants in your garden for free.
Harvest y our o wn seed is fun b ut takes a little
understanding and planning:
• Seedheads can ripen quickly, and must be watched
carefully in order to collect the seed before they
are dispersed
• As a rough guide, seed is set about two months
after flowering
• Some seed is collected when well-developed but
immature and green, such as Anemone nemorosa,
calendula and Ranunculus
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2. Pick the seedheads, either singly or on stalks, and
lay them out to dry on a greenhouse bench, warm
windowsill or in an airing cupboar d. This enables
seed to be more easily extracted from pods, cones
or capsules.
3. If they don’t open when dry, gently crush pods
and capsules to release the seed.
4. Collect seed fr om f leshy fruits and ber ries by
mashing them in a fine sieve and then rinsing away
the pulp in cold water. Leave the seed to dr y for a
few days on paper towels.
5. Exploding seedheads need c hecking every few
days. Place a bag o ver them and shake – this will
The RHS is a UK charity established to share
the best in gardening. Their work is driven by
a simple love of plants and the belief that
gardeners make the world a better place.
For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk