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General Jobs In May 2012

Strategic slug control

Slugs can be a real pest, all around the garden. They reduce leaves to shreds, munch off rows of seedlings, and nip the growing tips out of French bean seedlings and much more. They also have their uses, though it is difficult to appreciate them at times.

There is no single route to successful slug control. It is best to employ a range of strategies for best results. Our Slug and Snail control factsheet offers plenty of suggestions.

Copper tape slug barrier Caption: Copper slug barrier protects this hosta from slug attack.

Learn something new at Ryton Gardens

compost and soil fertility garden

Compost Magic course - Thursday 10th May 2012 at Ryton Gardens

If your compost making could do with a boost, why not come to Ryton Gardens on May 10th for our half day composting course – and to have a look round our new ‘Compost garden’
Click here for details and booking

Exclusive tour of the Heritage Seed Library - Thursday 17th May 2012 at Ryton Gardens

Enjoy a tour behind the scenes of Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library.
Find out about how the HSL works and see where all of the activity to conserve and protect some of Britain's historic, heirloom, heritage veg takes place.
Click here for details and booking

Exclusive tour of Ryton Gardens with Andy Strachan - Tuesday 22nd May 2012 at Ryton Gardens

Take a tour of Ryton Gardens, the home of Garden Organic, with Head Gardener Andy Strachan.
Click here for details and booking

Attract beneficial creatures to your garden and allotment.

Poached Egg Plant
Poached Egg Plant

Sunflower
Sunflower

Grow flowers to provide pollen and nectar for insects such as hoverflies and lacewings. Below is a list of easy-to-grow annuals, which both you, and the beneficial insects, can enjoy. Grow them all over the garden or allotment - to help keep flowers, fruit and vegetables pest-free.

You can find seed of most of these flowers in the Organic Gardening Catalogue
See our organic factsheet Attracting Beneficial Insects for more ways to entice more predators – available in the members' area of this website (requires members' password).

Make your garden wildlife friendly

Wildlife garden

A garden that is wildlife friendly is an essential part of organic gardening. It can be attractive to both you, and wild creatures. There are a range of Garden Organic factsheets that can help you give your garden a wildlife ‘makeover’.

See our other factsheets:

Online access to our organic factsheets is password-restricted to Garden Organic members'.

Find out about becoming a Garden Organic member here

You can download the complete list of factsheets with order form (PDF document - 101Kb)

Wildlife garden
A nettle bank on an organic farm

Be nice to nettles

Nettles can be annoying weeds, but they can also have their uses. They are great for wildlife. Full of nutrients, they can make a healthy food for people and plants!
They are even good enough to have their own ‘week. National ‘Be nice to nettles week’  runs from 16-27 May this year.
When doing the weeding don’t forget to leave some to grow.

Good for wildlife - the nettle supports over 40 species of insect including some of our most colourful butterflies

Tasty food – young nettle leaves make a tasty soup. Potatoes and onions are the usual added ingredients. They can also be an ingredient in a healthy ‘green’ smoothie.

Plant food – Nettles can easily be made into a healthy plant food.  For more information go to our 'Nettles' factsheet.

Organic Gardening "Do's"

Organic Gardening DOs and DON'Ts
For more detailed guidance on what is, and isn't organic, have a browse through the Garden Organic Guidelines

Bee on marjoram Californian Poppy Ladybird eating aphids Phacelia

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