Planting out half-hardy annuals

Planting Out Half Hardy Annuals

Now the weather is warm enough and all chances of frost have passed, it's time to start planting out the half hardy annuals.

Following a wet spring, the warm weather has brought lots of weeds in the growing patch. We hoe out our weeds with a double-edged hoe, which removes them at the roots.

When to Hoe:

• do your hoeing during a period of dry weather if you can, you can then leave the weeds in situ and they will die off. If rain is forecast and you have already hoed, then remove the weeds as they may re-root in wet weather
• it's best to hoe little and often and to try and catch any weeds when they are quite young, as they will be easier to remove
• the next day, your weeds should have died and dried up, so you can rake them up and put them on your compost heap if you want to, or just leave them in situ to rot into the soil.

Planting Out Tagetes Next to the Snapdragons

Tagetes is one of my favourite flowers because it can be used as either an edible flower, sprinkled over salads, or as a cut flower.

It is a prolific producer and makes a wonderful companion plant because it will keep away aphids from plants like roses and broad beans that tend to suffer from them.

Planting Out Your Tagetes

• Rehydrate your tagetes by soaking them in a bucketful of water for around 10 minutes before planting out.
• Arrange your pots on the bed so you have a clear idea of how you want to plant them as a group.
• Plant out and then water in.
• If your plants, like mine, look like they are already about to flower, then consider cutting them back. This will make them put their efforts into root production.