Maggie’s Meanderings

Spring 2009

Dear readers

The meanderings have returned! We welcome Spring 2009 with a brand new web site – I’m sure you’ll find it interesting to look at and easy to use (if you have any comments or suggestions about it sales@lichfieldplanters.co.uk).

Before we get into real meander mode next time, I would like to reiterate some information regarding the planting and upkeep of our wooden cold frames, raised beds, wooden planters and now window boxes too.

• It’s a sensible idea to line any wooden planter, window box or raised bed, be it pine, cedar or oak with some sort of waterproof material, it really does prolong life. I now use bubble wrap, as well as its water proofing properties, the bubbles add an extra layer of insulation; just make sure that a couple of holes are poked into liner to allow drainage. The drainage part obviously doesn’t apply to raised beds but a strip of plastic or bubble round the inside of the walls does the same life lengthening job.

• Unless otherwise requested, our Scandinavian red pine items are finished with Cuprinol preservative, clear or golden brown. This will last for about 5 years. Oak and cedar need no preservative but sometimes people like them finish with Teak Oil, this enhances the depth of colour of both woods and accentuates the grain pattern. In any event in time, most woods, if they are kept outside, will fade to silver grey. If you don’t want them to do that then refinishing, after cleaning, with the Cuprinol or Teak Oil with bring the colour back.

• Finally, in this back to basics section, what growing medium and how much to put in your planter? As to what to use, for most things, proprietary multipurpose compost is fine. Some people grow acid loving plants e.g. rhododendron and heather, in planters because their garden soil is too alkaline and a planter filled with ericaceous compost makes a mini acid environment. Whether you use peat free or coir based compost, plants in posts need more attention from you, you are in a way a Supreme Being to your pot plants, they have no power to feed or water themselves so it’s up to you ….next time perhaps we can go into the planting and maintenance of container gardens.

• This is how to work out the approximate volume in litres. LxDxH divide by 6000 then whatever the result is - move the decimal point one place to the right. Example an Oblong planter is 100x40x35cm(h) so…..multiply 100x40x35 = 23.33333….. move the decimal place to the right and this will give you 233 litres. If you are buying in 80litre bags then 80 into 233 = 2.91 so you would buy 3 x 80 litre bags and would expect a little over. If you know a simpler way let me know.

That’s it for now

Maggie