Spotting Pests, Sowing Seeds and Improving Compost

Welcome to Garden King's Plant Doctor Blog, where our experts discuss and answer all your gardening questions. This week we're talking about spotting greenhouse pests, sowing vegetable seeds, caring for outdoor wooden furniture and improving your compost.

These are hot topics which our customers are asking us for advice on and this time of year is perfect for sorting them out ready for the summer.

Your greenhouse has probably been the saving grace for many plants in your garden just recently. Now that the weather is starting to improve, it's important not to neglect those plants still in the safe confines of your greenhouse.

Flying pests like whitefly, greenfly and midges will be rife at this time of year and vigilance is the name of the game. The earlier you spot pest problems, the easier it'll be to get on top of them. We recommend you use a yellow and blue sticky trap to attract problem insects. This is a great way of spotting any infestations in good time to do something about it. 'Greenhouse FlyCatcher' from Bayer Garden is available at Garden King in packs of 7 double sided traps including twist ties for easy hanging.

With the warmer weather it's a good time to start sowing some vegetable seeds outside. It's best to sow runner beans, radish, pak choi, marrows, courgettes, chicory, lettuce, swede, turnip and french beans now. We stock a wide range of quality vegetable seeds and we're on hand to offer any advice you need for the best results.

If you have wooden garden furniture, get your restoration hat on and give it a bit of a facelift in time for the summer. We recommend you sand the furniture smooth and apply Teak Wood Oil to keep it looking in top shape. We stock a wide range of stains, treatments and oils to protect your wood throughout the year. If your wooden furniture isn't looking it's best or it's beyond a facelift, Garden King is the ideal place to pick up a new garden furniture suite. We stock a beautiful range of teak root furniture and a wide range of stylish and affordable garden suites, including cushions and parasols. 

To get the best results from your compost, it's good practice to empty out your compost bins, mix well and then refill. This improves the composting process. Make sure your compost bins are in a nice sunny spot - this will accelerate the process. If you haven't already, when you refill the bins, make sure you have a thin layer of woody material or shredded paper at the base of the bin. This helps drainage and allows air to move more freely.

Once the contents have become a dark brown, with an earthy smell - the process is complete and it's ready for use on your garden. Don't forget that we sell a wide range of composts and compost bins - so even if you're new to composting we've got everything you need to get started.