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Web letter November 2005

NOVEMBER 2005 WEBLETTER

The BNCS website has been up and running for about 6 months now and is beginning to appear increasingly on the major search engines. It is nice to see so many “hits” from around the world and particularly pleasing to see messages on the Discussion Forum from as far a field as Australia.

At this stage I thought it was about time to start a “monthly” web letter (time will tell how often it gets written!).

The aim of this is:-
1/ To provide regular browsers with information about what is new on the site.
2/ For me to request information from members and users.
3/ To provide a monthly guide of what to do in the Dianthus garden and greenhouse.
4/ To review Dianthus articles in other publications.
5/ Generally to provide a forum of interest to members and dianthus enthusiasts the world over.

Starting with the website itself I am currently working on a photographic gallery which hopefully will provide a reference to help with identification. In recent weeks there is a report from the Westminster Show and a section on The International Dianthus Register (on Links) with a link from this page to the RHS downloadable form. This will make it simple for anyone round the world to register their new varieties. There is some new material from the Archives. Have you noticed the correspondence from Alan Titchmarsh on “The Buttonhole”? I have added quite a lot of new links to other specialist plant societies and other interesting sites. I hope members will find these useful and informative. Please let me know of other links you feel would be helpful, particularly sites of useful suppliers.

I am a little disappointed there is not more traffic on the Discussion Forum. I suppose it is for many a new technology. Do try and register and leave some details. It is nice to know where our readers come from! Don’t worry about trying to fill in the technical bits. It isn’t necessary. Do get involved in the discussions. Your useful tips or questions are of interest to everyone. This is the opportunity for everyone in The Society (and outside) to get involved!

This is a busy month for gardeners generally preparing for the winter ahead. Apparently this year the forecasters are predicting a winter as cold as 1963! Let us hope they are wrong. As I recall temperatures remained below 0 for a whole month. Fuel bills are likely to be high!
By now any PF’s which have been kept outside for the summer should be under cover. At the time of writing we have not yet had a frost here in Sussex but it is just a matter of time. I have had a lot of trouble with rust this year. I think being only a couple of miles from the sea doesn’t help. I have always thought salt in the air predisposes to rust. Regular spraying with fungicides in rotation has brought things under control. It is the time to catalogue the plants in your collection and to tidy the plants up ready for the winter. Obviously to keep them flowering throughout the cold months a little heat is required. That is the advantage of Borders. A cold greenhouse is all that is required. This year I have bought a few Borders but I will leave others to provide cultural information.

This brings me to the next purpose of this web letter. To make it successful I need brief notes from members to include in the next and subsequent web letters. Seasonal tips, reviews of any published articles on dianthus in the national or gardening press, news from affiliated societies, anything you feel our browsers would like to read! And what about contributions from abroad? I know readers in the UK would love to hear about carnation growing around the world. Perhaps some articles from international growers and breeders. Ideally email me at james.dennison2@btinternet.com . Failing that send me any articles to James Dennison, 307 Sedlescombe Road North, TN37 7JL UK. Or put the article up on the Discussion Forum and I will transfer it to the web letter. I look forward to getting your responses.

The following topical information has come from Jim Linnell:-

WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING NOW?
October – December
Be VERY selective on the plants that you intend keeping overwinter. Only keep the very best, especially those that gave the best blooms this season. Don’t overwinter anything without a label, or that hasn’t grown well.
If you are overwintering your plants in a greenhouse, thoroughly clean down the benches and glass (inside and out) with a domestic bleach, then fumigate with a sulphur candle. Do not take your plants back into the greenhouse for at least 2 days after the fumigation.
Plants in the greenhouse should be watered sparingly but kept well ventilated (except in the very coldest weather) to keep them cool.
If you have plants outdoors, now is the time to give them a good clean-up. Remove any dead or dying foliage regularly, cleaning up the pots or the ground around the plants at the same time. You do not want to encourage pests and diseases!
If you intend to plant out any rooted layers of borders or cuttings of pinks then they should be done in October, otherwise pot them up and wait for spring before planting out. Any other plants to be kept in the greenhouse can be potted up as they become sufficiently rooted.
Keep an eye open for pests and diseases especially greenfly and rust. If using a spray to control these do so in the morning so that plants are dry by evening.