Tips from Karl Ploberger: This is now to do in the garden

The weed sprouts: In most areas of the country we are still in phenological full spring, only with the beginning of the elderberry blossom do we start into early summer. But nature has caught up a lot in the past few days. Tree and shrub growth is strong this year. And the weeds sprout. Therefore, immediately clean all beds once, this prevents competition with ornamental or vegetable plants. Then mulch once. Best with lawn clippings.

plant vegetables: The mild temperatures make it possible for us to plant or sow basil, beans and cucumbers, courgettes and pumpkins. Tomatoes come in the bed or in the pots, just like balcony flowers and the wide range of potted and citrus plants.

Lice now develop extremely quickly. Wipe off, wash off or treat with soft soapy water (1 tablespoon/1 l water + 1 dash of spirit). In the event of severe infestation, treat biologically with pyrethrum agents (“Spruzit” – Neudorff, “Schädlingsfrei plus” – Compo, “Naturen-Bio Schädlingsfrei Forte” – Substral). Snails are now active. Collect in the evening or in the morning, sprinkle organic slug pellets. Build barriers (“Snail Barrier” – Rosenfellner Mill)

Garden Calendar: Prairie Lily

There are fashion trends in the garden – if a few years ago it was alliums (Allium) that appeared everywhere and are still extremely popular today, now it is the prairie lilies (Camassia). The onion flower, which originates from North America, is set in autumn and produces white, light blue, dark blue and violet flowers in spring. It prefers rather moist locations, where it also multiplies well. There are different types and varieties that look attractive both in perennial borders and in flower meadows.

gardening issues

How long do you have to wait before you can grow vegetables on a former field?

In principle, it can be grown immediately, but according to the law it is not yet organic. I would start with potatoes and then sow green manure for a year. From the third year I would plant vegetables.

So many shoots on my apricot tree have wilted. I’ve lost a tree before. Will the new three year old tree die again?

Unfortunately, one cannot say exactly, but if only the end shoots are wilted, then this is the top monilia. Immediately cut back into healthy wood and always clean the scissors with alcohol in between. The apoplexy (“hit”) is more dangerous. Here the entire tree dies within a few days and cannot be saved. Stress, disease and frost are the causes.

We have copper gutters, we were told not to use the water for watering. Is that correct?

Absolutely wrong, on the contrary. Even copper tools are used in the organic garden because it has a very positive effect on the soil organisms.