Grow your own (GYO) is so successful that many UK garden centers are re-ordering lines that have sold out ahead of expectation – especially seed potatoes and propagation equipment. A recent survey by DIY giant B&Q has identified that one in four Brits are growing some of their own fruit and vegetables, with another 10 percent of the nation considering it.
Sales of glass greenhouses have risen by 75 percent year over year, with 36 percent of the population now owning a greenhouse and another 10 percent of the nation considering doing so.
The 30-something demographic is driving the GYO sector, with surprising contraction noted among the 55 plus market segment.
Contributing factors to the enormous growth in GYO are attributed to media attention on food safety, food miles, nutrition, sustainable lifestyles and of course, the economy. Avid supporters of the GYO movement are British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Prince Charles, among other national celebrities and organizations.
GYO is considered inexpensive entertainment for families and offers savings of approximately £200/year (about $300 USD). Many also view it as an antidote to excessive technology takeover, socially desirable and even inspirational. |
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 This time of the year it is important to prepare your fertility and soil improvement programs. An effective way of doing this is by preparing a fertilization plan. Advisors can help you determine what your additions of organic materials and nutrients should be. By comparing crop requirements with legal nutrient levels, the right sources can be chosen for the supply of organic matter and fertilizers.
Crop rotation is important for the biodiversity of the soil, especially at operations with monocultures such as Buxus, too often this is neglected. Green manure crops are an option in such situations.
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It's a all-too-familiar quandary: whether at the landscape contractor or consumer/homeowner level, the temptation to use that beautifully flowering perennial or wonderful new selection of tree or shrub can be overwhelming. Ultimate success, however, depends on compatibility between the plant and the conditions provided by the planting site. While there may be the ability to manipulate soil conditions to better suit the plant's requirements, the best guarantee of success comes from choosing those plants that are best suited to the garden and/or landscape site.
Plant Publicity Holland has compiled easy-to-use charts of perennials, trees and shrubs suited to various conditions such as full shade, part shade and full sunlight. Each chart provides a wealth of information from flower color and season, height and spread of plant and much more. Simply click on the link below to register for the Landscape Bulletin.
www.landscapingbulletin.co.uk |
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 In March 2009, partners LNV, VROM, LTO, Vewim, Nefyto, Agrodis, Plantum and University of Wageningen announced their Innovation Award for Sustainable Crop Protection (Innovatieprijs Duurzame Gewasbescherming) was given to the ‘Canopy Density Spraying’ system developed by Jan van den Zande of Plant Research International (www.pri.wur.nl). The purpose of the award is to stimulate sustainable solutions in crop protection.
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 A group of scientists from Germany and Wageningen University have discovered a connection between the behavior of insects and isoprene secretions of some trees.
Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) is formed naturally in some plants with the levels of the gas secretions increasing as temperatures increase.
When plants are attacked by insects, they emit specific odours that act as an emergency signals and attract predatory parasitic wasps to the location which then act to control the population of pests.
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