The week-long celebration with the theme ‘Knowledge is Flower’ will see RHS experts myth-bust and demystify the world of gardening and separate the facts from folk law.
To kick off the week-long exploration, Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the RHS, unpicks some of the biggest misconceptions in the gardening world.
- Digging is necessary - Plants in nature don't need digging, nor do garden ones. However, digging effectively reduces weeds and occasionally relieves compact and incorporating amendments.
- Deeper soil is better - Many gardeners believe the deeper the soil, the better. Around 15cm is enough, 25cm at the very most. Those planting should use sharp sand rather than costly topsoil for deep beds.
- Raised beds are best for growing vegetables - While raised beds can help in wet regions and clay soils, they can lead to over-draining, are expensive, and use environmentally significant resources elsewhere.
- Vinegar is a good weedkiller - Contrary to popular opinion, vinegar is not a good weedkiller as it won't touch grasses and only harms broad-leaved seedlings, not larger plants.
- Houseplants purify the air - According to our research, houseplants do not purify the air. Unlike ventilated homes with sparse plants, the original study was carried out in sealed growth chambers crammed with plants. There are plenty of other good reasons to grow houseplants, though.
- Coffee grounds deter slugs - The evidence for coffee grounds' ability to repel ants and slugs is poor. The same applies to myths about eggshells, grit, pumice, and many other products.
- Tomato leaves need to be removed - It has long been believed that bottom leaves should be removed from tomato plants. However, even lower leaves contribute to the plant until they go yellow (when they can be removed).
- There is no such thing as over manuring - Although many believe there is no such thing as too much manure, organic matter, or compost, this is wrong. Overmanuring leads to excess heavy metals, phosphorus, and pollution.
- Tree roots go as deep as the tree is tall - Tree roots form a shallow but broad 'plate' of roots and go wide instead of deep.
- You need to fertilise every spring - It is believed you must add fertiliser every spring. However, most plants don't need feeding.
Throughout National Gardening Week, gardeners can join the RHS for hands-on planting with the RHS Big Seed Sow, a community-growing campaign designed to get people sowing and sharing seeds and visit one of the five RHS gardens for fantastic activities, exhibitions, and fairs to unlock horticultural secrets. Members can also take full advantage of on-site advisory teams, open at selected times across the sites and over the phone Monday through Friday for their biggest gardening questions.
To find out more about National Gardening Week, please visit
www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/national-gardening-week
ENDS
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