0:00:15 > 0:00:18Hello and welcome to a brilliant spring morning
0:00:18 > 0:00:19here in Beechgrove.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23We want to get on with the work, starting with early potatoes.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25A couple of weeks ago,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27we looked at the thermometers in the ground.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30The temperature was rising towards seven centigrade.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32One of them was at eight, but we have to be sure
0:00:32 > 0:00:34because that's a trigger point.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38When it gets above seven centigrade, seeds will germinate
0:00:38 > 0:00:43and the potatoes will start to grow and root into the ground.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Here we are, it's time to plant the early potatoes,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48the variety is Casablanca.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50The ground has been treated with fertiliser,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53remember that need for a wee extra amount
0:00:53 > 0:00:55of fertiliser because
0:00:55 > 0:00:58of the leeching that has taken place but there's plenty in this ground
0:00:58 > 0:01:01because it gets heavily treated with organic matter every year.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05I'm putting in these earlies a foot apart.
0:01:06 > 0:01:1030cm, if you've been metricated.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and they're down 7, 8cm.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18So that should take them a wee while to come through and it protects them
0:01:18 > 0:01:22from the frost. Now, later in the programme,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24you will see my visit, at the end of March,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28further north than here and the guys were already planting
0:01:28 > 0:01:30their earlies there, but they were putting them a bit deeper.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33The danger is frost, and that's the important thing.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37We'll be sure as soon as they pop their wee heads above the ground,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40we'll earth up the ground,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and keep these safe.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Otherwise they get quite a check.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46The other half of the row,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49the potatoes will be grown under black polythene.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Plant the potatoes through the polythene.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53No earthing up necessary, so in fact
0:01:53 > 0:01:56we could put them a bit closer together.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58So where that is one row here of this variety, Casablanca,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00we'll have two. We will have one there
0:02:00 > 0:02:02and one there.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06A lot less work. It will be interesting to see
0:02:06 > 0:02:11the return in weight per square metre, later on in the season.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But I press on. Meantime, in the rest of the programme...
0:02:18 > 0:02:22This week, and throughout the series, I'm helping two families
0:02:22 > 0:02:26who've bought new-builds and want to transform a plot like this
0:02:26 > 0:02:28into paradise.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36And on today's visit menu, for starters, acquire a farmer's field.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40And for main course, invite in a bunch of guys
0:02:40 > 0:02:43who are dead keen on gardening,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48and for sweet, beautiful crops at the end of the day. Stay with us.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Last year we collected some fresh seeds from the garden
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and the emphasis was on fresh seed.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56We collected Meconopsis regia seed
0:02:56 > 0:02:57just after it had flowered and set
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and we sowed it immediately
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and we put this into the cold frame.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04See the germination that you have there, all these wonderful
0:03:04 > 0:03:06little seedlings which have come up
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and have come right through the winter, really tiny.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12We will prick these out and grow them on
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and it will take about two years before they are big enough to be able to flower.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Chris, in the back end, in the autumn,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21selected some seed of Sorbus reducta.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25This it's different because this one needed a period of chilling,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27so it was put in the cold frame
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and that chilling in the cold frame
0:03:30 > 0:03:32caused it to germinate this spring.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34But this one at the end is completely
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and utterly different and it is a bit confusing
0:03:36 > 0:03:39if you don't know what's happening. This is Trillium seed
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and this was collected in the middle of summer,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44just after it was matured,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and there, sown underneath grit, is all we've got.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50We've just got seeds lying there still.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54That's been out in the cold, but it's just about to germinate.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56It will produce a root this year
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and then it will sit all summer without doing anything else
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and then it will get another period of chilling
0:04:02 > 0:04:04in the back end and over the next winter,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08then next summer it will have produced a shoot above ground level.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10So this one takes two years to germinate.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14You see, in gardening you've just got to have patience.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17And Chris will need patience this week. He's with the Robertson family
0:04:17 > 0:04:20in Portlethen, where he is helping to transform the soggy turf
0:04:20 > 0:04:22into their dream garden.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Anna and Andrew Robertson, and son Fergus,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34moved into their new home in Portlethen in May 2013.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The Robertsons want Chris to help transform their new plot
0:04:38 > 0:04:40into both a family space
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and an efficient, productive garden.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It's a reasonable-sized space, isn't it?
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Yeah, it's very good.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Just looking at fence piles, it's about ten-by-ten,
0:04:52 > 0:04:53something like that?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I think so, yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59What is it about green vegetables and presumably fruit as well
0:04:59 > 0:05:01that interests you?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It's achieving something.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07It's nice to be able to grow your own potatoes or your own salad, and sit down and eat it together.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- And it always tastes better. - Even if it's not worked very well.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Even if it is smaller and slightly crowded.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Our carrots are always interesting shapes.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I think the most encouraging thing is that you've got the perfect space for
0:05:19 > 0:05:23fruits and vegetables, because there is plenty of light and most fruits and veg
0:05:23 > 0:05:26don't like growing in the shade, so the orientation
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- of the garden is great from that perspective.- OK.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30So I think, from my perspective,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34certainly allowing this space to spill out as a hard surface
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and have the transition between inside and outside,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39step out onto a hard surface
0:05:39 > 0:05:41so even when the weather is not great,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43you are still encouraged to come outside.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We then have a more open space here,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48you can bring a dining table out here,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50this is the space where you can really the spill out and relax.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- And enjoy it. - All this has been good news so far.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56This is the bad news. I don't know if you can smell that,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59but there is a real sort of malodorous...
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Have a sniff of that.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Soil should smell very sweet.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08In fact, it should just have a rather kind of warming
0:06:08 > 0:06:09smell about it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13This is a soil which is seriously waterlogged.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17This entire development is on what was previously marshland.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Whilst it is possible to impose housing,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23what you have to remember is that the garden is marshland.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- So I think the thing to do for fruits and veg is to come up.- Lift it, OK.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32And to build raised beds. And you are much more likely to succeed.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35This is a very rough sketch, maybe an extension
0:06:35 > 0:06:37to the existing stonework there.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41This area then becomes an area of lawn.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Yeah, that looks good.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Then we have some raised beds that create this geometric structure
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- around the garden.- That's amazing.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50How do we get started?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53The first thing to do is to mark out
0:06:53 > 0:06:56the plan, transfer the sketch onto the ground.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Once the marking out is finished,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07the turf that was laid can be lifted.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11That can again be dug into the bottom of the bed at a later date.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14The whole bed is then dug over to try and bring some life back in,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16add a little bit of air back in
0:07:16 > 0:07:19to this real quagmire of the soil.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22As a by-product of the digging,
0:07:22 > 0:07:23you get all this free rock.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Definitely a case of buyer beware, I think.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30This is a very, very simple way of creating a very efficient
0:07:30 > 0:07:33raised bed, there are essentially three components.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Against the fence to stop any soil spilling through,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38we have the old scaffold boards.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41That'll be the height of the soil up there, it gives you an idea of rooting depth.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43The front edge has to be slightly more glamorous
0:07:43 > 0:07:47because it's going to be on show, so these are just the pressure-treated,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50rough-sawn timbers. They're loosely described as sleepers.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51These are pressure-treated,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54which means that the timber has been cut
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and it has then been impregnated
0:07:56 > 0:08:01with a preservative, with a toxin to stop any rot taking place.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02The preservative that is used
0:08:02 > 0:08:05is most likely to be a copper-based preservative.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07If it is just for ornamental beds,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09you don't need to worry about lining the inside,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12but in the case of vegetables, especially root vegetables,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15they are known to absorb a lot of minerals
0:08:15 > 0:08:16and metals from the soil.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So what I always do is line just the inside face
0:08:19 > 0:08:22with a piece of polythene, just staple it on the inside,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24backfill with topsoil and then you're ready to start planting.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31There is never a point in the year
0:08:31 > 0:08:34when you can't be sowing something or growing something.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37For the fastest crop, I would certainly go with
0:08:37 > 0:08:38some of the leaf crops.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Speedy veg and lettuce, those sorts of things.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43You can sow these outside later on,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45but because we want a really quick crop,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48what I would do is to sow these into small pots
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and then harvest them as new leaves.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- Right.- So you're sowing it,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54you sow them quite densely in here,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57let them get up to that sort of size and then just scissor the heads off.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01As soon as you've scissored the head off, you go onto the next pot
0:09:01 > 0:09:02- and the next pot and so on.- OK.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04So you keep sowing, and these sort of pots
0:09:04 > 0:09:06you can sow right through the year.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09You can keep them on the kitchen windowsill, no special treatment,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- but you can always have some baby leaves growing away.- And it's nice.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Then we've got plants we can start off now,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18so still a few frosts around, a few cool nights.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22If you read the back of the packets, it says it's OK to sow them outside,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26it is, but I would again get a bit of a head start
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- and sow these on your windowsill.- OK.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Don't need to put them in the heat of the propagator,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34but on the windowsill with a polythene bag over top
0:09:34 > 0:09:37and things like your leeks, your lettuce, your beets
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and so on, those plants
0:09:39 > 0:09:42will just get growing, get to this stage...
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- Just to the plug.- Then we can plant them outside.- OK.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49It really is a waste to go for huge containers of compost.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51You are only sowing a few seeds at a time.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53You're then allowing a few days' gap
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and then sowing a few more seeds of the same type.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59But you've got your seed compost in there.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Ideally, you want to give yourself a nice, firm and smooth surface.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05If you use an empty pot,
0:10:05 > 0:10:06give it a bit of a shake till it settles
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and then very gently tamp it down.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10What you're doing is just evening it out
0:10:10 > 0:10:13so that all the seeds are then sown at exactly the same depth.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Then what a lot of people do is they sow the seeds.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But after you've sown the seeds, you then have to water,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21which then distributes the seeds, so the thing to do
0:10:21 > 0:10:24is water now, so if you hold on to that,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26we'll get the watering can.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The temptation is just to put the watering can over and then tip
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and you'll see what happens
0:10:31 > 0:10:34is you get a big glug of water all over the place.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39So much better to start the water off, come on to your pots
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and then off again, because the rose on the top here is nice and fine.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Whenever you're watering, start off the pot,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49tip it, move it onto the pot and then move it away again.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51That avoids really compacting the soil.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Depth of seed
0:10:53 > 0:10:55is the next thing that completely confuses everybody.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59How deep should you plant them, how much soil should they have on the surface?
0:10:59 > 0:11:03With something like beetroot, when you have a look at the size of the beetroot seed,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06it's a reasonable size. You do not really need too many.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Level it off and then, if you want to,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11you can just move them around, give them a nice, even spacing.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15You can see there's about 20 or so seeds in there.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Just sow a few at a time, let them succeed.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22The more space you give them, the more opulent the plants will be.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28In terms of those, generally we would say about two and half times
0:11:28 > 0:11:31the size of the seed is the general rule.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And all you do is gently sprinkle that over the top.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The next most important thing, because they all look the same
0:11:38 > 0:11:41when they have soil on the head, stick a label in.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46I, maybe through trying to over-care for things, over-water.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Most people really torture their plants as a result of too much tender love and care.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Watering is the number one problem.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54Yeah, I've no idea.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Get used to using your fingers,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58just gently touch the compost there.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00You'll feel there's a little bit of moisture on it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03You feel it when you hold it between your fingers.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04It's slightly damp.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- That's perfect.- That's OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The opposite is these ones that we've just watered, these are really
0:12:10 > 0:12:13wet and you can see that's quite heavy, you can squeeze
0:12:13 > 0:12:14the water out of it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- That's too wet.- And that's...
0:12:17 > 0:12:20That to me, at the moment, would be perfect.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Yeah, for a seed, not perfect.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27So, in terms of sowing, all very straightforward.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Keep them going.- Don't over-water.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33The worst things happen to all of us, so it really doesn't matter.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Just get another packet and sow some more and keep going.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Chris, I have to say I'm loving what you've done with our front lawn.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- I was thinking about just putting a few rocks on the top(!)- Perfect(!)
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Reinventing the notion of a rockery in the front garden.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It seems very extravagant to build raised beds and then import topsoil
0:12:58 > 0:13:01but actually it's by far the most economical way of doing it,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03to get it delivered from a topsoil supplier.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07So we've had it dumped but also, what will bring that to life,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09is this, which is composted garden waste.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It's raw, organic matter.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It's completely the wrong thing to try and grow anything in
0:13:15 > 0:13:20but it is brilliant at breathing life back into even an imported topsoil.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The thing to do is spread this over the top of the heap
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- and we will fill the barrels and carry it all round.- OK!
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Once the soil starts to go in,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47you really get a sense of this being a garden,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49rather than just a blank canvas.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53You can see that we are over-filling the beds, so right up to the top
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and it is largely because it will settle.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00You'll probably get it to settle 3, 4, maybe even 5cm.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01So it will really drop?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05That's just all part of the normal compaction process. It's the soil settling and forming.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08You have plenty of seeds and also packets of seeds.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Keep sowing those, and you have young plants in the cold frame.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Every seven to ten days, go through a new sowing regime,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19because when we come back in a few weeks' time,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23what would be fab is if all of this raised bedding is ready
0:14:23 > 0:14:28and then those young plants you are sowing in the next few days
0:14:28 > 0:14:30will now be ready to go out into this prime bed.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I'll make sure that I'm carrying on the next stage properly.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Yeah, and it should be just an absolutely verdant garden.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I am really looking forward to Chris going back and seeing how Anna has progressed with her seed-sowing.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Now this is the time of year when you can be doing a lot of pruning,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58a lot of spring pruning,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and Jim, George and myself are going to be looking
0:15:00 > 0:15:03at three very different plants
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and at different reasons for doing the pruning.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I'm starting off with this eucalyptus, a beautiful snow gum,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10one of the hardiest.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But when we had some very severe winters back in 2011,
0:15:13 > 0:15:182012, this was a massive tree and it had to be pruned
0:15:18 > 0:15:20right the way down.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23This is the result - wonderful growth.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I want to keep it as a shrub.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27So what am I going to do?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30What you can actually do is coppice it,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and what I mean is you cut it
0:15:32 > 0:15:34really hard back, all of the branches,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37down to two or three buds.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39But because it is such a wonderful plant,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41because it is evergreen and a focal point
0:15:41 > 0:15:43in the seaside garden,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45I've decided to go for a halfway house,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48so I'm going to leave half of the branches like they are now
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and I will select the other half and do the coppicing.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55I want to start with this one because it's encroaching on the paths.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And just to take a bit of the weight off before I go really go down,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I'm in with the loppers.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And then I can go in with the pruning saw.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I'm sure you can imagine this will take me quite a while.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22One of the most admired shrubs in the garden last year
0:16:22 > 0:16:25was this Hydrangea paniculata variety,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Vanille Fraise,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30with gorgeous creamy flowers and a little touch of strawberry pink in them.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Absolutely stunning.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It flowers in the late summer
0:16:35 > 0:16:38and therefore it flowers in the same sort of wood as roses.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41We cut roses down in the spring, up comes the new growth
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and flowers at the end.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46This is much the same but the treatment is slightly modified
0:16:46 > 0:16:48because you're trying to create a shrubby effect here.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The first thing you do when you look at these things
0:16:51 > 0:16:53is congested branches, and you want to get them out.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Look at that one there.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's rubbing against this major branch here
0:16:57 > 0:17:00so I already have the secateurs in there and I want to get that out,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03so I'm going to remove that.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And it takes on a different shape.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09But what I really wanted to show you was this.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11There's a flower from last year.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15That's died back there, the top buds are here.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18The sap will come up here and it will burst these buds first.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It's what's happening lower down that I'm interested in
0:17:21 > 0:17:26because I think that this shrub needs to be pruned back
0:17:26 > 0:17:27to here, OK?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Take that one out.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Because the sap's still going to come up through there
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and it will encourage these dormant buds to open,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36so you get a much better shape.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Then you go round this bush and you take off...
0:17:38 > 0:17:40there's another one...
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Buds up here, but there are dormant buds further down.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Down to about there.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48So, in other words, you're adopting a sort of
0:17:48 > 0:17:51spur pruning system as you would use
0:17:51 > 0:17:54on apples and you are trying to avoid
0:17:54 > 0:17:58great, long stems that are bare and have nothing on them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01The buds are in pairs, so if I cut that back to there,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04we are going to get two shoots,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08with one of these gorgeous flowers at the end of each one.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19So, much the same, but with apples.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23We have three different apples here and I will show you three different little techniques.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26This is one which is a single shoot, where it has developed
0:18:26 > 0:18:29from the graft union at the bottom, and growing straight up.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33All the growth is at the top cos that's where the apical dominance is.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Take away the apical dominance, then you'll get the shoots developing from further down.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I'll take the secateurs to this and just cut it at that bud there.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46That way, it will all bush out and we will have a grand plant.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48On this one,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51we may have seen this in our own gardens where we have neglected
0:18:51 > 0:18:53a tree perhaps for a year
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and we get this long, sparse piece of growth
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and a little shoot at the top. So what we do with this one is,
0:18:59 > 0:19:00we're going to cut it back there,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05taking the top off, and that way, we will encourage shoots to develop.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08But also what I'm going to do
0:19:08 > 0:19:10is to take a file to this one, teach it a lesson.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13These dormant buds which are down here,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I want to make them into fruit buds, so if I take this file and rub it
0:19:17 > 0:19:20on the underside...
0:19:20 > 0:19:23of the bud, right down to the bark,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27then that bud thinks it's in mortal danger, it's going to die,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29so it will produce a fruit bud because it doesn't want to die,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32it wants to reproduce.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35This one here is a reasonably well-balanced plant.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It has lots of growth, lots of nice shoots,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42but it's not quite right. What I want to do with this one is balance it better.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45That's a nice shoot there. What I want to do is take this one back
0:19:45 > 0:19:48to a bud there, so that balances that out.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Then, because we have apical dominance here
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and it will inhibit things underneath,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55all I'm going to do is take one off there.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57That will then develop into
0:19:57 > 0:20:00a properly structured tree and that's what you want
0:20:00 > 0:20:03when you're pruning, a properly structured tree.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Take the time at the beginning.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08That way you won't have any problems with it being overcrowded later on.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Back at the end of March, Jim went north to see some new allotments
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and some enthusiastic allotmenteers.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16For my first visit of the new season,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20I haven't had to travel all that far away from Beechgrove.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I've travelled north to Aden Country Park
0:20:23 > 0:20:25on the outskirts of Mintlaw
0:20:25 > 0:20:29to check out a brand-new community gardening project.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Now, then, Leigh, you are the chairman of the organisation
0:20:45 > 0:20:48that runs the allotments. What do you call yourself?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It's The Aden Community Allotments Association.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51How have you been in existence?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Just under two years.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It has obviously taken a bit of money
0:20:56 > 0:20:58to put this all together here,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01cos there are fantastic sheds and fences to keep the deer out,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03who owns the land?
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Aberdeenshire Council own the land, it was fields that were tenanted.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Splendid.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And then we secured funding from the Climate Change Fund.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16£77,000 worth of funding.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Wow! Cos the fence is a real boon to keep out what you don't want in here.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23And these sheds! What goes with the shed?
0:21:23 > 0:21:28The water buckets and the compost bins, and we also have a community shed and composting toilet.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Good heavens! And how many allotments?
0:21:31 > 0:21:3344 that have been taken, 47 in total.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And I assume that this is your one?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Yes, this is our plot.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Let me see round it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It is extremely well advanced, I have to say.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Let's do a wee, quick tour.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Fruit trees?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- Yes, potatoes... - Already in the ground, I take it?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- Yes, covered up. - In the far bit there?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52This is going to be our brassicas
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and this one will be our peas, legumes, and our onions.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58You have your own work squad, I see.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- I do...- They follow you everywhere?
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- Yes, this is our four children. - And dead keen?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yes, very keen.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I'm going away to talk to Gavin, because I do believe
0:22:07 > 0:22:08you've got a problem.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Well, we've been working this plot for a few months now
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and we have collected rather a lot of this.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19To the scientist, it's Agropyron repens, to everybody else,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22it's couch grass.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24We have a bit more if you'd like to see.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- Indeed...- Right, that's one bucket.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Oh, wow.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33We have rather a lot of it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35This is nearly all couch grass.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- And the question is... - What do we do with it?
0:22:38 > 0:22:40You're doing, I think, the right thing - composting,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42on its own.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You don't want to contaminate anything else
0:22:44 > 0:22:46because it takes a bit longer, perhaps.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I think there's too much soil and you need a layer
0:22:48 > 0:22:52maybe nine inches or ten inches deep.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And then a sprinkling of soil which acts as a kind of starter
0:22:55 > 0:22:58because it is all the bacteria and everything in it.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00And then make sure that it's moist.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Right, keep it moist.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And treat it like a normal compost.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It might take longer than it would to make ordinary compost.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08- OK.- A year, plus.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10That's the way to do it.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14You've got to keep working, it's a bit cool.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I like the patio!
0:23:17 > 0:23:21And this is definitely raised-bed city.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30We have just come from an allotment which is the biggest-sized,
0:23:30 > 0:23:3220-by-20 metres,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34to the smallest-sized, ten-by-ten.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36And Sandy's busy.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38How are you this morning?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39I'm fine, how are you?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Good stuff, you've made good progress since you came in about.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45We're getting all the weeds and the stones out.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46THEY LAUGH
0:23:46 > 0:23:48And these tatties are just splendid.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- Absolutely.- Well, this is the Harmony
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and that's the Red Dukes
0:23:54 > 0:23:55and that is Maris Piper.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58The ground is coming on fine.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Aye, it's coming on perfect now.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I'm only really trying to bide my time till I can get round to
0:24:03 > 0:24:05this contraption here.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07This is what took my eye.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I take it you made it up yourself. How does it work?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Obviously, it's a cloche.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13That's just a half-inch water pipe
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and I drilled the wood and put in sealant
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and screws into the side to hold them in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21That saves the water going down.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They're on hinges at the back here.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh, I see! Ya beauty!
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Absolutely splendid, and look at that ground
0:24:29 > 0:24:31ready to go. The young yins
0:24:31 > 0:24:33will be round asking you about how this is done,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35they'll be fair watching you.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38They'll have to find out the hard way, the same way as I did.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41You're supposed to be mentoring them, for goodness' sake!
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Aye, they'll find out.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46This is so intriguing, I will be back to see you later.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Well, well, well, the guys with that plot
0:24:55 > 0:24:57have done the right thing.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Wonderful farmyard manure!
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Wonderful soil conditioner.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04How are you doing, Josh?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- Good, Jim.- Good to see you.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Looks as if you're playing catch-up.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I am indeed. I only acquired this
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- three weeks ago.- Oh, crikey.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16It looks as if you've had a wee problem with some water.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I have indeed.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19JIM LAUGHS
0:25:19 > 0:25:21When the digger was in putting this fence in,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23it compacted the soil
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and the water just sat,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28so stick the fork in, turn it over...
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It's making a difference, though, isn't it?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It is beginning to dry out. What are your plans?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I plan to have some fruit trees here
0:25:35 > 0:25:37at the front there.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Then some raspberry canes and fruit
0:25:40 > 0:25:43bushes along the edges that have wind shelter.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Sounds as if it's in the genes.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- It is a little bit. - Go on, tell me.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50My great-grandfather, grandfather and my father
0:25:50 > 0:25:53all grew up and worked on an orchard down in Kent.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56You'll find it a wee bit harder in this part of the world.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58What's the day job?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I work on the estate, I'm an apprentice.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Well done, you.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I'm doing the bedding plants at the moment.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Well, I think we better go and have a look at them.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Thanks for that, I'll be back to see this.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Hopefully it will be improved by then!
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Oh, sure thing!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Aden Country Park is home to another very important enterprise
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and that is the production of bedding plants for the communities all around.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35To answer my questions, we have the man in charge, Jack, here.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37How many bedding plants do you produce?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- 300,000 a year.- Wootcha! - That's a fair heap of plants.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44What sort of area in glass and poly do you need to house them?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47There's 15 poly tunnels here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49They hold about 50,000 plants each.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53And that's a fair bit of work to keep that filled up.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It is indeed. How far do you have to take them?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Is it all of Aberdeenshire?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00The whole of Aberdeenshire get this.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03There's about 80% of plants here are grown for the communities.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- And the other 20% is for the council's own use.- Yes, of course.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09That's basically all to do with Scotland in Bloom, Britain in Bloom,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12so you are the man that starts the chain?
0:27:12 > 0:27:13I start the whole lot going.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Do you feel the pressure?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Oh, aye, a lot of sleepless nights in here, I'm telling you!
0:27:17 > 0:27:20We'll be back when you're just ready to send the stuff out
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- to see what it's like.- End of May will be great.- Thanks, Jack.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31They talk about tiptoe through the tulips, but this is tiptoe through the daffodils, isn't it?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33They're good, aren't they?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35We put these in the glass in the autumn times.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37What was the parameters?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40The parameters were 100 bulbs,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42five of them were all the same price,
0:27:42 > 0:27:4420 pence a bulb.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Two of them, these two here, were ones we picked up at the supermarket,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49only six pence a bulb.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And your comment on them, then?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Straightaway, the one behind us here with the trumpet mix,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I think that looks really nice
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because it is quite a variety of similar heights.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Give you that.- This is quite good, this is the cheapie.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03This is the cheapie and I think that one works well as well
0:28:03 > 0:28:06because it's a good mix, whereas that cheapie,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08it's meant to be a mix and they all look the same.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11But this is good - same height, all the way through.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I love that one, George,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15the Split-Corona.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17The one that I'm not too sure about is the one behind us there.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21It's just a guddle. They are all at different heights and different sizes.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23It doesn't sit well, I don't think.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25You'd want to sort them out.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28If you'd like any more information on this week's programme,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30it's all in the fact sheet.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34- That's it for this week. Till next time, goodbye.- Goodbye.- Goodbye.