Gardening Blog

I have had a number of mails asking about optimum sowing times for the rest of the season. Always eager to please, I have included my best shot below for what w...

Unless you have a massive veranda in your backyard, a bird feeder (or feeders plural) will be exposed to all kinds of weather conditions, good and bad. A good q...

The Bokashi method is a way of recycling household food waste by fermenting it in a container - in anaerobic conditions - with the aid of microbes.  Howeve...

You’d be forgiven for not giving much thought to bats: they are small creatures, they only come out at night, they avoid lighting and they don’t dra...

I thought I'd quickly try to explain the difference between open pollinated and F1 seeds this week, as I was asked about it twice over the last few days. I don'...

Once you have a fair idea of what types of food are best for wild birds, the next thing to think about is where you feed them: in particular the location for yo...

The swift is a remarkable bird that spends the majority of its time in flight, including when they are sleeping (!). Indeed, pretty much the only time they aren...

Root crops (such as carrots, beetroot, potatoes and turnips) are known for having good storage potential, lasting for weeks or months after harvesting. However,...

Growing your own mushrooms can be a fun challenge for any gardener. Mushrooms are unique in that they are grown in a different way to the methods that we are al...

‘Water wise’ gardening is a common term in areas of the world that experience long periods of drought, or minimal rainfall. Gardeners who live in th...

Fostering biodiversity in our gardens or outdoor spaces helps to create an environment where plants, insects, birds and other wildlife can thrive and feel at ho...

The fact that it took me 15 mins to find a 'nice' looking photo of a bat gives a good indication as to why most people don't like them. Add in their association...

When you're just starting on your food-growing journey, it's probably best to be a little selective about what you're planning to grow. There are some food crop...

The bagged compost that many gardeners are familiar with has traditionally been peat-based (or has peat as an ingredient). Whether through individual experience...

Everyone seems to be talking about trees these days and with good reason. They are one of the single most effective ways to take carbon out of the atmosphere an...

Winter can be a difficult time for us gardeners, as outdoor growing grinds to a halt for the most part. You can however keep the fires burning by embarking on s...

Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say. So while your growing season shuts down around now, another window opens as we enter bare root fruit season. Growi...

In a world where biodiversity loss continues to accelerate and climate catastrophe is an ever-present spectre, 'rewilding' can be seen as a potential lifeline o...

When choosing bare root hedging for your garden, a number of different factors can come into play. Your number one priority might be privacy, creating a natural...

Bees are essential to the health of our ecosystems, food supplies and economies. These quietly industrious insects have a mutually beneficial relationship with...

Soil is more than just an inert growing medium. It is home to a complex, interconnected web of soil microbes, fungi, earthworms and underground networks: an und...

Previously on the blog we've talked about the Vigo Fruit Press, and how you can make your own scrumptious, nutritious homemade juice from your fruit harvests. H...

Composting is a natural process that transforms your food scraps and garden waste into rich, crumbly ‘black gold’: the finest soil enhancer you can...

A garden fence doesn't just have to be for privacy: it can actually be some prime gardening real estate, particularly if you have a small space garden. There ar...

If you saw the state of my garden right now you would laugh your head off that I have the cheek to talk about weeding. It has never looked so bad (too much wand...

Food waste is a significant social issue with far-reaching consequences for the environment. According to the EPA, Ireland generated 835,000 tonnes of food wast...

Mulching is the practice of covering the soil surface with a layer of material to protect your plants or to insulate or improve your garden soil. It’s a w...

It's no secret that bee populations are under threat due to issues like habitat loss, pesticide usage and shortages of food. More than half of Ireland's bee spe...

Organko composters are a line of kitchen composting units, made by Slovenian manufacturers Plastika Skaza. They provide an efficient method of processing and re...

A polytunnel is a game-changer for the home grower, and if you can afford the initial investment it will pay off in spades. However, trying to choose between th...

At first glance it would seem like a no-brainer that organic pesticides are preferable to chemical pesticides; at least to a gardener who wishes to do the least...

Birkdale Durapost FencingAs part of the Durapost Fencing System, a durable alternative to traditional timber or concrete fence posts, we supply two (soon to be...

As ecosystems are depleted and species (both animal and plant) continue to disappear at an alarming rate, rewilding has emerged as a possible way forward, altho...

One of the greatest pleasures in gardening is watching life flourish all around you: not just in terms of the plants you grow, but also the non-human visitors t...

With one-third of our native bee species facing extinction, the wild buzz that once filled hedgerows, meadows, and garden corners is growing quieter every year....

Last season I trialled sending trays of some of the more unusual cosmos varieties as seedling plug plants. The exercise went an absolute bomb, with the who...

While a wildflower meadow requires less maintenance and upkeep than a large lawn, it is still a managed habitat and will need attention at strategic times of th...

At first glance, the idea that planting wildflowers is good for nature, or the ecosystem, or for pollinating insects seems like sound logic. However, as with ma...

A polytunnel can really open up a world of growing possibilities, extending the growing season, providing extra shelter and increasing your chances of success w...

What are the main benefits of sowing wildflowers in your outdoor space or of creating a wildflower meadow? First of all, it's best to go for a 100% native Irish...

In a spade full of soil, there are many billions of bacteria, hundreds of metres of fungal hyphae, and millions of amoeba and protozoa. Plants need a mix of core...

Hardneck vs Softneck Garlic - What's the Difference? Softneck GarlicThe vast majority of shop-bought garlic is likely to be a softneck variety. Softnecks are ge...

Four Seasons in Our Garden was a year-long intergenerational project that took place in the setting of the Cranmore Community Co Op, a Sligo-based communal spac...

The rewilding movement has picked up pace and momentum in recent years. In short, the idea behind rewilding is that we humans take a step back and allow nature...

A bird friendly garden is a garden that feels more alive. The ambience of birdsong and the flutter of wings lend a serene air to our surroundings, as well as ad...

Forest gardening aims to mimic the natural balance found in forest or woodland ecosystems. Woodlands are known to support a diverse array of plants, wildlife an...

Whether you have a large garden or a modest balcony, what better person to speak to about making your space more wildlife and nature-friendly than someone who's...

We are often asked about the pros and cons of raised bed gardening, and how raised bed kits can help you overcome space or soil limitations. And since there's a...

What is a Microclimate? A microclimate is a small localised area that differs somewhat from the surrounding weather conditions, for example being warmer,...

Like so many garden projects, designing a pond requires careful planning. There are many options to consider depending on use, size, shape, material and situati...

As was briefly mentioned in my mail of a couple of weeks ago, changing weather patterns can challenge our habits and our 'collective wisdom' about the tradition...

There are many claims made about seaweed in terms of it's beneficial effects for the gardener. It is known to improve soil structure and invigorate soil...

Urban gardening often involves having to make the most of small spaces. Just how much space you have to work with will depend on circumstance, but it’s po...

Gardening has been going on in some shape or form since time immemorial, so it’s natural that garden tools tend to follow a traditional design depending on...

When doing a quick (or maybe not so quick; I like to make sure I'm fully informed) spot of research for this article, I came across a blog from Pumpkin Beth (ve...

Rewilding is a somewhat complicated topic, suitably so for the complicated times that we live in. In simple terms it describes a way of restoring ecological bal...

Regular readers may remember an exploratory email I published a few weeks ago about conservation grade nest boxes for Irish birds. I had compiled a little...

I had the pleasure on Monday evening to give my very first talk to a gardening club. It was all very professional with a projector for my (first ever) Powe...

Pumpkins can be a bit of a challenge to grow in Ireland, as they require a long growing season with good levels of sunshine - something that we can't reall...

As you know, the Quickcrop research team never sleeps. We work tirelessly night and day to improve our product range and bring the best possible products t...

Whether you're moving into a new build or you're looking to improve an existing boundary that has deteriorated, the thorny (pun intended) question of fenci...

If you're familiar with the Quickcrop garden diary, you may have noticed the low timber fence around my vegetable plot, which is supposed to keep things lo...

Q - I have a problem with mare's tail in my garden and don’t want to use weedkiller, is there anything I can do? Mare's tail (or horsetail as it's also kn...

Q - My strawberries are in their 4th year growing in an outdoor bed; fruit has been very poor this year despite feeding them, what is going wrong? ...

Comfrey leaves are highly regarded as a natural and sustainable plant feed. The plant's far-growing roots enable it to extract nutrients from deep in t...

It is conventional wisdom that you should discard used potting compost but, given that we are all trying to be more sustainable, I think we should revie...

Q - My tomato leaves are yellowing but they seem to be producing good fruit, do I need to feed them? This question we received from a reader is a very go...

I am not going to pretend that I know much about cut flowers, but what I will say is that I have a growing (excuse the pun) interest. As you may know, we a...

Honestly, do you ever think about how weird it is that ‘pond life’ has become a derogatory phrase and insult, when actual pond life contains some of...

I have been spending more time in the Quickcrop nursery recently, as myself and Mags have been stock taking and working on some new cut flower seedling...

Try saying that blog title quickly! Slugs have always been a challenge for anyone trying to grow their own vegetable crops, but 2023 seemed to see higher number...

In recent years more and more households - both rural and urban - have decided to keep backyard chickens or poultry. As well as being a source of ‘ho...

We all know that gardening can sometimes be an expensive hobby, and when it comes to garden tools it can be tempting to go for the cheaper option where one...

The end of March and early April is approaching prime seed sowing time if we are starting indoors in seed trays or pots (for planting outside in May). I...

Beetroot is one of my best friends in the garden as we get so much out of it: using it for juicing, grating it for salads, roasting, baking and - my favour...

April is the biggest sowing month of the year, with the first 2 weeks being the busiest - especially if you have some March sowings you need to catch up on. You...

When it comes to polytunnel growing, there tends to be something of a consensus around which crops are reliable staples in a temperate climate such as in the UK...

Plastic may have taken much of the attention in recent years, but food waste continues to be a pressing issue affecting the environment.  It was est...

It might sound like a phrase from some futuristic sci-fi story involving androids and off-world colonies, but xeriscaping actually comes from the Greek wor...

Whatever about sowing onions, broad beans or other early crops in February, it isn't until tomato sowing time that I get properly excited. That is when the seas...

The popularity of Metal Raised Beds continues to grow, with more and more gardeners seeing them as a compact, durable and low-maintenance option for grow...

Maintaining a garden pond fosters a healthy ecosystem, providing the suitable environment for fish and plants to thrive. It's important to practice regul...

Cleaning: not the best fun in the world, but it has to be done. Fortunately a polytunnel doesn’t have to be cleaned too often. Once a year is generally suf...

Frost, or even the spectre of frost, is something that all gardeners are wary of. While some plants are more able to withstand a spell of cold temperatures than...

Many of you will have noticed it is no longer Autumn, so clearly planting tulips and daffodils aren't an option at the moment. The great news is t...

As we all know growing vegetables takes a lot out of a garden, because when we remove our nutritious crops we remove nutrition from the soil. This has to b...

As winter approaches in the second half of the year it's important to consider protecting your plants from cold weather - and the damage that can be caused...

It's one thing to have your greenhouse all set up, installed and ready to go for the new season. However an empty greenhouse is a bit like an empty house; you'r...

When it comes to watering the vegetable garden, convenience and automation has a lot going for it, but it’s not the be all and end all. Being a gardening ‘...

Butterflies are one of the most charismatic of all garden visitors, with their vividly coloured wings and elegant flight arcs. Species like Red Admiral, Peacock...

Why should I use a raised bed?I guess the best place to get started is why should I grow in raised beds in the first place? For me, growing in raised beds was m...

As you will know if you read last week’s mail, we kicked off our winter plant biology series with roots (I was going from the bottom up), but, in retrospect...

As we slip into the cooler weather of October there is very little we can sow now (apart from some cold tolerant Asian salads) so, as per last week's...

Right, well it's started to get a bit cold and the leaves are falling so I suppose we will have to admit that winter is coming. I have mentioned it here be...

Growing garlic is both easy and satisfying: it's well-suited to both the first time gardener and the more experienced. A haul of freshly harvested garl...

It’s always fun to learn about and experiment with a new gardening technique. Olla pots (and the unique way that they work) aren’t exactly new thoug...

You've probably seen the word 'sustainable' a fair bit, but we wouldn't blame you if you're not entirely sure what it means. With the way it's used, it can some...

The Cucumber incident Did I tell you I'm now on TikTok? Despite not really knowing what TikTok is, I made my debut on the controversial social media platform a...

A neat, well-maintained lawn is still considered a cornerstone of an appealing outdoor space. It provides a space for children to play, pets to chase after a ba...