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Hello from Haxnicks

We are a friendly, enthusiastic company that have been designing, manufacturing and distributing garden care and plant protection products for many years. Professional, experienced and amateur gardeners all love to grow using our innovative, easy to use products.

Watch our Helpful Videos

We've put together a collection of Videos from our archives that demonstrate the great things our gardening products can do.

A-Z Grow Your Own Advice

A whole alphabet of useful grow your own advice- written by Madeleine Cardozo, author of Down to Earth .

"I've used Haxnicks products for years - they're designed to do a brilliant job AND look good. Just what's needed!"
- Pippa Greenwood (Horticulturist, grow-your-own TV and radio expert, garden writer)

Have you got a specific gardening question? Just ask Pippa!
Click here for personalised advice from gardening specialist Pippa Greenwood.

The News by Haxnicks

Recent Updates from our Grow at Home Series

Grow at Home: Winter veg planting
20th September 2020
Now the main growing season is nearly over I'm sure you - especially if you are new to veg growing - are wondering what to plant now. Well, winter veg planting is not as straightforward as you might think.

What it reminds me of is a well-known joke about a tourist who asks one of the locals for directions. The local replies: ‘Well sir, if I were you, I wouldn’t start from here’.

Why? you ask.

Well, the traditional 'winter' veg such as brussels sprouts, leeks and parsnips are actually sown much earlier in the year. Don't worry though, there are still plenty of vegetables to grow.
Autumn / Winter Veg planting & the Soil

It is good to think ahead to what is going on in the soil in winter. When temperatures drop and the soil cools below 5°C in November, there won’t be any growth until the following Spring (March/April). Virtually none.

So whilst Autumn is still productive in the vegetable garden, growth slows dramatically in October before grinding to a halt in November. There are ways to extend the season like using a greenhouse or keeping the soil and plants warm with a Easy Poly Tunnel. All in all though, the short days, cold temperatures and 'locked away' water means growth outside is going to be minimal.

What veg can I plant in September?

There are really 3 main groups of autumn winter vegetables and it’s handy to understand these so that you can plan your veg. Some vegetables can fit into more than one category depending on the variety you choose so pay attention to the recommended planting dates to make sure you get the right one.

Autumn Vegetables

These are still up for grabs for planting and eating this year. Autumn veg are planted in August/September but grow quickly so that they are harvested before growth stops in November. These include salad crops, turnips, spinach, Swiss Chard and radish. Plant now and they can fill up your beds and give you some nutritious veg in the short days of winter.

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Autumn Overwintering Vegetables

These are planted in September time but won't be harvested until Spring. They will become dormant in the ground over Winter. Then come Spring, when the temperatures rise in March/ April time, they will start growing again. These include Spring Cabbage, garlic and onion sets. Some of them need a period of cold to grow properly for example garlic needs a period of 6 weeks below 10° C for the bulb to divide and form into cloves.

You can also overwinter broad beans and peas. If you do this they will crop about a month earlier. Good if a) you really like peas and beans and want to eat them for longer or b) you are a competitive gardener and want to beat your neighbour to the crop!

Spring Overwintering Vegetables

Now these are the ones that are traditionally winter veg but in fact should have planted months ago. These have a long growing season and are ready in the winter months but require planning make this happen. Sowing season is around April (Sprouts) to June (Leeks) if you are going to be having them for Christmas Lunch.

So, what veg can I plant in September?

Here is a list of 12 candidates for you to consider. You can either grow from seed or may even be able to pick up plug plants from your local garden centre.

Autumn Vegetables
Kohl Rabi

Turnip

Radish

Onion

Spring Onion

Oriental Salads
Overwinter Spring harvest
- Garlic
- Spring Cabbage
- Broad Beans
- Kale
- Chard
- Perpetual Spinach
Let us know what you decide to go for in the comments...
Grow at Home: The 'No Dig' method of gardening
13th September 2020

Put simply ‘No dig’ is exactly that - a means of gardening without digging over the plot each year.

It is a a gardening method that is gaining popularity in sustainable gardening and farming communities around the world. It is the passion of award winning expert and writer Charles Dowding who runs courses on his farm in Somerset. In these he shares the technique with hundreds of new gardeners every year.

The basic principle of ‘No Dig is that rather than seeking to cultivate soil we should leave it to manage this process on its own. By simply weeding at surface level, minimising disruption to the soil and keeping the structure intact you can achieve a perfectly balanced medium for gardening. This will allow you to enjoy fantastic results, with a lot less back breaking work!

For years we have been told the secret to success is to dig over your soil and ‘improve’ it. The basis of this is that this promotes healthy soil and discourages weeds.

In fact, Charles Dowding’s research suggests the opposite is true. His work shows that intensive ‘dig’ cultivation is actually harmful to the soil. It promotes weed growth and leads to a reduction in crop production. And of course, it uses a lot of time and energy!

With a ‘No dig’ garden you only disturb the soil to plant seedlings and undertake some light hoeing. A Speedhoe or SpeedHoe Precision depending on the size of your bed will give you that light touch across the surface. The only extra work is to add a compost mulch once a year and that’s it!

How to Start 'No Dig'

Careful preparation of your growing area is the key. Starting with the removal/smothering of weeds, followed by a thick mulch of cardboard then compost. Your bed might be out of action for 6 months to a year so it might be best to do this one bed or portion of the garden at a time so you can carry on growing.

Mulching

For those new to gardening - mulches are loose coverings or sheets of material placed on the surface of soil. They can be biodegradable matter such as compost, bark or cardboard. Or they can be non biodegradable matter such as gravel, sheets of cardboard, lino or landscaping weed barrier fabrics.

Whatever mulch you use, the purpose of mulching is to save water, suppress weeds and improve the soil around plants. It also gives your garden a neat, tidy appearance and can reduce the amount of time spent on tasks such as watering and weeding.

Initial Preparation

The key steps are:
- Clear the site a little if needed - there is no need to remove weeds, with the exception of tough woody species such as brambles which should be cut out as much as possible so that it is flat enough to lay your cardboard.
- We recommend cardboard as it will decompose. Avoid plastic as they may break down into microplastics which will stay in your soil. Carpet is often used but these days most carpet has been treated with chemicals which will poison the soil so its not a good option.
- Lay your thick layer of cardboard and cover with mulch. The mulch could be one or more of: homemade compost, fully-rotted manure, leaves or grass mowings. You need about a 15 - 20 cms (6" - 8") layer. The aim is to exclude the light so the weds can't grow.
- Most perennial weeds will be weakened and then killed off with the cardboard and mulch. Ground Elder, Bindweed and Mares Tail might need some additional hoeing, but all will be weakened over time.
- Now all you have to do is wait! It can take 6 months to a year for all the weeds to die off.
Maintenance

The focus is on feeding and looking after the soil, rather than the plants – the No Dig principle is that organic matter is all you need to provide all the nutrients for a healthy crop, fed by the soil.
- The mulch needs topping up each year to enrich the soil.. So, lay a layer of compost about 8cm (3") thick (laid on top - no digging in)
- Keep a clean and tidy plot - remove damaged leaves and hoe regularly to reduce the chances of pests
- Plant closely and harvest regularly leaving less space for weeds to grow and maximise your crop.
Whether you’re new to gardening and have always been put off by tales of backbreaking work or have been working your plot for years and keen to try something new – give No Dig a go!

Find out more about Charles Dowding and his work on his website https://charlesdowding.co.uk/
What things grow in Winter? How to keep kids gardening all year
30th August 2020

So you have taken advantage of Lockdown to grow things as a family. Your kids have been watching their sunflowers tower above them and stealing cherry tomatoes and cucamelons from the vine but what things grow in winter?

Winter is actually a great time to get kids involved. They will just need a little more patience as some of what you will be planting will be for Spring. There are plenty of little jobs to keep them going though.

Garden Jobs

Below you will see lots of things that you can plant over winter. The list is not exhaustive but it should be enough to keep the patch producing. But added to this there are other tasks that have to carry on.

Weeding

Your overwintering veg needs to contend with the weather. It shouldn't have to compete with weeds too though. So it is good to get your little one to regularly weed their bit of the patch so the nasty weed don't take over. Caution: you may need to help them understand what is weed so that all your spring onions aren't accidentally weeded out!

Watering

Even though it can be wet there may be times that you need to water too. Especially when you are growing in containers. Get them their own mini watering can and your little one can help with this.

Planning

If the weather is bad and you really can't get out then planning your planting is a great way to keep kids involved. They can look over seed catalogues and pick out what they would like to grow then make drawings or collages of the plot and how it will look. Maybe imagine how a little raised bed all of their own will be planted.

Build a Bug Hotel

Bugs are always fascinating so use twigs and things from around the garden to make your own little bug hotel. Hours of fun, counting bugs and identifying which bugs have made their home there.

Look after the Wildlife

Wildlife is part of the garden's ecosystem so look after the birds by giving them food and water over the winter. And they will return to eat the caterpillars from your plants in the Spring and Summer. You could even put up bird boxes and make a hedgehog house if you have the time and space.

Veg that Grow in Winter

So on to what you can plant....

Swiss chard

Swiss chard is a fabulous colourful veg and now is the perfect time to plant it. It is a cool season crop so put in plug plants now and then plant the seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date. It is ideal for containers too so you can plant it right outside the kitchen door. Harvest it as a “cut-and-come-again” crop and use it as you would spinach.

Onions & Garlic

Plant over-winter onion and garlic bulbs which will be ready to harvest next year. Find out how here Grow at Home: onions from Sets and Grow at Home; Garlic

Chilies & Peppers

January is a great time to start to grow chilli plants on a warm windowsill. Check out how to grow them here. Grow at Home: chilli Peppers and once they are started in about February you can start off your pepper plants. Grow at home: Sweet Bell Peppers/ Capsicum

Mushrooms

What could be more fun than growing Mushrooms? Do these at any time over the winter - just find a spot where they aren't going to dry out and you are away. There are several ways to grow them which are all covered in this blog so take a look if you fancy your own mushroom farm Grow at Home: Mushrooms.

Microgreens

This is another indoor growing activity that could get your kids trying all sorts of veg (without knowing it!) You can grow most veg such as beetroot, peas, rocket, cress, broccoli, chard, cauliflower, cabbage. You just eat them when they are very young sprinkled on sandwiches, pasta, soup etc. It is a great one to balance all the waiting for things to sprout in Spring as they are ready to eat in a few weeks.

Top Tip: microgreens seeds come in packs of 100s of seeds as you need quite a few of them. They cost about the same as regular seed packets though so are much cheaper 'per seed'. They are the same seeds you would get in the regular packets though so keep a few to fill your veg garden next year.

You can read about it here Grow at Home: nutritious Microgreens or see the mats in action over on our YouTube Channel Microgreens Growing Mats

Flowers

Flowers are important in your garden as they attract pollinators which you need for veg growing. Certain types can also ideal as Companion Planting to deter pests form eating your crops. And of course they look pretty.

Bulbs

For Spring colour now is the time to plant flower bulbs - crocus, snowdrop, daffodil and tulip are all easy for children to plant. They can also be grown in pots if you don't have space. Just show them which way up they go and you are away. To keep things moving set up a production line with one person digging the hole and the next planting the bulb. Then swap when they (and you!) inevitably get bored.

Seeds

This is one for right now and the kids will love it. Get them to collect seeds from - Sweet Peas, Sunflowers, Love in the Mist, Poppies, Calendula or Lupin. Dry them out and label them so that you can sow them when Spring comes. If you aren't growing any of these then ask neighbours if you could collect any they aren't using. The advantage of this is that if they are growing well in your neighbours gardens then they will likely grow well in yours as you'll have similar soil. You can also look out along the road side. You may find the odd poppy or other flower that has sprouted where it shouldn't.

Trees

You could even think big and grow a tree! Trees grow in winter so take an apple pip, an acorn or a horse chestnut and plant them in a little pot. They will be fine outside as they need the cold to germinate. Then come Spring you will start to see your own mini forest!

Left Overs

If you want a low cost way to keep your gardening going during winter then you can start to grow veg from your left overs.

Place cut carrot tops in a shallow dish of water and they will sprout - you can use the tops as fresh carrot flavoured leaves for salads and soups. You could also regrow lettuce and celery from the base in the same way.

Try growing orange or lemon pips in a little pot.

What did you do?

So, there are plenty of things that can keep you and your little ones on your growing journey. I hope this has inspired you.

This blog was produced as a direct result of a request from one of our Instagram followers @shedsews so if you have an idea for a blog or a gardening subject that is really puzzling you then do let us know. We would also love to hear what you will try to grow in winter - whether it is one of the ideas here or something of your own. Please comment or tag Haxnicks in your picture so we can see what worked and share it with others!