How To...

Horticulture

Our Hort-How-To videos hope to inspire those looking for new hobbies; those who want to be gently nudged out of their gardening comfort zone; and to those gardeners who want to improve their gardening skills.

We also invite those wise owl gardening experts who want to pass on their knowledge and inspire the gardener in all of us, to get in touch if they would like to add value to our Hort-How-To video collection.

Max De La Haye, Growing Dahlias.

Throughout 2021, we visited Max De La Haye at his home a few times, to capture each stage of his dahlia growing process.

Here is Max's introduction to his video that sets the scene before you watch it.

"We both joined the Horticultural Department in 1967 to allow us to exhibit anemones in the Jersey Bulb and Flowers Association Spring Show held in the Agricultural Hall Springfield. Our passion is the growing and exhibiting of dahlias. Over the years, we have been awarded many trophies and awards not only for our dahlias but other flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Our aim is to give pleasure to others and see a smile on their faces. My proudest occasion was when I was honoured with an honorary life membership of the RJA&HS."

Hans Van Oordt

Apple orchards and cider making are an intrinsic part of Jersey history, having transformed the landscape, culture and economy of the island at one time.

To celebrate this, we would like to share with you an introduction to making cider at home using some very basic methods and some simple kit.

What you will need:

Bittersweet and sharp cider apples
Piece of wood and bucket OR a pulping machine
Apple press
Demijohn, air-lock and bung
Cider maker yeast
Siphon

A very big thanks to Hans Van Oordt from Jersey Apple Press, for his cider making expertise and to Kaizen Creative for piecing the story together through their brilliant cinematic videography.

Islands - On behalf of the RJA&HS thank you for your continued support for our Cultivate Programme. Your sponsorship provides opportunities for our Cultivate community to learn more about and connect with Jersey’s rural culture.

Martin Preisig, our Horticultural Chairman provides a step by step tutorial on how to prepare your soil. Martin also teaches how to test the pH of your soil and explains WHY this part of your SOIL PREPARATION is really important when choosing what to grow!

In this Hort-How-To, our Horticultural Chairman provides the second step by step tutorial on how to prepare your soil ready to plant peas and carrots.

Michael-John Hickey shows us how to plant Jersey Royals for the family at home whilst showing us some tell-tale signs of HEALTHY soils.

Jersey Scouts Connor and Olivia demonstrate how to plant Jersey Royals in pots as part of the ‘The Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Growing Competition’.

Tom Robinson, our keen and knowledgeable horticultural committee member, shows us how you can sow tomato seeds in RECYCLED toilet rolls.

Tom Robinson teaches how we can grow cress and mustard seed by using just a recycled plastic food tray and a piece of kitchen roll – what’s more, they will be ready to use in your sandwiches next week.

Steve Le Feuvre is a long time member of the RJA&HS. About 8 years ago, Steve started collecting cacti and succulents. In this video, Steve explains more about his fascination for plants and introduces us to his collection of over 300 plants, whilst sharing his top tips for looking after his plants and virtual show preparation.

Lucy is a childminder who has set up Little Diggers, an initiative that was born out of Lockdown. The aim of Little Diggers is to use the outdoor environment and the seasons as a fun learning experience. In this video, Lucy and the children are at the F J Ahier allotments connecting and playing with dandelions.