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Gardening Questions Answered.
Your problem solver throughout the Four Seasons.
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June ------------
With the arrival of official summer, things can become a little hectic in the garden with weeds growing in the borders and grass that seems to grow over night. My advice at this time of year is to pace yourself and not take on any big projects, you will enjoy your garden much more if you can sit by that new pool occasionally and contemplate the greater meaning of life.
Having said that there is plenty to do, both in the green house and in the garden itself. Now is the time to plant out the summer bedding plants, that will give a riot of colour all through the summer and often into the autumn. Before planting you must prepare the soil in the planting area. Dig over the bed and remove any weeds, then apply either artificial fertiliser or if you can obtain it good farmyard manure or horse manure.
If you have grown your own plants, you can plant them at your own convenience, failing that you must rush off to the garden centre. It goes without saying that you will choose the best plants, but don't be seduced by plants in full bloom. It is better to choose plants that are about to flower; these will stand the shock of planting out far better. If you are not sure of your plants look on the label, they are very informative nowadays. After planting, water the area heavily, then water the plants frequently until the roots are established.
In the greenhouse, now is the time to harden off your hanging baskets and tubs ready to go outside, plus any other plants you have produced. Outdoor tomatoes and runner beans can be planted out now, remember to buy a few canes to support the plants as they grow taller. Talking of outdoor tomatoes, there are now several varieties of trailing tomato that can be grown in tubs and hanging baskets, They are readily available at retail outlets and produce small lovely tasting fruit. Just the thing to eat as you relax on the patio.
Also see JUNE GARDENING QUESTION AND ANSWER PAGE ONE.and JUNE GARDENING QUESTION AND ANSWER PAGE TWO. These two pages contain graphics.
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July ------------
At this time of year lawns take heavy punishment, and a little time spent on maintenance will pay big dividends. If there is any moss in the lawn this can be removed with a lawn rake also pull out any perennial weeds. Then apply any of the proprietary brands of lawn fertiliser; carefully follow the directions on the box with regard to application. This will then give you a lawn to be proud of right into the autumn.
Rock plants (Alpines) and herbaceous perennials can be grown from seed at this time of year, most types are relativly easy to grow and seeds are cheap. You can also root cuttings, taken from established plants, but this is perhaps best left to the more experienced.
Soft fruit is much in vogue at this time of the year; unfortunately the birds seem to think that the fruit is there for their consumption. A readily available bird-scarer, which can be hung in surrounding trees, are the CD disks which daily pop through our letter box. These reflect the light and flash in the breeze. I even use one as a shaving mirror.
Early July is the time to plant out your late cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprout plants. Prepare the ground well, remember that vegetable plants are gross feeders, so mix plenty of feed into the soil. Also remember to dust the stems with an anti cabbage root fly preparation about a week after planting.
Cabbage root fly lay their eggs in the stem, then the hatching maggots eat their way down to the roots and by eating the roots destroy the plant.
There are several brands of cabbage root fly killers on the market for gardeners, widely available at garden centres and other such retail outlets.
In the greenhouse, temperatures can reach great heights at this time of the year, so shading must be introduced. There are many types of shading materials available at retail outlets, and are easy to fit. You can also buy automatic devices to open the the glasshouse windows, thermostatically controlled fans are also available. These devices are of great value where the owner is away at work in the middle of the day.Also see JULY GARDENING QUESTION AND ANSWER PAGE ONE.
and JULY GARDEN QUESTION & ANSWERS PAGE TWO Both pages contain graphics.
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August ------------
August is still holiday month for many people and while you are away your plants may need some attention, if you have a neighbour or friend who can give your plants some water in hot weather all the better. Failing this, wood chippings or peat spread around the plant roots, then soaked with water will help prevent too much moisture evaporating during the day. If you have plants in the greenhouse, they must have regular attention. Tomatoes especially must be watered on a regular basis, in fact irregular watering will cause the fruit to split.
Bedding plants will be at the height of their powers at the moment and to maintain this show they must be fed with a liquid feed. Read the directions as to application because overfeeding can encourage to much leaf growth, rather than flowers. Hanging baskets and tubs need a weekly feed, the feed in the compost will now be exhausted and being confined to a container the plant is unable too send out roots to gather nutrients from the surrounding area.
Daffodils and other spring bulbs are best planted this month, give the ground a good deep digging and try to mix some form of food into the soil, farm yard manure is best but failing that a good general fertiliser will give you flowers to be proud of in the spring. Winter flowering pansies can be sown in the greenhouse, but be warned, do not keep the young plants inside any longer than is absolutly necessary or they will develop long lush growth. The winter pansy plants that you buy from the garden centre are treated with special dwarfing compounds to restrict early growth.
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Glossary.
Alpines. These are a subject on their own, suffice to say the vast range of plants available in this group are outside the scope of this publication. Anyone really interested in an alpine garden would do well
to join an alpine garden society. These societies have their own seed collections which are shared between members. |