Orchard Park Gardening Articles - July 2007
Gardening Month by Month - July
When you sit out in the garden on a warm summer’s evening there is nothing to spoil the moment more than seeing all the jobs you haven’t done! Such as the weeds in the border, moss taking over the lawn, greenfly on the roses and the nice new shrub you bought in April starting to flag with drought. So I thought you might appreciate a quick reminder of essential summer garden tasks.
First the lawn – how long is the grass? You could save yourself some effort by allowing it to grow a bit longer in summer. Cut too tight, the grass will struggle to grow back and the moss will have a chance to take hold. A little feed will help – there are several products both granular and liquid, designed to feed after cutting and are worth using.
Containers – most of us have a collection of pots and tubs and baskets that get planted up in May, loved and cherished for a while then left to their own devices as soon as they start to look tired. What we should be doing is to keep them fed and watered regularly, and remove the old flower heads before they set seed. That way the plants are encouraged to produce more flowers, otherwise they will feel that their job is done! The best flower feeds have a higher ratio of potash to nitrogen and phosphates, so look at the label. Miracle-Gro Liqua-Feed is new and easy to use, or old standbys such as Phostrogen, and most good tomato feeds.
Weeds – regular hoeing in dry weather keeps seedlings under control before they become a problem. Pull out or cut off the larger weeds before they seed and treat the really tough perennial weeds such as bindweed and ground elder, carefully and directly with glyphosate [Round-Up or similar] avoiding your valuable plants. One good method is the Round-Up soaked glove – but be careful to wear a good rubber glove beneath it and avoid getting the weedkiller on your skin. Then just wipe your gloved hand on the weed you want to kill!
Pest & Diseases – slugs & snails are always with us, so try to use wildlife friendly slug killers and barriers such as seas shells, grits, copper tape and collars. Pyrethrum sprays will control many of the bugs in the vegetable garden, and Provado Ultimate Bug killer is one of the most effective general pest controls. Warm wet weather will encourage Potato Blight – use a preventative spray of copper or Dithane 945 but if the disease has taken hold, cut back the haulm and remove it from the potato patch to save the rest of the crop. Tomatoes get the same problem so keep watch. Other diseases that are likely to cause problems are black spot on roses and apple and pear scab. These are all the same family of plants and although it is not strictly approved, the rose chemicals will work on the fruit trees. My general principle is that I don’t use chemical sprays on edible crops, but scab is such a serious disease that if the tree is really going to suffer then I would break my rule to save it. If the roses get a really bad attack, then use either Multi-rose or Roseclear at 2 week intervals alternated with Dithane which will protect the re-growth. A liquid feed and generous mulch will also help.
Water properly – different plants prefer different regimes. Late spring planted shrubs and trees will need periodic soaking to keep them going while the roots get established, and you must make sure the water gets down to root level. Tubs and baskets are better kept moist so that they don’t suddenly collapse when the compost gets too dry. Peat composts are notoriously difficult to make wet again if they have dried out and the water you give will simply run straight through. Water holding gels are a real advantage here. In the vegetable garden, plant roots will be encouraged to go deep in the search for moisture which makes for a better plant, although leafy veg need more water from shallower roots. Judge the water requirements by the plant. Then avoid over watering on heavy clay soils where the water gets trapped around the roots of the plant, and don’t water in the heat of the day, early morning or evening is best and finally mulch with bark or compost to conserve moisture. Water butts are a great investment as rain water does seem to produce better plants and you won’t feel so guilty about watering!
Plant of the month
Life on the wild side could lead you to this months star! Buddleja – the Butterfly Bush. A summer flowering plant with sweet nectar producing flowers which draw in the butterflies. Buddlejas are great for children – they give them the chance to see the insects close up and to learn how to distinguish Peacocks from Tortoiseshells and Painted Ladies. Encourage them to ‘stake out’ the bush and note down what they see. Why not invest in a field guide to help them and perhaps even get into it yourself?
A good strong variety like ‘Black Knight’ (dark purple flowers) or ‘Royal Red’ will act as a magnet for numerous species of butterfly. Other good choices are the stylish ‘White Profusion’, with its huge, fragrant blooms or the delightful ‘Fascinating’ which produces lilac-pink flowers. Each of these flowers from summer into autumn. Buddleias are easy to grow, preferring a sunny well drained spot and best pruned back hard in early spring to stimulate strong new growth.
Jobs for the Month
Beside the list above!! Cut back early flowering perennials – they’ll generally produce another flush.
Evergreens can be trimmed, especially topiaried plants such as box. Keep wall shrubs and climbers tied in and prune off the growth that is obviously heading in the wrong direction.
In the vegetable garden - keep regular small sowings of salad crops whilst greenhouse tomatoes need constant removal of side shoots and weekly feeding – use a good tomato fertiliser as the first flowers appear. Greenhouse capsicums and aubergines need to be kept growing so that they are strong enough to produce and support a good crop – again feed is important. Gro-bags are very poor in nutrients they only act as a growing medium, if you don’t add feed then the plants won’t thrive.» Other articles