|
Fiftieth edition - July 2005
If your garden is suffering from lack of rain, here are
some tips on water conservation from
The Royal Horticulture Society..
It is now high summer and also a very busy time in the
garden, with hedges and lawns to cut, vegetables to be kept weed-free and
copious watering to be done to keep the hanging baskets, tubs and other
flowering plants in top condition... Don`t worry If your lawn has gone
brown, it won`t die and will quickly recover after some rain.
Jobs
for the month - July
Lawns
New lawns sown or turfed in spring are now mature enough to be given a dose
of weedkiller if necessary, but do take care to get the correct dosage. If
you decide to use a spot weedkiller on your lawn to kill an occasional weed,
make sure it is one that is suitable for killing weeds in lawns..
Greenhouse
If your greenhouse is in full sun during the hottest part of the day, you
will need to have some sort of shading. The best and easiest product in my
view is
Coolglass which you just paint on the glass...
Spray the greenhouse regularly to help prevent red spider mite.. As
soon as tomato plants have set their first truss start feeding them with
Tomorite or similar.
 Hedges
Mulch newly planted hedges and water during dry periods. Trim conifer and
privet hedges to a wedge shape, wide at the base, tapering to the top.
Roses
Dead-head regularly to promote new flower buds and mulch the area around the
roses with grass cuttings, bark or other material that will help to keep the
moisture in. Tie in new growth of climbing roses to prevent strong winds
snapping it off
Herbaceous plants
Support tall growing plants with twiggy sticks or canes.
Remove faded flowers from all plants including bedding plants, to encourage
new growth. Hoe around the plants to remove weeds and freshen up the
borders.
When your bearded Irises have finished flowering, lift them, divide them,
keeping only the strongest rhizomes and cut the foliage straight across,
leaving it about 4" long. Then replant them, all facing the same way,
towards the sunniest part of the border.
Vegetables and salad
Regular weeding of your vegetable plot is essential to prevent seedlings
from taking over. After watering the
runner beans, mulch along each side of the row with lawn cuttings,
compost or straw to help conserve moisture. Do this before the soil dries
out..
As cauliflowers start to form their heads,
break a few leaves over the head to protect it from the sun and keep it
white. Thin out carrots and beetroot to allow them more room for growth.
Continue to make further sowings of lettuce,
radish, beetroot, carrots and turnips.
Ponds and water features
As it is fish spawning season make sure your pond is well oxygenated..
Continue topping up water levels if they drop and remove blanket weed with
care if fish are spawning and other wildlife might be caught up in it..
 Thompson & Morgan
You
may obtain their free New 2005 Seed Catalogue by telephoning 01473 695224
and their website address is
www.thompson-morgan.com
where full information is available on their product varieties and orders
can be taken on-line.
|
The National Botanic Garden of Wales
