By Press Release
Despite a slow start, the summer has arrived. With very warm temperatures which are set to continue, we all need to look after our gardens.
Your plants are no different to you or me, and will need a drink regularly so as not to go thirsty. Water early in the morning or during the evening. Plants do most of their growing during the night when the sap is high. Avoid watering in the heat of the day as this can cause leaf scorch, and also much of the water would just evaporate.
Watch out for garden pests, such as slugs, snails, greenfly and blackfly. With the lack of rainfall there doesn’t appear to have been too many slugs and snails about, but they will be there hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce!
If you choose to use an insecticide to control aphids, make sure you follow the instructions carefully. Only spray on a calm, warm evening; around 9pm is best when the bees have gone to bed. Only spray plants that are not in bloom. Any residue will have been absorbed by the plant by the time the bees wake up and are not interested in the leaves.
It’s not too late to sow vegetable seeds for a succession of crops such as carrots, beetroot, lettuce and beans. If your tomato plants have started to flower, you can start feeding with a high potash fertiliser. This needs to be done regularly to avoid the fruits from rotting.
Summer fruits will soon start to ripen. We haven’t had much rainfall recently, so they, too, would benefit from regular watering to help give you a large crop.
Keep picking your sweet peas every few days; this will encourage more flowers to form. Dahlias need feeding once a week, and I would recommend a high nitrogen feed, such as soluble lawn food for two weeks, then switch to a balanced feed.
Finally, thank you to all the messages of congratulations for our success at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Onwards now to Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court – fingers crossed!