From Michael Coulter

Summer starts this month and so do the first of the fruits of the season. All the berry fruit that we associate with Summer are in full production now. To keep them in production they need to have regular watering and protection from birds.

Later in the month some of the stone fruit will begin to ripen so a treatment for brown rot as soon as possible will help stop fruit loss to this disease.

As the weather gets warmer so does the need to look out for any increase in insect pest numbers on many of our fruit and vegetable crops.

Although we had a wet Winter and Spring irrigation in the garden is still needed to keep the surface soil were the plants are growing moist. This will ensure the best growth, especially for the more shallow rooted plants like Summer annuals and vegetable crops.

Lawns will benefit from weekly watering and regular mowing but remember, if you treated your lawn for weeds then you must not use the clippings for mulching or composting for at lest 6 mowings or longer.

For any gardening queries through the month you can consult our online facebook group

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Lawns

  1. Mow once a week but not too low

  2. Water as needed but not to excess as this may promote disease

  3. Treat for grass grub and porina

  4. Trim back edges before mowing as this keeps them more tidy

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Fruit & Vegetable Garden

  1. Continue to plant and sow seeds to ensure a continuous supply of crops

  2. Give strawberries weekly liquid feeds to keep them growing and cropping

  3. Sow parsnips for the Winter

  4. Plant leeks

  5. Thin out excess apple and pear developing fruit to give better fruit quality

  6. Keep weeding before the weeds get too big

  7. Harvest garlic once the tops have dried off

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Flower Garden

  1. Plant Summer annuals

  2. Remove the dry leaves of daffodils and other Spring bulbs

  3. Plant dahlias, chrysanthemums and begonias

  4. Put in supports for taller perennials before they get too tall

  5. Dead head roses as the flowers finish to promote new flowers

  6. Prune any unwanted growth from rhododendrons as they finish flowering

  7. Plant up hanging baskets and other containers with fuchsias, geraniums and annuals for colour around areas that have no garden

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