From Michael Coulter

This summer has been something of a challenge with below average rainfall and wind making for a difficult growing season. Watering is needed more often as plants have dried out quicker, plants need to be supported more, and plants that have been wind damaged need to be pruned to repair any broken branches. So as usual it is a very busy time in the garden.
Tasks to do:

Flower Garden

  • Support Dahlias and Chrysanthemums and other tall growing plants before they get too tall and stems become crooked.
  • Remove spent flowers to encourage continuous flowering of annuals and perennials.
  • Look for rust and black spot on roses and mildew on other plants and take preventative measures to stop the spread of diseases.
  • Keep up the water on the plants to avoid stress and keep them growing to give continuous flowering.
  • Keep weeding and do not allow weeds to seed. Remember, “one years seeding is seven years weeding!!”

Vegetable Garden

  • Watering often will help plants to produce nice and tender veggies and stop them from wanting to go to seed.
  • Plant leeks and other winter crops in succession rather than all at once as this will give a more continuous supply over the winter.
  • Keep harvesting beans, broccoli and other greens as they are ready to encourage more production.
  • Remove lower leaves on tomatoes to let in more light to help ripen fruit.
  • Look out for the potato tomato psyllid on those plants and spray if seen.

Fruit Garden

  • Summer harvest time is here so pick fruit as soon as it is ready, this helps to beat the birds and stop any spread of bad rot on over ripe fruit.
  • Summer prune grapes, apples, pears and stone fruit after it is harvested.
  • Spray stone fruit after harvest for leaf curl using a copper spray.
  • Water pip fruit trees to help fruit to develop.
  • Look out for spider mite on the pip fruit trees and spray as needed.