Pennells Garden Centres

June has the longest days and the chance of frosts at night have now passed so now you can plant outside your tender bedding plants and your vegetable plants such as tomatoes, sweet corn and runner beans. Plant up containers using West+ Multi-Purpose Compost. Mix in Water Saving Gel and Feed All Slow Release Tablets for the best results.

However don't forget that as the weather gets hotter and drier you need to be watering and feeding your containers, hanging baskets, vegetables. Miracle Gro liquid feed is ideal to bring out the best in your plants.

For great results with tomatoes find a sunny spot against a wall to place one or two Tomorite Giant Planters. Plant three tomatoes per bag, leaving a well around each stem so that subsequent watering is easier. You should still be able to find seedling tomato plants of reliable varieties such as Alicante, Gardener's Delight and Golden Sunrise in your local garden centre. If you want to grow trailing forms of tomato such as Tumbler or Garden Pearl in patio pots or hanging baskets use West+ Container and basket Compost to get your salad fruits off to a flying start. Start feeding tomatoes with Tomorite as soon as the first truss has set fruit.

Your first crops will now be ready, but don't forget to keep sowing lettuces and other crops to ensure you have more to come.

Keep mowing and feeding the lawn to make sure it's looking its best. However if you do have problems with weeds such as dandelions in your lawn then you can still treat them with a selective weedkiller such as Verdone extra. Apply the chemical in between mowings for best effect.

Inevitably the weeds and bugs come out in force at this time of year. If your fruit and vegetables are being attacked with green or black fly, use Bugclear for fruit and veg at the first sign of the pest appearing, then repeat again in two weeks.
Westland Resolva 24H gives fast and effective control of both annual and deep-rooted perennial weeds.  Resolva 24H kills most weeds with a single application, but some tough weeds may require a second treatment.  If your drive or paths have weeds in them, then use Pathclear Season Long Weed killer  - one application kills and prevents weeds for up to three months.  Ideal for gravel paths, gravel drives and waste ground.

Of course don't forget to enjoy your garden! To do this just sit down, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

 Don’t forget to protect soft fruit such currants and gooseberries from bird damage. Cover the plants with Gardman Garden Netting.

 Watch out for aphids (greenfly and blackfly) on roses, delphiniums, lupins, foxgloves and pansies. They can multiply with phenomenal speed, so a weekly check throughout the garden  is a good idea.  For decorative flowers use the BugClear Ultra Gun! – it’s systemic, so gets inside the plant’s sap stream to make it almost insect proof for several weeks. For edibles including herbs, vegetables and fruit use BugClear Gun! for Fruit & Veg.

 Plant up hanging baskets, patio pots with tender flowers such as fuchsias, geraniums, pelargoniums, busy lizzies, petunias and all manner of trailing plants such as begonia, lobelia, erigeron, helichrysum and verbena. For magnificent results plant in Britain’s best container compost-Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost. This unique Aquacoir formula stores and releases water when the plants need it.

 In May the grass is growing at its maximum rate, it will soon use up any energy reserves in the soil. The problem if this happens is that the grass will lose its vigour and turn pale and unloved in the process. If you have sorted out the moss and weeds earlier in spring and mow the grass regularly, all you will need to bring your lawn back to optimum condition is a balanced lawn food. EverGreen Mow it Less will give you a  green healthy lawn in just 3 days. Trials prove this special nutrient-rich formula feeds right down to the roots promoting slow, natural growth which means up to 50% less mowing than other lawn care products tested. Apply anytime for less mowing and more time for you.

 Plant out brassicas with a felt pad around each stem. These circular mats placed on the soil will help to prevent the cabbage root fly from laying their eggs beside the plant stems. Some that are impregnated with copper will also deter slugs from getting onto the plants.

 To avoid getting carrot fly this year follow these tips
·         Sow fly resistant varieties such as Flyaway or Resistafly
·         Sow seed thinly to eliminate the need to thin
·         Cover the seed bed with garden fleece

 Nows the time to be earthing up your potatoes . When the plants have reached 20-30cm (8-12inches) tall then you need to draw the soil up and around them by scooping it out between the rows and using this soil to almost cover them over. This encourages potatoes to form higher up and ensures that light does not reach the developing tubers and turn them green. Ideally they should be ‘earthed up’ again in about 3 weeks.