August gardening tips

Its important that you continue to feeding your container plants - as the plants get bigger they soon use up any nutrients in the compost. We recommend Miracle Gro Pour and Feed.

Use water wisely, consider setting up a waterbutt to collect the rain fall from your roof. If the tap water in your area is hard then using rain water will be of great benefit to acid loving plants.

Prune late summer flowering shrubs after flowering.

Prune Wisteria now to encourage the development of new flowering spurs for next year's display of flowers. For more information on how to do this see the article below.

Keep an eye on any new plants in the garden and be sure to water them. At this time of year any rain we do get soon dries up - so remember to give at least two or three litres a plant until they become established.

In the vegetable garden nows the time to be lifting onions and drying them on rack. Continue to harvest veg such as peas and runner beans. Keep an eye on your apples and pears as they will soon be ripening. Nows the time to start to propagate new strawberry plants by selecting runners.

Continue to tie in and support tomato plants, peppers, cucumbers, aubergines and melons as they develop, especially as fruit starts to swell or they will quickly topple over and be damaged

Water and feed tomatoes - Tomorite is designed to ensure that your plants continue to thrive

Protect salad plants from slugs and snails. Now the weather has turned wetter then the slugs will be out looking for a meal. We recommend Eraza as one of the best methods for control. This new product is five times more effective than conventional pellets.

Posted
 

June gardening tips

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!

Posted