July / August From the Potting Shed
Yet another great Froyle Garden Open weekend despite the dry season followed by the windy and wet days prior to opening. Well done.
July and August from the Potting Shed.
Problems in the garden can usually be related to weather patterns several months prior to seeing the problem. This year’s fabulous display of Spring flowers was due to last Summer and Autumn producing the right conditions for bud production. So do not panic if plants start to look stressed. It will be due to the hot dry period that the Spring provided us. Keep looking after the soil by adding mulches this will help build resilience in the plant to face any further stresses placed on them.
Lawns that have the grass kept at a higher cut will look greener and will be able to take the drier conditions. Removing thatch at the end of the season will allow water to soak back into the ground.
It is also time to prune rambling roses after flowering. Cut out this year’s flowered wood allowing the new growths to replace the old. Arch the branches so that you encourage flowering wood and not growth wood. Fruit trees seem to have enjoyed last year’s Winter rains and have put on masses of growth. Summer pruning of apples, pears, plums and cherries will help produce good flowering wood for next year. Details of how to Summer prune can be found on the RHS website.
Start thinking about sowing for late Autumn and Winter salad crops. I will be planting out the late sown French beans and sweet corn early in July to give me a nice fresh supply in the Autumn. Plenty of garden compost will be added to the soil to hold in the moisture and feed the roots. It is only necessary to water fruit and vegetables when the crop is developing and again a good soaking is better than a little shower every night.
Geoff