Hot gardening tips for July

[Gardenman]

After a dodgy start we have a hot summer on our hands!! It's the time of year we get our own back on all you shop & office workers & Don't worry, your turn come winter!!

Anyway, back to the plot.

This lovely sunny weather is causing a problem for borders, planters & lawns drying out, so I have a few ideas for you.

1. Do not cut your lawns too short. This will give the roots a bit of shade & stop the lawn going brown. However, all lawns will recover once you water or we eventually get some rain. If you can water the lawn or borders, do so in the evening to avoid dehydration. It won't be long before the hose pipe ban comes along.

2. With regard to borders, it will help if you add a bark mulch or fresh compost, this will hold the moisture into the soil. Same thing for pots, just add a new layer of compost. This will keep them moist & feed them at the same time.

3. If you're looking for the low maintenance solution, then a water timer is the solution. You can connect it to a sprinkler if it covers the area you need it to. Or you can get pipes with a drip feed or mini sprinklers. Not too expensive with the timers around ?45. A lot less than losing your plants!!

4. Back to gardening. There is an increasing problem with canker on prunus trees; plums, cherries, fruiting & flowering, apricots, olives, & peaches. There is no chemical solution, not a bad thing, but pruning at this time of year will help the solution. Cut the canker out with secuteurs, loopers or a saw,cleaning the blade with meths as you go. Burn the cuttings to avoid it spreading as this is a fungus. Give the trees a manure feed & good watering which will help them recover.

5. A similar thing happens to Clematis called Clematis wilt. Firstly, give the roots a good feed of manure or moist compost well dug in. Then protect the roots from direct sunshine with a broken pot. Then carefully prune the wilted & dead leaves, collecting any off the ground & burning them to avoid spreading infection. Water really well.

6. Dead heading will bring you more flowers & a lovely way to let go of the cares of the day. Bit like a meditation:-)

Do not dead head seeded flowers & prune roses back to the third bud for a chance of a second flowering.

7. Don't forget to set your water timers while you are away on holiday, or get your neighbour to do it for you. Put some very damp towels in your bath & put your indoor plants in the bath to keep them moist.

Remember to use the recommended gardeners here on the forum if you don't have time to do these tasks yourselves. We have been doing a lot of decks this year & are increasingly using eco deck & Millboard, both almost no maintenance, but more expensive. A good colour choice too. Astro turf is becoming popular, but should be used with caution. It is toxic & can get very hot on a sunny day. However it is good for shady gardens & those with large trees close by. A full grown oak will take up to 500 gallons of water out of the ground everyday in summer. It takes expert knowledge to lay, a minimum of 3" of type one whacked down & a layer of soft sand to absorb all the activity. Sometimes it must be fitted within a framework. There are some nasty cheap types around, but also some very authentic ones.

That's it. Have a good holiday if you are lucky enough to get one. I have to wait til September to go out to Beautiful Kefalonia to run my little chill out retreat teaching yoga & meditation along with a beach party or two!! Happy gardening

Nigel

07961888253

[Gardenman]

Ok, so it rained!! All that means is you don't have to water today!! So now is a good time to aerate the lawn & turn over the borders while the ground is soft.

Just to let you know, I've opened a small shop at 40 Church Rd Crystal Palace selling plants, garden furniture, yoga holidays, meditation classes on Monday evenings & gardening advice anytime. Pop along at the weekend, we'll be pleased to see you

[Gardenman]

We can now supply specimen plants & trees to order at very reasonable prices with free delivery in the area