Plants are moving into the ripening season, they feel the urge to make seed to reproduce, by continuous dead heading we can prolong this stage by encouraging plants to keep flowering. All plants respond well to dead heading and those perennials that flower only once send up fresh new foliage if cut well back now.
Cut back; tall phlox, (right to the ground) Penstemons (spent flower stalks),Alstroemeria ( pull spent stalks right out), dahlia ( spent flower stalks) delphiniums (spent flower stalks right to the ground) mignonette ( cut back to new buds) English lavender ( cut back by two thirds), French lavender (bumble bee type, cut back to new buds), Sweet peas ( keep picking flowers, leave a few for new seeds then pull all out), petunias (cut back to new buds) saliva (cut back to new buds), Hydrangeas ( cut spent flower stalks right down to the second bud from the bottom), Geraniums ( cut off spent flower stalks and branching back if leggy) lupins (cut right to the ground when flowering is finished)
Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering, to get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums.
The ground is getting hungry here now so I plan to give areas opened up after a cutting back a good soak then a top up with compost to encourage spreading plants to make new roots.
Resist the urge shift shrubs, they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if the water was kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when the sap is down. If large shrubs are needing to be shifted wrench them now in readiness to lift them at the right time. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under them for new feeder roots to grow into, keep water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. The wrenched tree / shrub will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots while at the same time the other half is making new roots into the compost.
With all this hot weather there are plenty of ripe seeds to be had from foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon, even rhododendron and azalea. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them) to plant into seed raising mix now, or at the end of next winter.
Mulching of the soil is beneficial right now but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then you can forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping that moisture in the ground. Un-sprayed grass clippings mixed with compost as a mulch around plant roots will work, if you don't make compost pick up a trailer load from the resource recovery park to keep the garden going until the big autumn clean up.
Lawns:
If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground soon by getting rid of perennial weeds, this is easily done by using a product such as round up then once weeds are well dead rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Then roll if you can to firm down and create an even service, then it's raking and more raking to create a fine layer on top to rake over seed once sown. The warm ground and gentle sprinkler watering will have the seed struck in no time. Leave any fertilising until the lawn is really established, new grass will burn easily.
Veg and Fruit
Vegetable gardens should be abundant now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant strong runners for new croppers and keep the water up to them until they make roots.
Apple trees are really producing well this year, the birds are having a ball. I have been picking mine if I see the birds have been at some. Store apples in a cool dark place, check them often and remove any that show signs of rot.....it should be a great season for home cider making!.
Time to cover grapes, the birds are waiting to feast.
Cheers, Linda
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