Still cutting back and tiding plants here before the compost and pea straw is applied, I got a bit desperate for potting mix so dug into one of my compost heaps and was pleased to find everything was decomposing really well due to the heat and the showers we have been experiencing, I was able to add some to the potting mix to make it go further.
The rain spoiled a lot of my rose blooms but there are still buds to come to make a vibrant last showing before winter. Rust is always a problem on roses in Autumn and if you did not get rust under control during summer try to eradicate affected leaves now from the bushes as well as those on the ground and burn them to reduce this problem for next year. Don't feed roses now, let soft growth harden off to take them through to the big winter prune.
Here on the coast we can still enjoy colour during winter if bedding plants are prepared now. I have been potting up seedlings grown from seed and some bought in punnets. The idea is to utilize the warmth in the days from now on to encourage individually potted plants to bush up, bud up and harden up for planting out before frosts get heavy. Bedding plants that respond well to this method are pansy, viola, pollyanthus wall flower, stock, calendula and primula melicoidies
March is defiantly a great planting month with the soil warm and the cooler nights and mornings retaining moisture newly planted trees and shrubs settle in well. There are a lot of well grown shrubs and plants on offer right now in Garden centers ready and waiting to be planted. Gardner's further inland will need to read the labels to establish frost ratings before buying, if in doubt wait until spring.
If you have not already done so break up really large clumps of Spring bulbs, clumps tend to double in size with out you noticing and in no time a garden bed can become choked, looking attractive only in spring and dull for the rest of the year. I have been asked often the reason for spring bulbs not flowering after the first couple of years from planting and the problem can be over crowding, lack of adequate light as trees become larger and throw more shade during summer, but the most common problem is bulbs may not have not been planted deep enough. Spring bulbs need to be planted 4 to 6 inches deep and that's 4 to 6 inches on top of the bulb, if not planted deeply eventually when they do come into leaf and experience a slight dry patch during this time and they wont take up enough moisture to come into bud.
Rake mulch off bearded iris rhizomes they need to be exposed to the sun for a baking now.
Layer carnation stems by pinning the center of the stem down under the soil while still attached to the mother plant with the flower end still exposed, roots should form along the buried stem. Once rooted cut from the mother plant and pot up to grow on before planting out in lime sweetened soil.
Lawns.
After those baking hot days and a lot of mowing lawn growth starts slowing down from now on although, catchers will still be filling up for a while yet. Lawn weeds start to slow down as well which is beneficial for newly planted autumn lawns, not having to compete with weeds as in a spring sowing.
The flat weeds I do come across now I pop out with the blade of secateurs before they seed and spread.
Vegetable Gardens will be growing new crops for the cooler seasons, leaf veg should not bolt so readily now and will not mind the days getting shorter and cooling and root veg seeds will germinate well while the ground is still warm. My second sowing of peas are ready for picking now, corn is picked and the pumpkins have out grown their space and just keep going. Onions can be lifted once leaves have bent over, don't bend or damage leaves before they are ready to bend naturally if you want them to store and keep well. Once dug lay them out in a warm place to fully ripen then store in a cool place.
Cheers Linda
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