More lovely summer days last week, there are parts in our garden that are really tired now particularly the long boarders. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering then top dress with compost and some blood & bone to give all a boost. 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 they will be putting on a show soon.
Wrenching shrubs: I would dearly love to shift a couple of shrubs but I know they would suffer 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 sap is declining. However if you have no option and have to shift trees and shrubs it would not be so traumatic if they were first wrenched to cushion from the shock. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under and around cut roots for new feeder roots to grow into. It is important to keep the water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. A tree or 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 in readiness for a shift later. Wrenched trees and shrubs have a much higher transplant success rate than trees and shrubs that are lifted in one go and transplanted. Wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant.
Seed gathering: Hot days are ripening seeds on foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon & hollyhock. Two young Gandies and I collected and planted poppy, hollyhock, lupin and marigold into trays and stored the rest in paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them). They will be sown at the end of winter.
Watering is a priority now but it is best not to water in the heat of the day, wait until the day cools and your plants will absorb and retain the moisture. Mulching is also beneficial right now, but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then forget about watering for a while because the mulch will keep that moisture in the ground. I am sure many people will be on the look out for bales of new seasons pea straw soon, I look forward to passing on contacts should I be given any. If piling garden waste in a stock field be mindful of what will be available to stock. There are a number of common plants that can poison animals and Children : Arum lilies, Calico bush, Daphne, English yew, foxglove, Hemlock, Holly berries, Iris, Ivy, Kowhai (especially seeds) Laburnum, Lily of the valley, Ngaio, Night shade, Privet, Rhododendron, Rhubarb (leaves) Spindle berry, Potato ( green berries & green tubers)
Lawns: Lawn weeds I sprayed last week are wilting, even the Hydrocotyle which I thought was not going to succumb to the spray. I am ready with grass grub granules to shake on during next significant rain. I can see where the grubs are eating away at the roots of grass, mostly in the ground at the foot of trees the night beetles (Grass grub turn into these beetles) strip leaves from.
Veg & Fruit 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 and keep the water up to them until they make roots. Grapes are filling out now and birds will be waiting but can be keep out with nets on early.
Cheers, Linda.
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| Wrenching a shrub |
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