Tips and News

In the Garden this Month with Hazel King

Hopefully your soil is drying out, probably slowly.  Continue to lightly fork the surface, preferably during a light breeze.

Lawn grass is beginning to grow, perhaps difficult to see through the weeds.  Fertilize with a product high in nitrogen.  Mow leaving blades high.

Prune spring flowering shrubs once blooms have faded.

Remove spent flowers from perennials, such as foxglove, hollyhock, salvia.  Perennials may require staking.  In moist soil, roots are not stable and are subject to movement during windy conditions.  Remove dead flowers from daisy bushes, a time-consuming chore if tackled individually.  A quicker method, wait until approximately 70 percent of flowers are dead, give the bush a complete trim.  New flowers will soon appear.

Remove spent flowers from bulbs unless you are planning to grow from the seed.

Annuals: remove spent flowers, fertilise fortnightly to encourage more flowers, use a quick acting product, example Aquasol.

Narrow garden areas, perhaps between house and fence, often suffer from windy conditions.  Keep an eye on the plants, mulch will help retain moisture.

Vegetable and herb garden:  Mints prefer a moist soil and a semi-shaded position.  They have flourished this year.  Check fungal problems, place a dry mulch over the soil surface.

Check the compost area. In many cases it is very wet.  Remove rotted and rotting material, leave the base to dry out, then place branches and twigs over the soil.  HK OAM

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