There is no doubt summer is in full swing. The sun is shining, birds are singing and flowers are blooming. For the past few months, we’ve been working up to this glorious season by sowing, growing and potting on. From gardens to allotments, our hard work is finally paying off. So, it’s understandable that you may want to roll away the wheelbarrow, roll out the barbecue and kick back… and so, you should. Being in your garden isn’t just about the jobs that need doing. It’s finding those moments of peace, enjoying the solace and of course spending time with your nearest and dearest. Live life in full bloom and relish the moments, for when winter bites once again, we will have those summer memories to keep us warm and guide us onto spring.
However, if the idea of downing tools brings you out in a cold sweat, fear not, my green-fingered friends.
I can prescribe you a rich tapestry of gardening jobs to do throughout this balmy month that will keep the sun shining and the flowers growing.
Flowers
Seeds can now be sown in greenhouses and transplanted at a later date for blooms next year. Flowers include: forget-me-knot, foxgloves and wallflowers. Fill a seed tray with a good multi-purpose compost, tamp down and water. Carefully scatter chosen seeds across the surface. Then, cover seeds with a fine layer of compost, label and place somewhere warm to germinate. Check regularly and keep soil moist. Don’t forget, you can also take cuttings from hydrangeas, laurel and pyracantha. Just by using what you already have in the garden can save you an expensive trip to the garden centre looking for new plants.
If lupins, oriental poppies and delphiniums have bloomed, cut spent stems back to the base of the plant. This will help the health of the plant, keep it looking tidy and could encourage a second bloom later in the season. This also applies to geraniums and penstemons.
Keep on top of summer bedding plants and sweet peas by deadheading spent blooms. These plants will be keen to set seed, but by carrying out this task regularly new flowers will continue to appear.
For rose blooms that have now faded, deadhead and apply a rose feed to encourage a second bloom on repeat varieties. For autumn colour, avoid deadheading one-time season bloomers, as this will allow hips to develop.
Harvest
Second early potatoes should now be ready to harvest. If you’re not sure, wait until the plants have flowered, then have a little dig around in the soil to find your spuds. Dig up what you need and leave the rest of the tubers to grow on, ensuring you continue to water regularly. If you’re hoping to use the potato plot to grow a new crop, dig them all up. Try to do it on a sunny day and place your freshly dug potatoes on the plot surface for a few hours to dry a little. Store them in hessian sacks and keep in a cool, dark space. Check them every so often to make sure none have spoilt.
If you notice foliage on garlic and onions is starting to yellow and go over, this is the moment to harvest. Do it on a sunny day, laying them out on the topsoil for a few hours to dry the outer foliage. Place somewhere protected, cool and dry for a few weeks, allowing bulbs to thoroughly dry out. Once dried, they can be plaited, or foliage can be cut away, stored and ready for use.
Tomatoes
Feed regularly and continue to pinch-out side-shoots. Don’t let plants dry out, or water irregularly, as this can encourage blossom end rot. Remove foliage beneath the first truss of tomatoes to improve circulation and prevent the build-up of pests and diseases. With four or five trusses, pinch out the top of the plant to transfer energy into the growing tomatoes. Other greenhouse plants, such as peppers, chillies and aubergines, will also require a regular tomato feed.
Fruit
Strawberry plants will be producing runners, so if you want new plants for next year, pin the runners to the soil. Once they establish a root system, cut the runner
from the main plant. Alternatively, if you want to maximise this year’s crop, remove the runners to divert the energy to the existing fruit.
Now’s the time to prune ‘stoned’ fruit trees, such as plum and cherry. The warmer weather reduces the risk of bacteria harming an open wound on a cherry tree and setting off silver leaf disease. Summer pruning can also be carried out on trained apple and pear trees.
Plant
Although you may not want to think about it, autumn is just around the corner. To ensure you have a continual supply of growing veg, sow and plant brassicas, carrots and leeks. If you’re hoping for fresh potatoes on the Christmas Day menu, now is the time to plant tubers.
Pests & diseases
Powdery mildew can affect pumpkins, squashes and courgettes, so remove any infected leaves. Do not place on your compost heap, as this will encourage the bacteria. Either burn, or remove from growing area completely.
Pests, such as aphids, slugs and snails, will be thriving at this time of year. If chemicals aren’t an option for you, try removing aphids off your plants with a gentle hose or soapy water. Or, crush a clove of garlic, add it to the water in your spritzer bottle and spray the affected area. Slugs and snails tend be more visible in mornings, evenings, or just after a rainfall. If spotted, remove from site.
Whatever you get up to this month, slap on the sun cream and get out into your green spaces. After all, summer won’t be here forever.
Maintenance jobs for the garden
To avoid stressing your grass during dry spells, raise the blades of your lawnmower, as this will help maintain moisture. Also, keep edges tidy with an edging tool. This time of year, your lawn will be seeing a lot of action, and if there’s a drought it may look worse for wear. But don’t worry, it will return to its natural state after regular rainfall.
Temperatures in greenhouses will be high, therefore you may need to add shading to the glass roof to prevent plants from becoming scorched. Keep all doors, windows and vents open for a constant airflow and keep on top of watering. Also, water the greenhouse floor daily to help prevent the onset of red spider mite.
The constant rise in house bills means we have to use water wisely. Help to keep costs down by installing as many water butts as you can in and around your green spaces. There are countless shapes and sizes to suit most garden areas, and they can be relatively cheap to buy.
When you do water, try to do it either first thing in the morning, or at dusk. With less sun, water evaporation isn’t an issue, keeping your beds and borders hydrated for longer. Also, water at the base of plants, as water droplets on the foliage could potentially burn your plant, or encourage mildew and other diseases. If you have pots, containers or hanging baskets, try potting them up with water retaining crystals, as this will help keep plants hydrated. And if you are thinking of adding new plants to your garden this summer, try opting for drought-tolerant varieties. They need less watering and can happily cope with warm temperatures.
Another option to reduce water bills is try using your ‘grey water’. Bath water or dish water, as long it’s free of bleach and salt, can all be used to water the garden.
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