Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
It's been a little while since I've been able to post but here's a few things that you can be getting on with this weekend in the garden ...

1. Tomatoes  - If you are growing Cordon Varieties of Tomatoes this year then right about now they will be needing a little help. Cordon varieties need to have something to climb up which is where Bamboo canes usually come into use! Simply place them into your Tomatoes final growing pot (making sure not to damage the roots) then tie the plant to the cane using string. It is also recommended that you tie a cane across the top of the canes to provide support for the canes which will be needed once the plants get growing!  

TIP - Make sure you remove any side shoots produced by the plant as soon as they are visible and don't worry if your plants develop curly tops, this is a perfectly normal things for a healthy plant to do!

2. Climbers - On the subject of support, climbing plants will be putting on a lot of fresh growth right now (e.g. Sweet Peas & Clematis) and the young shoots will need tying in. This is also one of the easiest times to do this as the new growth will be fairly flexible.

3. Faded Foliage - Foliage might be looking a little tired on plants such as Pulmonaria and Hellebores, cut back any of the foliage affected which will promote new growth and reduce the risk of disease.

4. Stronger Growth - Encourage stronger bushier growth on bedding plants by pinching out the growing tips. This will delay flowering for a couple of weeks but will prolong the flowering period for the year and the plant will be much bushier!

5. Biennials - In the Greenhouse now is the time to start sowing Biennials, these are plants which will develop vegetative growth in the current year then flower the next. 

These include plants such as Foxgloves & Wallflowers.

6. Hedging - Finally if you are planning on trimming or pruning any hedges this weekend make sure that you check them for any nesting birds first to ensure that you don't disturb them.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Lift Dahlia Tubers - You can choose to wait until the first frosts turn their leaves black, but if you want to get on with this job then you can lift Dahlia Tubers now. Cut down the stems to a few inches above the ground, lift with a fork being careful not to damage the tubers, bring under cover and turn them upside down for a few days to release moisture then once they are dry store in a cool, dark place, ideally covered in a crate over the Winter.

2. Finish Planting  - If you haven't already, finish planting out your Winter Bedding whilst the ground is still warmer than it will be in a few weeks! I Here you can see I have added some Wallflowers to my Raised bed to ensure colour early next year and re-vamped some pots where my Abutilon was.

3. Veggies - If you are planning on growing Beans next year, it's time to prepare the trench for them now ready for next year. You can also cut down the yellowing foliage on Asparagus plants to about 5cm above the ground.

4. Plant Out - Now you could also plant out any Perennials or Biennials that you have grown from seed this year.

5. Enjoy Chrysanthemum's - Chrysanthemum's are starting to show colour and bloom so now is the time to enjoy their Autumn colour. However make sure you keep checking them because due to the Wet & Mild Weather we are having, White Rust is very common and as you can see my plants have succumbed to it!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Take Pelargonium Cuttings - Now is the perfect time to start taking cuttings from your Pelargoniums for next years plants or just to make sure you have a back up! To do this all you need to do is take some cuttings from new non-flowering shoots and put them into some pots of compost & vermiculite. Place somewhere light but not in direct light and within a few weeks they should have rooted!

2. Keep Sowing Vegetables - Although we are getting into Summer don't stop sowing! There are plenty of vegetables you can be sowing now for your salads such as Lettuce, Spring Onions, Radishes, Chard and plenty more. Sow direct  in 2 / 3 weekly batches to ensure a constant supply.

Here you can see some Lettuce seedlings next to my Leeks along with a patch above the Lettuce where I have sown some S.Onions & Radishes.

3. Sow Next Years Flowers - Carrying on the subject of sowing, now is the perfect time to get sowing for next year. Plants such as Foxgloves, Delphiniums & Lupins need to be sown now for flowers next year.

4. Keep Pinching Out Cordon Tomatoes - Ensure that you keep on pinching out tomato side-shoots, keep checking everyday as if left alone they can soon grow and take up the plants energy. Also tomatoes are ripening now so make sure you pick them and enjoy!

5. Maintain your Greenhouse - With all this hot weather it is important to make sure that you keep on top of GH. Damp down the floor on hot days by spreading water floor in the morning and leaving the vents / windows fully open. You can also keep the door open on warm nights.

Also to help fight again GH pests hang yellow sticky traps for whitefly & Aphids.

I hope you have found this Checklist helpful!
Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX