SUMMER is here and the garden
beckons so here are a few important reminders.
Keep checking the soil of your plants and
crops through the coming months.
Do not allow your plants to dry out otherwise
you may be looking at an increase in the height of your compost
heap.
Regular and frequent watering will enable
your plants to survive the coming months.
If you are going away and you have no-one to
look after your plant maintenance then it could be the ideal
opportunity to add a self-watering system.
If this is beyond your purse strings then why
not get a water butt filled up with water.
Place a length of capillary matting into it then
place all your pots onto this. The plants can suck up the
moisture gradually and this could keep them watered enough until
you return off your hols.
It can really make you sick when you compare
the perfect lawns of Wimbledon to your own patchwork of weeds,
moss and grass.
To produce a perfect lawn can take years of
hard sweat and toil.
At this time of the year troublesome weeds
like clover, yarrow, speedwell etc. can be a right eyesore.
An application or two of a liquid lawn
weedkiller like PBI Toplawn or Scotts Verdone will control
these.
Apply it, using a watering can with a
weedkilling bar or a sprayer with a weedkiller cone to help you
apply the weedkiller in just the right spot.
Once the foliage has blackened, rake out the
dead weed growth. If there is any sign of re-growth then
re-apply to hopefully remove them for good.
This time of year the greenhouse can soon
become too hot to work in. This is a sign that the greenhouse
needs plenty of ventilation and shading. Shading should be
placed over the whole structure and vents should be left wide
open to allow through drafts to circulate the air inside.
Outdoor tomatoes will need feeding as their
fruit set. Wait till the fourth truss has set, then count two
leaves above this and take out the tip of the plant.
This will allow all the goodness to enter
into the fruit. Keep applying water and liquid feed regularly
and evenly through the growing period.
If you don't the fruit on the trusses will
split or will slowly develop blossom end rot, thus spoiling your
crop and leaving it ideal only for chutney or the compost bin!
If you have noticed irregular holes appearing
in the foliage of your mint crop, at a closer inspection you
will notice some iridescent emerald-green beetles and their
rotund black larvae.
The adults can grow up to 10mm in length and
are known as Mint Beetles. Usually their attack is not enough to
hinder the growth of your Mint plant but it can make it look
unsightly. Control is easy and the manual organic method of
placing the Mint Beetle on block A and then bashing it with
block B is sufficient or you can use an insecticide like Liquid
Derris or Polysect to eradicate the infestation.
Lawnmower man keeps your garden looking good
'THE Lawnmower Man', Paul McCormick, who has
been in business in Lisburn for six years, will keep your garden
in top shape this summer.
Offering a wide variety of services,
including grass and hedge cutting, large conifers topped, faced
or removed, large and small trees branched or removed, create
weed-free flower beds and borders and all types of fencing, all
with free estimates, Paul can keep your garden looking its very
best.
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