June 2011
Newsletter

• Continue to tie in shoots on climbers as advised last month. If not tied in now they will become woody and inflexible.
• Continue to put colour into your garden with summer bedding plants – pots, baskets and many other containers can be used, or they can brighten up an unplanted area in the garden.
• Deadhead roses regularly to encourage further flowering. This also applies to bedding plants – the plant won’t waste energy creating seeds, instead putting it into producing more blooms.
• Hoe regularly between plants to keep weeds at bay, and remember you can add a layer of mulch at any time during the year – see my ‘Spotlight on weeds’ below
• Prune deciduous shrubs that have just flowered such as Philadelphus, Weigela and Deutzia, if they are becoming overgrown.
• Feed roses, soft fruit and container plants with general-purpose fertiliser
• Concentrate on watering anything that is recently planted while they become established.
• When planting, a sprinkling of rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi in the planting hole will improve survival rates and drought tolerance in the early stages of establishment. rootgrow is also great with bedding plants, hanging baskets and patio pots - just sprinkle a layer of rootgrow onto the compost when building your baskets or pots then plant and backfill as normal.

Vegetables and fruit

• Feeding, watering and supporting fruit and vegetables are vital in June. Runner beans need well-prepared ground and suitable supports, like bamboo canes, to grow up. Water and feed plants and fruit regularly once they are established.
• Avoid using insecticides on crops when they are in flower.
• Hoe between rows of vegetables on hot days to make sure weeds dry up and die without re-rooting or they will compete for moisture and nutrients. Weedkiller might kill or damage your crops as well as the weeds.
• Water tomatoes and peppers regularly to prevent blossom end rot - a symptom of calcium deficiency due to erratic water supply.
• Fruit trees naturally shed their surplus amounts of fruit at this time of year, a process known as the “June drop”. This is happening early this year, but once it’s finished, take out any remaining fruit that appears damaged or misshapen so that what’s left will be larger and of a better quality.
• Strawberries produce shoots or runners, which can now be pegged down into little pots of compost. Once they’ve rooted, you can sever the tie. Also cut off any runners that aren’t required to save the plant’s energy for the job of creating larger fruit.
• Look out for the caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly which will be attracted to your brassicas. They will appear on the underside of the leaves as clusters of black eggs or young caterpillars. Pick them off and squash them!
• Keep sowing salad vegetables in small quantities every 2 to 3 weeks for a constant supply through the summer.
• Pinch out side shoots that form in the fork of the leaf joint on tomato plants, so that the plant’s energy is not wasted on growing non-productive branches.
• Protect against carrot fly with horticultural fleece or insect proof mesh
• Tie in new raspberry and blackberry canes

Spotlight on weeds

It’s worth keeping on top of weeds everywhere in the garden. Here are 3 reasons why:

• Weeds take valuable water and nutrients from the soil, as well as light, air and space and your cultivated plants are left competing with them.
• The strongest plants survive, and weeds which like your garden are there because the conditions suit them, and they will bully their way in.
• Well weeded borders look better!

How to deal with weeds

• Annual weeds are easy to deal with by hoeing and mulching
• In lawns and grass, use selective weed killers to deal with broad leaved weeds such as clover or speedwell. Regular mowing and feeding discourages many weeds. Raising the blades to leave the grass longer helps to shade out the weeds.
• In established borders, dig, hand weed or hoe regularly. In spring, when weeds are small, use a glyphosate weedkiller. Use well rotted manure or compost to mulch, at any time of year, but make sure it is from a reputable source – you don’t want to introduce weed seeds or roots from another source.
• If perennial weeds invade clumps of perennial flowers, the only way to get rid of them completely is by digging up the plant in autumn or spring and dividing it, removing all traces of the weeds roots before replanting.
• Hand weeding around the border can be both therapeutic and satisfying – honestly! And you will notice early infestations of aphids and pests as you work your way around
• Weeds in paving – this is best dealt with in spring, but can be hand weeded using a knife, or sprayed with a path weedkiller.

Types of weeds and treatments

• Tap roots e.g. dandelion, dock, thistle – work out with a daisy grubber or knife to remove the whole root, or spot treat with glyphosate weedkiller
• Dense mats e.g. grasses, nettles – dig out with garden fork or spade, or weedkiller into centre of clump
• Woody scrub e.g. Brambles, sycamore, ivy – dig out when young. If established, cut near to ground level and repeat cutting on new growth – this will starve the roots. Spot treat with brushwood killer.
• Brittle roots e.g. Ground elder, bindweed – these spread rapidly and can regrow from the tiniest piece of root. Keep cutting the top growth off to weaken the roots. Spot treat with glyphosate weedkiller.

Lawn maintenance

• Mow lawns regularly and with the dry weather we’re having, leave the grass longer

Garden pests

• Watch out for aphid infestations - it is easier to control those caught early.
• Lily beetle and Rosemary leaf beetle can decimate plants in a matter of days. Lily beetles are bright red, and their larvae are orange-brown and surround themselves with black slime. Rosemary leaf beetle only appeared in this country about 5 years ago and has stripes of shiny, almost oily looking, bronze and green across its back. It attacks lavender as well as rosemary. The pesticide Provado is the only one recommended by the RHS as effective against these pests. Read the manufacturer's instructions regarding restrictions on the use of these products and harvest intervals
• Watch out for powdery mildew, which signals a lack of water

Wildlife

• Birds need constant supplies of food and water as they raise their young – keep feeders and bird baths topped up.

Have a good month, and take time to enjoy your garden, balcony or roof terrace as well as keeping on top of the jobs.

Sally

Opening Hours for May:– Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk