Seasonal Tips to help you make the most of your garden.

JULY

similar to June and August…

thigh-high July

JUNE

• June gardening advice from the RHS includes pinching out side shoots on tomatoes, keeping on top of weeds, harvesting early potatoes that are flowering and positioning hanging baskets outside.

• The Gardening Show with Linda & Jane discusses clematis maintenance (roots in the shade and heads in the sun, fertile soil and plenty of water), tactile plants, how to tackle common weeds

• Put in a second sowing of beetroot, lettuce, carrots and peas (we start ours in pots as we have lots of slugs.

• What happens after ‘No Mow May’?– top tips for wildlife in your garden from eco gardening expert Rachel Hammond.

• How to grow tomatoes (see more veg growing tips below)

• Plants like ox-eye daisies that are susceptible to falling over benefit from support.

• Keep making your own liquid plant feed with comfrey and nettles. Very easy to make – you just need a bucket with a lid as it gets a bit pongy. Very useful for pots and fruiting trees.

• June gardening advice from the RHS includes:planting up hanging baskets and containers, pinching out tomato plants, stake tall, floppy plants.

• What is the Chelsea Chop and which plants can you extend the flowering time using this technique?

• Let it Bloom June – why it’s so important and advice on how to do it from Rachel Hammond at edge Landscaping.

• When you do mow your lawn, Plantlife recommends mowing from the centre outwards so that creatures can escape the mower (if you do it from the outside in they get trapped in the middle). And if you only want a bit of long grass, position it near shelter (eg hedge) rather than in the middle of the lawn.

• Keep direct sowing (straight into the ground), whether you fancy runner beans beetroot, carrots or salads.

• To avoid gluts and shortages, here are tips for successional sowing to acheive a continuous harvest.

• How to water efficiently (and why we need to conserve water). RHS recommends watering in the morning, aiming at the roots if possible. Mulch beds & borders while the soil is moist with a thick layer of compost, straw, leaf mold, even stones or crushed shells. to keep the moisture in, prevent evaporation and minimise future watering. 

Watering and Mulching

MAY

• If you are unlucky to catch a late frost, don’t despair as there is a chance the plants will put up new shoots for example these runner beans and marigolds.

• The best way to ‘No Mow May’– top tips from eco gardening expert Rachel Hammond.

APRIL

If you want inspiration for the best plants for bees and pollinators see wildlifetrusts.org/actions/best-plants-bees-and-pollinators

Thanks to our green fingered contributors Head Gardener Bob Davison, Hungerford Allotment Plot 7 Marsh Lane blogger Belinda Robinson, Linda Forrester in Great Shefford and Hilary Reem in East Garston for the following tips:

Borders

Divide and move around herbaceous plants such as Alchemillas and Hostas. Whilst the garden centres are eyeing up your wallets this time of year, think of the source of new planting stock which is free- ie the plants you already have in the garden.

Sew tender bedding plants on a warm window sill. Sow hardy annuals in a cold frame or greenhouse.

Spring Pruning 

Prune back hard your late summer flowering Clematis, such as ‘viticella’. This rule extends to many plants and shrubs that will flower on this season’s growth such as Buddleia, Spirea japonica, Lavatera, amongst others. When carrying out pruning it is good practise to apply a general fertilizer around the base of the plant. A good mulch with compost or leaf mould will also greatly benefit the plant over the coming months.

Mophead Hydrangeas can have their flower stems taken off now. Take them down about 30cm to a pair of healthy green buds.

Finish off any rose pruning this month, cutting out dead stems, and mulch, keeping this away from the stems and give them a feed.

Mulching

Veg Garden

Plant out onion sets and garlic (Bob’s choice is ‘Stuttgarter’ and ‘Red Baron’).

You can still plant broadbeans. See Hilly’s broadbean video here. To kick start them, you can germinate them indoors first. Keep an eye on ones already growing in the garden that might be targeted by slugs.

Start germinating peas, runner beans and borlotti beans, salads and herbs.

If your tomato and cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse or windowsill are getting leggy keep turning them or try putting white paper or something reflective behind them. Leeks sown under glass so that they will be ready to transplant to final positions. 

Direct sowing (straight into the ground) in April is a matter of judging the weather conditions and soil temperature and making a decision. Those with cloches (low glass structures that are able to raise the temperature beneath), could sow carrots and salads crops earlier. 

Direct sowing (straight into the ground) in May now that soil temperatures have risen. Those with cloches (low glass structures that are able to raise the temperature beneath), could sow carrots and salads crops earlier. 

Potatoes – your seed potatoes will have chitted by now (which is when they start producing sprouts).  See Hilly’s early potato planting video and protecting potatoes from frost.

To avoid gluts and shortages, here are tips for successional sowing to acheive a continuous harvest.

MAY

No Mow May

APRIL

• Sow broad beans and keep your second crop away from the first (if you planted one in November) so if you have a bad attack of rust it can’t spread rapidly to all the plants. 

• Sow leeks now, either outdoors or under glass so that they will be ready to transplant to final positions. Those sown under glass will be ready to transplant in April.

• Direct sowing (straight into the ground) is really is a matter of judging the weather conditions and soil temperature and making a decision. Those with cloches (low glass structures that are able to raise the temperature beneath), could sow carrots and salads crops earlier. 

• Your seed potatoes will have chitted by now (which is when they start producing sprouts).  See Hilly’s early potato planting video and protecting potatoes from frost.

• To avoid gluts and shortages, here are tips for successional sowing to acheive a continuous harvest.

• ‘Force’ rhubarb for sweeter, paler sticks that are etiolated as the plant tries to find the light

• How to grow tomatoes (see more veg growing tips below)

MARCH

Sow broad beans and keep your second crop away from the first (if you planted one in November) so if you have a bad attack of rust it can’t spread rapidly to all the plants. Broad beans are hardy so they are one of the first crops to get started in your garden. You can even plant them in November and they will survive the winter.

Start tomato and cucumber seeds in a greenhouse or windowsill. Sow leeks now, either outdoors or under glass so that they will be ready to transplant to final positions. Those sown under glass will be ready to transplant in April.

Direct sowing (straight into the ground) during March and April it really is a matter of judging the weather conditions and soil temperature and making a decision. Those with cloches (low glass structures that are able to raise the temperature beneath), could sow carrots and salads crops earlier. 

Potatoes can start chitting. Belinda recommends the great selection at Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage who also have stalls at markets in Hungerford and Newbury.

Force rhubarb for sweeter, paler sticks that are etiolated as the plant tries to find the light

https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/forcing-rhubarb-for-an-earlier-tastier-harvest/

FEBRUARY

• February’s Gardening Show with Linda and Jane covers snowdrops, bird boxes, Blossom into Spring, helibores and why we should put the secateurs away.

• If you didn’t plant broad beans in November now is the time to get them in – either straight in the ground or germinate them first indoors.

• Last chance to clean your birdboxes to rid them of parasites and mites before this season’s nesting begins. Pull out old nesting material and clean the inside of the box with boiling water. Do not use insecticides or any chemicals (advice from RSPB).

• Leave dead leaves and hollow stems in your garden until temperatures consistently reach 10 degrees as insects will be living in them.

• Early spring when the tree is still dormant is the best time to graft trees. When the tree wakes up, the sap will hopefully start flowing across the tissues of the graft. It is important to use a very sharp knife so the cut edges are smooth and clean and meld together (it is worth practicing the cuts on spare wood first.) For more information contact Growing Newbury Green. Here is a demonstration from one of the community orchards in Newbury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNWst1YeBxY&feature=youtu.be

OCTOBER

• Still time to make comfrey and nettle liquid feed for your garden.

• Bare patches of soil left after veg crops have finished can be sown with ‘green manure’ crops to increase fertility of the soil.

• Autumn is the best time to plant garlic as it needs to go through a cold spell to stratify ie split into individual cloves.

• Your brassicas might be well recovered by now from caterpillar munching and here is some good news about the effect on the plants.

• Pick raspberries regularly before they go mouldy and freeze them if you don’t get enough to eat in one day.

• Reminder to keep your potatoes dark so they don’t turn green before you want to eat them.

SEPTEMBER

• Calling local gardeners! Enter Newbury Building Society’s #YourNBS Sustainable Community Photography Competition. Share pictures of your garden or compost about what environmental sustainability means to you at home or in your community. Deadline 17 Oct.

• September gardening advice from the RHS includes dividing herbaceous perennials, reducing watering of houseplants, netting ponds before leaves fall, collect and sew seed from hardy annuals.

• If you have a problem with coriander bolting, the team at Shalbourne Community Growers suggest sowing the seed in September. It’s long daylight hours that prompts coriander to bolt so September’s shorter daylight hours provide better conditions.

• If you cut back your finished ox-eye daisies, knapweed and foxgloves last month you might be enjoying a second flowering this month after the strange weather we’ve had.

• Keep checking your cabbage leaves for butterfly eggs but if caterpillars are already munching your brassicas, here is some good news

• Still time to make comfrey and nettle liquid feed for your garden.

• How to ripen green tomatoes – in this country they often need help to ripen on the vine before the end of the season…

• Blight is heartbreaking especially on tomatoes. If potato foliage is affected late in the season it doesn’t seem to affect the crop. See advice from the RHS here.

• Bare patches of soil left after veg crops have finished can be sown with ‘green manure’ crops to increase fertility of the soil.

• Dig up potatoes before they get slug damage and pick autumn raspberries, rhubarb and runner beans.

• Lift bulbs and store in a shallow dry box and when they are dry cut off the dried roots and peel off dried skins. For more on dividing bulbs see advice here.

• Watering takes time and frankly, water is precious so here are tips on how to efficiently water your plants for best root growth.

• Reminder to buy peat-free compost.

• Don’t forget this is the time to sit back and enjoy your garden and the fruits of your labour! It is important to relax as well as work in the garden. Watch the insects enjoy your flowers, listen to birdsong and keep an eye out for curious fledglings. .

AUGUST