Wet summer aids growth

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 15

Wet summer aids growth

GARDENING

by

M.Lusty

Summer, they say, is a time when the skies are blue and the sun shines from early morning until it sets, temperatures can sometimes get quite high, and you have to water the lawn and most other parts of the garden if you wish to retain a semblance of life. Or so it was thought. As I write, its still raining after more or less three days of it, and the forthcoming holiday for this writer at least may turn out to be a case of how to avoid coming back with webbed feet!

However, perhaps we should be thankful that man has so far been unable to fully tamper with the weather.

Growth has been fairly vigorous with many plants, and although staking is usual for many perennials, this season they will require a little extra attention to support and ties if damage is to be avoided.

Being top-heavy with flowers and growth will make many plants more vulnerable to breakage, particularly if there is any strong wind. Unfortunately, we just cannot maintain a garden which is free of such pests as aphids, caterpillars, and various diseases without some spraying.

By good management such as timeliness of control, recourse to spraying can be minimised. By spraying at the right time it is possible to keep problems under satisfactory control, and ensure that set-backs to the plants can be virtually avoided.

Avoid major changes in the use of insecticides and fungicides unless there is absolute certainty that appropriate materials are not giving satisfactory results. Do not use insecticides on plants in flower and be careful to mix, prepare, and apply according to the recommendations on the particular product. Shallow weekly cultivations will keep weeds down to a minimum and maintain a loose surface which will

assist in both moisture absorption and retention. ORNAMENTAL Roses: Keep moist, remove any remaining dead flower heads and add a liquid feed to the spray to provide a boost for the second blooming. Budding can be undertaken now.

Cuttings of various plants including many alpines, hydrangeas and penstemons can be made now. Non-flowering shoots only from current season’s growth should be utilised.

Carnations can be layered now. The stem should be split 150 mm from the tip, kept open with a wedge and pegged down in the soil. Pansies and violascan be raised from seed now, either in boxes or open ground. Anemones and

ranunculi can be similarly germinated. Bulbs. If necessary, anemones, hyacinths, ranunculi and tulips can be lifted as soon as the foliage has died down. They should be stored in a cool, dry place and replanted in autumn, lifting is really only desirable when deterioration in flowering has become noticeable. Lawns. Maintain even, regular mowing and

watering. Do not cut the grass below 12-15 mm during the summer. Vegetables. Plantings of borecole, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, celeriac, endive, leeks, lettuce and sprouting broccoli can still be made. Now is the time to sow carrot, beetroot, silver beet, spinach, radish, swede and turnip.

Onions, garlic and shallots should not receive further watering if possible to enable them to harden up and dry. Lift and leave to cure for about one week when the tops begin to yellow. Prepare the ground for autumn sowing now. Onions prefer a less acid soil and the addition of lime may be desirable.

Tomatoes need to be looked after much more now to get the best return

from them. Keep pinching out the side shoots of staked varieties, be careful to maintain an even soil moisture regime and keep pests and diseases under control.

Fruit. Maintain good control of all problems by periodic spraying. Pick fruit on a regular basis to get it at its prime. Raspberries. Some pruning of spent canes can be carried out now unless second-crop-bearing cultivars such as Lloyd George are grown. To avoid trouble from rust and bud moth caterpillar, spray with zineb, and acephate now. Budding. Water stocks well in advance of budding. Use only healthy scion wood of mature current season’s growth for the purpose, of pencil thickness.