Burpham Gardening Club News – July & August 2022
Written by John Boon (Burpham Gardening Club)
July & August 2022
At the recent AGM, it was decided to stop evening meetings due to very poor attendance. We will however in future be holding a Summer and Autumn Show. The first of these will be the Autumn Show on Saturday 28th August. Please put a note on your calendar.
Things to do in the garden in July.
- Remove the main stem of Cordon Tomatoes just above the fourth truss, any fruit that forms above this truss is unlikely to ripen before winter sets in.
- Spray Potatoes and Tomatoes when it is wet and muggy to reduce the risk of blight damage.
- A regular feed of Tomorite will help Tomatoes and Dahlias to produce good fruit and flowers, start feeding Tomatoes as soon as the first fruit starts to form, irregular watering will encourage blossom end rot in Tomatoes.
- Continue to make successional sowings of Salad Crops.
- Regularly pick Courgettes unless you wish the fruit to become Marrows.
- rench and Runner Beans will become tough and stringy unless they are picked frequently.
- Leeks and Winter Brassicas should be planted out this month.
- Give Summer Bedding Plants and containerised plants a regular Liquid feed.
- Dead head Bedding Plants to maintain a colourful display and Perennials to obtain a second flush of bloom.
- Keep containerised Camellias and Rhododendrons well watered to enable good flowering next year.
Things to do in the garden in August.
- After all your hard work, you can now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Set the mower blades on high when cutting the grass during dry periods.
- Continue to harvest fast growing Vegetables and Salad crops as they mature.
- Keep Runner Beans well watered which will help the flowers to set.
- Rambling Roses should be pruned after flowering, cutting out one in three stems from the base to encourage new growth.
- Summer prune Wisteria, removing all new shoots to five buds above the main stem.
This month you can start collecting seed from Annuals ready for sowing next Spring.
- Now is the time to set Earwig traps amongst your Dahlias, fill a 3 inch pot with hay or straw and place it upside down on the end of the cane supporting the plant, the Earwigs will climb into the pot during the night and will be waiting for you to shake them out into a dish in the morning for disposal.
- This month you can start collecting seed from Annuals ready for sowing next Spring, do not collect the seed of Fl hybrids as they will not produce flowers true to type next year.
- Set the mower blades on high when cutting the grass during dry periods.
Burpham Gardening Club News – September & October 2023
Written by John Boon (Burpham Gardening Club)
September & October 2023
Things to do in the garden in September.
- The evenings are now drawing in and Autumn is upon us so enjoy your garden whilst it is still at its peak.
- On dry sunny days collect seed from Annuals such as Alyssum, French Marigold and Tagetes for sowing next Spring, do not collect the seed of Fl Hybrids as the new plants will not be the same as
the originals. - Continue to deadhead the flower border so that it will stay in bloom until the first frost.
- Dahlias need to be fed once a fortnight with a high potash liquid fertiliser such as Tomorite so that they continue to produce good blooms.
- Cuttings of Fuchsia and Pelargonium can still be taken.
- Keep Camellias and Rhododendrons well watered to ensure good bud formation for flowering next Spring.
- Evergreen Hedges should be given a final trim before Winter.
- Daffodils and Narcissi should be planted this month or next for a good Spring display.
- A late sowing of Spinach and Turnip can still be made.
- Overwintering Onion Sets and Spring Cabbage should be planted out.
- Cut out the fruited canes of Loganberry and Raspberry.
- Apply an Autumn Dressing to the Lawn when rain is forecast
Things to do in the garden in October.
- All tender plants and shrubs should be brought indoors at the first sign of frost and kept in a frost free place.
- Cut back and divide Herbaceous Perennials.
- Dahlias should be lifted and stored once they have been blackened by the frost.
- Reduce the height of Bush Roses to minimise root damage caused by wind rock during the winter months, Climbing Roses should be pruned with the remaining stems being tied to a wall or trellis.
- Tulip Bulbs should be ordered or purchased for planting next month, remember that the bigger the bulb the larger the flower, prepared hyacinths and Narcissi “Paperwhite” should be planted in pots for a Christmas display, mixed colour Hyacinths will not all flower at the same time.
- Sweet Peas should be sown under glass at the end of the month.
- Now is a good time to plant Hedges, Shrubs and Trees.
Burpham Gardening Club News – September & October 2023
Written by John Boon (Burpham Gardening Club)
September & October 2023
Things to do in the garden in September.
- The evenings are now drawing in and Autumn is upon us so enjoy your garden whilst it is still at its peak.
- On dry sunny days collect seed from Annuals such as Alyssum, French Marigold and Tagetes for sowing next Spring, do not collect the seed of Fl Hybrids as the new plants will not be the same as the originals.
- Continue to deadhead the flower border so that it will stay in bloom until the first frost.
- Dahlias need to be fed once a fortnight with a high potash liquid fertiliser such as Tomorite so that they continue to produce good blooms.
- Cuttings of Fuchsia and Pelargonium can still be taken.
- Keep Camellias and Rhododendrons well watered to ensure good bud formation for flowering next Spring.
- Evergreen Hedges should be given a final trim before Winter.
- Daffodils and Narcissi should be planted this month or next for a good Spring display.
- A late sowing of Spinach and Turnip can still be made.
- Overwintering Onion Sets and Spring Cabbage should be planted out.
- Cut out the fruited canes of Loganberry and Raspberry.
- Apply an Autumn Dressing to the Lawn when rain is forecast
Things to do in the garden in October.
- All tender plants and shrubs should be brought indoors at the first sign of frost and kept in a frost free place.
- Cut back and divide Herbaceous Perennials.
- Dahlias should be lifted and stored once they have been blackened by the frost.
- Reduce the height of Bush Roses to minimise root damage caused by wind rock during the winter months, Climbing Roses should be pruned with the remaining stems being tied to a wall or trellis.
- Tulip Bulbs should be ordered or purchased for planting next month, remember that the bigger the bulb the larger the flower, prepared hyacinths and Narcissi “Paperwhite” should be planted in pots for a Christmas display, mixed colour Hyacinths will not all flower at the same time.
- Sweet Peas should be sown under glass at the end of the month.
- Now is a good time to plant Hedges, Shrubs and Trees.
Burpham Gardening Club News – May & June 2022
Written by John Boon (Burpham Gardening Club)
May & June 2022
The delayed AGM will be on Tuesday 24th May at 7.30pm, when the future of the Club will need to be decided.
Time to welcome your slugs and snails.
So says the Royal Horticultural Society, as it recently began a campaign to encourage us to see the gastropods in our gardens in a better light.
“Our gardens would be duller and messier without them.”
The RHS says that the species play a key role in garden ecosystems, and thus are in need of ‘positive PR’. It seems that only nine of the 44 known species in the UK are likely to threaten our gardens, and that all of them play a vital role in recycling dead plant material and animal waste, and acting as a food source for hedgehogs, frogs, birds, beetles and flies.
In fact, the RHS’s principal entomologist says that we should consider our slugs and snails not as marauding pests bent on eating our flowers and vegetables, but rather as ‘garden visitors’. “Our gardens would be duller and messier without them.”
Things to do in the garden in May.
- French and Runner Beans can now be sown outdoors.
- There is still time to sow Courgettes and Squash in pots for planting out later, remember always to sow the seed standing on edge to aid germination.
A Spring and Summer dressing should be applied to lawns when rain is forecast.
- Kale, Leeks and Purple Sprouting should be sown now for harvesting during the Winter months.
- Brussel Sprouts and Tomatoes should be planted towards the end of the month after the risk of a frost has past, start removing side shoots from Tomatoes except for Bush varieties.
- Spray Roses regularly with a systemic insecticide to control Blackspot and Greenfly. Sweet Peas need to be tied to supports as they grow.
- Towards the end of the month plant out young Dahlia plants and tubers.
- A Spring and Summer dressing should be applied to lawns when rain is forecast.
Things to do in the garden in June.
- When Early Potatoes come into flower they are ready to be dug.
- Sow French and Runner Beans for a late crop.
- Plant out Courgettes and Squash. Fast growing Annuals such as Calendula can be sown where they are to grow.
- Complete the planting of Summer Bedding Plants Cannas, Dahlias and Gladioli.
Sow French and Runner Beans for a late crop.
- Dead head Delphiniums and Lupins to encourage a second flush.
- Spring flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and Philadelphus should be pruned but leave Magnolias until they are in full leaf.
Burpham Gardening Club News – March & April 2022
Written by John Boon (Burpham Gardening Club)
March & April 2022
At our next meeting, on 22nd March, John Negus will be taking us on a tour of the gardens of Ireland.
Things to do in the garden in March.
- Shallots and Onion sets should be planted this month and if it is mild Early Potatoes can be planted towards the end of the month.
Most vegetable seed can now be sown outdoors if it is mild in prepared beds.
- Most vegetable seed can now be sown outdoors if it is mild in prepared beds.
- If you did not do so last month you can still sow Aubergines, Cucumbers, Sweet Peppers and Tomatoes in a heated propagator or indoors.
When conditions are dry the lawn should be cut with the mower blades on a high setting for the first few cuts…
- Cut back last years Autumn fruiting Raspberry canes to ground level, prune Blueberries and Gooseberries and apply a dressing of a balanced fertiliser or Sulphate of Potash at 15g per sq m.
- Bush and Standard Roses should be pruned and fed with a Rose Fertiliser.
- Continue to prune Summer Flowering Shrubs and Dogwoods.
- When conditions are dry the lawn should be cut with the mower blades on a high setting for the first few cuts, Weed and Feed with Mosskiller should be applied just before rain is forecast.
Things to do in the garden in April.
- Second Early Potatoes should be planted in the first half of the month, Maincrop Potatoes can be planted in the second half.
- Beetroot, Carrots, Leeks, Lettuce, Radish, Spring Onions and Turnip can all be sown outdoors now.
- Brassicas should be sown in small pots ready for transplanting later in the Summer.
- Plant out Broad Beans which were sown indoors. Tomato seedlings which have developed their first true leaves should be potted up. Plant Summer flowering bulbs such as Gladioli.
Plant out Broad Beans which were sown indoors.
- Remove faded Daffodil and Tulip flowers leaving the foliage to die back.
- Deadhead Pansy and other Spring bedding plants to encourage continuous flowering. Prune Forsythia immediately after flowering.
- Cut back Lavender to keep the plant bushy but do not cut into old wood.
Continue to apply Lawn Weed and Feed with Mosskiller as necessary.
- In the Greenhouse sow bedding plants such as French Marigold for a Summer display.
- Continue to apply Lawn Weed and Feed with Mosskiller as necessary.
- Start checking for and controlling Slugs, Snails and Aphids.