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.