THE
constant rain may have dampened your interest in the garden
but there is still lots of work to be getting on with.
Watch out for greenhouse pests. Aphids and whitefly are
already causing problems. They can be controlled by using
insecticides such as Tumblebug or Malathion.
Transfer hardy annuals to the cold frame now in
preparation for planting out.
To get the most from your Clematis, mulch around the base
of the plant to keep the roots cool and moist. Provide
trelliswork for training and tying in the stems as they
grow.
Climbing roses and honeysuckle make ideal plants for
Clematis to grow through. Start a spray programme now, for
the control of mildew and blight on Rhododendrons with a
fungicide such as Nimrod. This may be applied alternatively
every 114 days. Make sure to spray under the leaf as well as
the top.
Spring flowering shrubs can be pruned immediately after
flowering, for vigour and to keep them to size. Forsythia,
flowering currant, mock orange and flowering Wigelia can all
be pruned quite hard as soon as the flowers have faded.
Removal of all old wood and old flowering stems will
promote vigorous young growth, with larger, more attractive
foliage this summer and better flowers next Spring.
This technique is especially effective with shrubs
Wigelia Florida Purpureis and the lovely cream variegated
mock orange.
Spring-sown roots and leaf crops in the vegetable garden
will require thinning. With carrots, if you thin roughly one
inch between plants now, your thinnings may be large enough
to use. Later a second thinning could be possible.
Avoid too much soil disturbance though, as putting the
remaining plants under stress could encourage them to bolt.
Leafy crops such as lettuce and spinach will also benefit
from thinning. Young leaves of modern varieties of spinach
can be eaten in salads as well as cooked.
It's not too late to make outdoor sowings of more carrots,
for fresh young roots late in the Summer and the same
applies to turnips.
Salad crops such as radishes, lettuces and spring onions can
be sown throughout the growing season.
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