‘Prime time! ’ How to prevent your roses tuning ‘slimy’ – and other garden jobs to do now – Express
Summer is one of the most rewarding seasons for gardeners, with everything from fruits and vegetables to bright blooms at their peak. Taking care of gardens in August is crucial to keep plants and crops thriving, but what exactly should you be doing? These are all the gardening work you need to do this month for the perfect summer display.
Speaking exclusively to Show. co. uk , Emma Locker, gardening expert in DIY Garden , has shared which five horticulture jobs Britons should be doing this week.
Cut back lavender bushes
Pruning lavender is important in keeping a lavender plant producing the type of fragrant foliage that the majority of gardeners seek.
English lavender has been flowering in full glory, but it’s time to cut the plant back again if the blooms look the little tired.
Emma explained: “Trimming lavender is essential to the plant’s maintenance and will give the grow a fuller, bushier look when it grows back. Just don’t cut the particular old woody stems! ”
When pruning lavender, it’s important in order to start with a sharp, clean set of pruning shears.
Wipe down the blades associated with your trimming shears with rubbing alcohol or bleach to make sure all bacteria and potentially harmful germs are removed from the blades.
READ MORE: Japanese maples: How to prune vegetation – ‘always’ use three-cut rule’
The next step for trimming lavender is to prune one-third of the particular plant. This will force the lavender to create new plus more growth, which will not only keep the bush from going woody yet will also help to increase the amount of lavender available for harvest later in the season.
Prune your wisteria green shoots
Wisteria needs regular pruning to maintain the development and size under control, but it will also improve the particular flowering screen.
The growing plants expert said: “If you own the Wisteria, it’ll likely have whippy green shoots protruding from every angle right now.
“It’s important to prune these back in mid August as this encourages yearly blooming.
“The flexible eco-friendly stems will become more durable and hard woody, which will certainly help support next year’s blooms. ”
This controls the dimension of the wisteria, preventing it through getting into guttering and windows, plus encourages this to form flower buds rather than green growth.
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Plant autumn bulbs
Now is a great time to herb autumn-flowering bulbs, such as nerines and colchicums.
Emma stated: “It’s period to flower your autumn-flowering bulbs, so your garden can continue to look glorious even when the temperature drops. “
She noted that Crocus, Iris, Cyclamen and Narcissus are some associated with the “best bulbs” for autumn.
For those newly planted, gardeners ought to keep an eye on the soil moisture in order to ensure the particular bulbs aren’t drying out once dug in to the ground.
The sun can be particularly strong in the afternoon, so make sure they’re able to grow within the warm weather by giving them plenty to drink.
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Protect your own berries through birds
Many berries come into season within August, including blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
The expert warned: “If you avoid plan ahead, the birds will steal the fruits of your labour!
“You can protect your berries using bamboo canes and bird netting : create a teepee shape out of bamboo canes and surround the canes in bird netting. ”
Gardeners can furthermore cover maturing plants along with paper bags, and lay garden fabric over germinating seedlings in order to foil the particular birds.
Deadhead roses and hope for the late bloom
According to Emma, Mid-August is “prime time” regarding deadheading your own rose bushes.
She said: “This prevents flowers from turning slimy, reducing the risk of fungal infections. If you’re lucky, you may get a late summer bloom! ”
As with all trimming, it’s important to use sharp secateurs.
The gardening pro explained: “Prune your rose shrubbery using the sharp pair of secateurs, as these types of easily reduce through the woody stems, leaving minimal damage.
“I recommend the Davaon Pro 2-in-1 Ratchet Secateurs intended for the job, as they’re comfortable to use and may cut through thicker branches in a single cut. ”