A Few Hints & Tips for July

Posted on by
Download Newsletter

Flower garden

  • Cutting back growth in hanging baskets can encourage new flowers and foliage and will revive the display. Make sure you that feed your baskets well after doing this.
  • Keep dead-heading bedding plants and perennial plants to stop them self-seeding and to encourage further flowering.
  • Keep an eye out for pests on plants, early treatment is best.
  • Now is a good time to spray ground elder, bindweed and other persistent weeds with a glyphosate-based weed killer as the plants now have lots of leaf surface area with which to absorb it. If you are an organic gardener, continue to remove them which should help to weaken them over time.
  • Move plants in pots to shadier spots to prevent heat stress during the hottest periods.
  • Pick your sweet pea plants as often as you can. If a flower is left on the plant it will rapidly develop into a seed pod, which will stop growth.

Vegetable garden

  • Plant second cropping potatoes now to give you new potatoes for Christmas. Plant your Christmas potatoes in pots or bags which can be brought under cover before the first frosts.
  • Pinch out tomato side shoots each week. Cut off any leaves growing below the lowest ripening fruit trusses to improve air circulation and prevent diseases.
  • Boost your tomato crop by regularly feeding them with dilute tomato fertiliser once a week. If leaves look pale and yellow feed more regularly.
  • Don’t forget to stop cordon tomatoes by removing the main shoot. Look for the leaf that’s above the fourth truss (set of developing fruit) and cut it off here. This should ensure that all the fruits ripen by the end of the season. Bush tomatoes can be left to their own devices. If you are growing a grafted variety and you have the height, five or six trusses are ok.
  • Pick your courgettes while they are young. Regular picking encourages more fruit.
  • Resist the temptation to harvest more rhubarb This allows the plant to build up reserves for next year.
  • Pick runner beans regularly to prevent them becoming stringy and to make room for developing pods. Leaving mature pods on the plant can prevent further flowers forming and reduce your crop.
  • Use grass clippings as a mulch around potato plants to stop tubers near the surface from turning green. Alternatively earth up your potato plants as they grow. If you’re growing potatoes in bags, gradually add more compost until the bag is full.
  • Tackle blackfly on broad beans by pinching off any affected growing tips.
  • Check for cabbage white butterfly eggs under brassica leaves and squash any that you find.

        

Fruit garden

  • Thin out the fruits on your fruit trees to produce good sized crops. Complete final thinning of apples. One or two fruits every 4-6 inches. 
  • Check the leaves of gooseberry bushes for sawfly larvae, which can completely strip the foliage in a matter of days. Jet them off with water or pick them off by hand.
  • Peg down runners on your strawberry plants to create more plants for next year. If you don’t need more plants simply remove the strawberry runners completely.

Greenhouse

  • Check plants daily. Water first thing in the morning or in the evening to reduce water loss through evaporation.
  • Damp down your greenhouse on hot days to increase humidity and deter red spider mites.
  • Open vents and doors daily to provide adequate ventilation.
  • Use blinds or apply shade paint to prevent the greenhouse from over-heating in sunny weather.
  • Try hanging sticky traps to catch flying pests and help determine which pest control is needed.

Other jobs about the garden

  • Keep bird baths topped up in hot weather.
  • Keep an eye out for powdery mildew on plants. Remove any affected parts and spray with a fungicide to prevent further spread.
  • Look after your aphid eaters – ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings feast on greenfly and blackfly so it is worth protecting them.
  • Keep an eye out for scarlet lily beetles on your lilies – remove and crush any you see. Also check for the sticky brown larvae on the underside of leaves.
  • Be water-wise – use grey water from washing up & bath water. Use within 24 hours and water ornamental plants rather than edibles. Don’t waste water on the lawn.

Chorley Gardening Society – July 18th – The Work of the Woodland Trust – speaker to be announced. St Mary’s Church Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton – 7.30pm

Visitors Welcome

A Few Tips & Reminders for June

Posted on by
Download Newsletter

Weather & Watering

  • The weather is getting warmer and possibly drier so remember that all shrubs and bedding plants which were planted out last month will need regular watering. They have not had time to grow their roots out of the compost that they have been growing in, so if left un-watered they will soon deteriorate.
  • Watering is the most important task in all gardens. It is essential to give all plants a good soaking in the evening after the sun has set so that the water will not evaporate away. If the surface soil is only moistened it will encourage plants to make surface roots, which are more liable to suffer from drought.
  • ‘A good hoe is as good as a watering can’… loosening the soil will not only keep weeds down but help prevent cracks appearing in the soil, as this is where moisture will evaporate from.
  • Watering a garden can be tedious. You can cut down on watering (and your bills) by mulching. Mulching is putting a layer of material on the surface of the soil, around the plants…make sure the soil is wet before applying. This layer helps to stop water evaporating from the soil’s surface and, if you mulch with an organic product, you’ll add back nutrients to the soil as the mulch slowly decomposes.
  • Mulching also has the great advantage of cutting down the need to weed. The mulch layer, if thick enough (minimum of about an inch) will help suppress weeds.
  • Another group of mulches are the Non-biodegradable type. These do not boost the fertility or structure of the soil, but they do suppress weeds, conserve moisture and some have the added advantage of looking decorative. Slate, shingle, pebbles, gravel, stone chippings are often used as a mulch across beds, and are particularly effective in containers.

Bedding Plants

  • The full range of bedding plants can be safely planted outside without any fear of frost damage, there is also a full range hanging basket and container plants available, by the middle of the month supplies of pack bedding will be coming to an end, then a larger range of pot bedding plants will be available.
  • Remember to keep all these young plants well watered and weekly feeds with liquid fertilizers will help them develop a strong root system to feed the plants and provide beautiful flowers until the autumn. If the plant has only one single flower in the centre, it is best to remove this to encourage the plant to branch out.

Vegetable Garden

  • Plant out tomatoes if this has not already been done. Train them up canes or string, and remove sideshoots from cordon tomatoes.
  • Water tomatoes and peppers regularly to prevent blossom end rot – a symptom of calcium deficiency due to erratic water supply.
  • Once first truss has set, feed with high potash feed, such as Tomorite. Marrows, courgettes, cucumbers & sweet corn can also be planted outside now.
  • Leafy salad crops may do better when sown in partially shady sites since hot dry weather can lead to bitter tasting leaves.
  • Gaps between winter brassica plants can be used for quick-maturing catch crops, perhaps radishes or gem lettuces.
  • Strawberry plants start to deteriorate after 3 to 4 years. During the first 2 or 3 years all runners should be removed. To get free replacement plants some runners can be allowed to set themselves in soil. Once rooted they can be cut from the parent plant.

     

Fertilisers

Most fertilisers are based on the three major plant nutrients:
Nitrogen (N): For green leafy growth
Phosphorus (P): For healthy root and shoot growth
Potassium (K): For flowering, fruiting and general hardiness

All fertilisers should quote their N:P:K ratio on the product packaging. For example, a ratio of 20:20:20 indicates a balanced fertiliser, but a ratio of 18:24:6 would indicate a high phosphorus fertiliser.

     

How to use fertiliser

There are many ways to apply fertilisers, and the method you choose will greatly depend on the product you are using. These are some of the most common methods of application, along with examples of when you would use this method.

Top dressing: This is the application of quick-acting fertilisers to the soil surface around plants to stimulate growth, and is usually carried out in spring at the start of the growing season.

Slow release: This is the incorporation of fertiliser into the soil or potting compost before sowing or planting which releases nutrients gradually through the season.

Watering on: Liquid fertilisers or soluble powders and granules can be dissolved or diluted and watered onto plant roots during the growing season to give them an instant boost. They are mainly used for feeding glasshouse crops, pot plants and bedding. The nutrients in liquid fertilisers are instantly available.

Foliar feeding: This is the application of a dilute solution of fertiliser to the leaves of plants, useful as an emergency treatment for correcting nutrient deficiencies or for providing quick supplementary feeding.

Chorley Gardening Society – Around the World in 80 Plants
talk by Simon Gulliver

St Mary’s Church Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton – June 20th 7.30pm

Visitors Welcome

Chorley Garden Society Planter

Posted on by

Today the members of Chorley Garden Society turned out in force to replant their planter opposite the town hall. The theme to celebrate King’s Charles coronation was was red and white begonia semps, blue lobelia and gold lysimachia. The cordeline was replaced by a variegated phormium donated by a member. Well done everyone, the planter looks great.

Mayflower Planter

Posted on by

While some members of the Chorley Garden Society were working on their planter, other members were working on the Mayflower at St Laurence’s Church and made a huge difference. Again using the red, white and blue theme. Thank you everyone, lovely job.

St Thomas’ Square

Posted on by

To finish off today the Police Cadets worked well together in looking after the two sunken gardens, the barge planter and the oblong planter by the Chorley Police Station under the guidance of their leaders and volunteers from Chorley in Bloom. Weeding, planting, watering and getting rid of the weeds and moss growing between the sets. Well done all of you. You worked really hard tonight. What a difference you’ve made.

This Week at the Teaching & Learning Hub

Posted on by

Linda has given the Chill Out Cabin another coat of paint which has brought out the colour well. New volunteers have been planting more of our fruiting hedge and planted some into pots ready for next week. Well done and thank you all for your help.

The spring flowers are looking fantastic at the new Teaching and learning Hub. They were sown and transplanted by Astley spark School pupils a few months ago. Looks great. Also the veg are ready for planting in the new raised beds a job for the pupils in the next few weeks well done everyone.

Earlier today we were working with 2 year 11 groups from Astley Park School. They finished moving the last of the 8 tons of topsoil we had delivered last week into the various raised beds. They also helped to plant peas, carrots, potatoes and transplanted sedums into larger pots. Thank you everyone, you always work so hard. Well done.

We had a big surprise tonight when about 40 Police Cadets turned up tonight to help with the planting, weeding, sweeping and other tasks that are still needed to be done to be ready for our Grand Opening on the 17th June. The group photo shows some of the volunteers. Thank you everyone for your help.

We had a visit this morning from the ASDA Community Champion who gave Chorley in Bloom a lovely donation of watering cans, pots and seeds. We also had 4 volunteers who helped with tree and vegetable planting. Thank you everyone.

This Week at the Teaching & Learning Hub

Posted on by

We all had a lovely time at the hub today. The sun was shining and ice lollies to cool us all down after working hard moving soil into the raised beds were greatly appreciated. The 2 classes of year 11 pupils from Astley Park School did a great job today alongside their teaching staff, David and myself. Well done everyone.

A Few Tips & Reminders for May

Posted on by
Download Newsletter
  • Many of the bulbs will have finished flowering by now and begin to look untidy, do not be in a hurry to cut back the foliage although it is wise to pinch off the dead flowers to prevent seed forming.
  • The dying stems and foliage help build up the bulbs for next year, so it is most important that the foliage be left for about six weeks after flowering to die down naturally. 
  • Top dress with a handful of bone meal this will also help the bulb to swell and become a storehouse for nutrients for the next flowering season.
  • Now the soil is warming up and things are starting to grow, add general purpose fertiliser before covering with mulch especially in borders, the fruit and vegetable patch and containers. Only mulch if the soil is moist.
  • Spray roses with fungicide to ward against black spot and mildew. Repeat every fortnight until the autumn. Remember that if an infection sets in, all the stricken leaves must be burnt – do not leave them on the compost heap as this will become the perfect incubation site. Feed with a foliar feed and beware of greenfly – treat immediately if an infestation occurs.
  • ‘Chelsea chop’ – for summer and autumn flowering herbaceous perennials. Heleniums, Sedums, Echinacea etc.

                    

  • The cut-back is performed usually in late May or early June – i.e. around the time of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

          Benefits are: The plants are not so tall and leggy, need less staking and the flowers are smaller but more numerous.

  • Clumps of perennials can literally be chopped back by one third to a half using shears or secateurs. This will delay the flowering until later in the summer and keep plants shorter and more compact.
  • If you have several clumps of one plant, try cutting back a few, but leaving others. This will prolong the overall flowering time.
  • Another method is to cut half the stems back at the front of the clump which will extend the season of flowering rather than delay it.

Should bedding plants be bought yet?

  • A full range of bedding plants, container and basket plants are now becoming available –if you are tempted to plant tender plants out early then you must protect on cold frosty nights with fleece or some other method of covering.  Bedding plants such as Asters, Antirrhinums, Carnations, Cineraria maritime, Geraniums, Lobelia, Petunia and Stocks are quite hardy.
  • Bedding plants such as Ageratum, Begonia, Impatiens, French Marigolds, Fuchsia’s and Nemesia are far less hardy; these plants will need tender care until the last week of May when planting out.
  • When planting young bedding plants give the soil a generous top dressing of general-purpose fertilizer, water in well after planting.

CONTAINER GARDENING

Containers are not just for smaller gardens, they can be an attractive addition to larger gardens, especially if you position them close to your kitchen door where you can grab a quick handful of the freshest veg or herbs possible. From carrots and salads to peppers, potatoes and beans there isn’t much that won’t grow well in a container.

There are many reasons why it is an advantage to grow crops in containers:

  • Great for those with no garden or just a patio
  • You can control soil texture, composition, and nutrients.
  • Containers can be sited in positions that are easy to access, so people with mobility problems can still garden.
  • It is easier to control pest damage to plants in containers rather than in a garden.
  • Trailing plants can be displayed effectively.
  • Plants can be protected indoors to give early crops, such as salad crops.
  • Downside is that the watering regime is much more important.

Types of Containers – Pros & Cons

  • Clay/Terracotta – look good – dry out quicker (put layer of plastics around inside to help retain moisture) – prone to cracking – look for frost proof – to reduce risk of cracking, stand on feet, anything to keep off flat surface (this applies to all containers in the winter).
  • Plastic – lighter – don’t dry out as much.
  • Metal – frost proof – don’t dry out – heat up quick in summer and can burn roots.
  • Wood – half barrels popular for growing fruit trees – problem with rotting over time – extend life with a plastic lining and ensuring holes for adequate drainage.
  • Other quirky containers – old baths, jars, tins & pots – make sure adequate drainage – if not drill holes.
  • Size – salads & herbs thrive in shallow – 6 ins. deep, Legumes, onions & root crops do better in 12 – 18 ins. Deep.
  • There are more sustainable and eco-friendly pots & containers now available, mainly for seed sowing and small plants.

LAWNS

  • Continue mowing, increase the frequency as necessary and lower the height of the cut closer to the summer level.
  • If we have a warm May once a week mowing will be required.
  • In most seasons, this is the best month for weed killing with either a selective weed killer or moss killer. 
  • Remember the need for dry grass, moist soil and a fine still day when using lawn weed killers – drift from lawn weed killer or moss killer can very quickly scorch tender young bedding plants or shrubs planted around the edge of the lawn.

FRUIT GARDEN

  • At this time of year keep a careful watch for signs of aphid, caterpillars and mildew. These pest & diseases are the main problems this month. If you are not completely organic, a regular spray programme each week should keep things under control.
  • In recent years there have been quite a few insecticides, fungicides and weedkillers that have been withdrawn from domestic use. There is still a wide range available both organic and non-organic treatments, so if you are not sure which to go for ask at the garden centre or go to the RHS website and you can find a listing of all types available which includes the active chemicals in each.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

  • Birkacre and other Garden Centres have a good supply of vegetable plug plants, which is much easier for novices than growing from seed. Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sprouting Broccoli, Leeks, and Onions will have been fully hardened off, so it is safe to plant without any frost protection. 
  • Runner Beans, Tomato Plants, Marrows Courgettes, Cucumbers and Melons will need frost protection until the end of the month when cold nights are forecast.

TREES & SHRUBS

  • When planting any new container grown tree or shrub it used to a recommendation to plant with some form of planting medium such as peat or multi-purpose potting compost and a little fertilizer. Research by the RHS now recommends that you do not do that, because the plant will tend to grow within that added compost when you want the plant to grow out into the surrounding soil as quickly as possible. Dig the hole slightly larger than the plant container. If the roots are growing around the pot, then tease some of them out. Place the plant in the ground at the same depth as in the container and infill with the garden soil. Then water well and continue to water regularly throughout the coming summer. Mycorrhizal fungi are also an effective aid to establishing both bare rooted and container grown plants.

                

Chorley Gardening Society – May 16th at 7.30pm – Herbs talk by William Woods
St Mary’s Church Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton – Visitors Welcome!

Plant Sale – Saturday May 13th – 9.00am till 4.00pm – Fazackerley Street, Chorley Town Centre
Bargains Galore!