The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend
The humble hoe is your best friend when it comes to keeping weeds under control during the Summer. On dry days just run the hoe between your flowers or veg beds. Not doing this at least a couple of times a week will leave you wondering where all the plants have gone. As we soon realise, weeds grow at a phenomenal pace at this time of year.
Another important task is dead heading, this is so important to keep the flowers producing new blooms. Not doing this will make the plant think its task is done and it will stop flowering. Pick as many sweet peas as you can for the house, the more you pick the more they flower. Cut back hardy geraniums now and they will produce another display before the season ends. Sunflowers definitely produce bigger blooms with a bit of tomato fertiliser fed to them. Wisteria can be cut back to within 8 inches of the main stems.
If you’re cleaning the weed from your pond, leave it on the side for a while, to allow any life form to return to the water.
There are some lovely gardens in and around the village. The way they keep them so nice is an absolute credit to them. Lyn and Sid Cottle always put on a good display even when people try to prevent them. The Warrior and his wife in Greave Close love their garden and it shows. Heather and Charlie put a lot of effort into their outdoor space which reflects their personality.
Allotments and veg gardens are bursting with produce. Strawberries, raspberries, peas, potatoes etc are all ready for harvesting. Be prepared to share your produce with the wildlife if you haven’t put in measures to prevent their invasion. Time now to fill empty spaces by planting Kale, carrots and some potatoes and these will be ready for Christmas.
A big problem will be with potatoes. If we have damp weather, there will almost certainly be blight which can ruin your crop. There will be dark blotches on the leaves starting at the tips, if you see this then immediately remove the foliage and put in your green bags for the council to dispose of. Do not compost it because, unlike the council you will not be able to get the heap hot enough to destroy the organism. The potatoes can then be used but will not store well. Do clear any debris up thoroughly. There are some things you can do to minimise the problem. Firstly, plant as early as you can so that harvesting can be done before blight hits. Secondly, when planting, space out the tubers to give the foliage more room which will allow air to flow between the plants. If you need to water the potatoes, try to keep the foliage dry. These methods work well in your back garden but on an allotment, you need everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.
The Village Show is on 7th September so please enter some produce to show off your prowess.
Take care and happy gardening
THE VILLAGE GARDENER