Jobs for the month
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Jobs for the month
- Depending on the weather, try to lift any dahlias and clean them off; then store in kiln dried sand or dry compost in a frost-free place.
- Collect any rose leaves with black spot and bin them. If you don’t do this the spores will infect more plants next year.
- Make sure you plant your tulips this month. Plant them deep or you may only get one season from them.
- Lift any remaining begonia tubers and dry them, then store as dahlias.
- Cut roses down by a third to prevent wind rock.
It’s hard to get motivated when it’s gloomy and with less daylight, but anything you can do now will be a big help for next season. Weeds seem to grow whatever the weather, it’s a miserable job in the Summer but seems worse at this time of year. It is an essential task though and cannot be ignored. Mulching is very important, to keep the ground covered and stop soil erosion. This should be laid about 3ins, 75mm, thick to do a good job, which can be expensive if you buy the stuff television gardeners recommend. Grass cuttings, fallen leaves or old compost will suffice. The worms will love you for it and it will improve the soil no end. It’s a fact that if it were not for worms then we wouldn’t have such productive soil so the more worms you have the better the soil. Worms add 5mm to soil depth each year. They are brilliant at breaking down pollutants and turning them into nontoxic molecules. I could go on, but all these facts are available on the Soil Association site. They are the leading charity on the protection of our soil and the way it’s used.
The overall message from the allotment folk is that the year to date has not been good. With the coolest summer for nine years, it has proved to be challenging at Twyn Yr Odyn. Even the prolific Gareth Lewis has had an off year. He has been heard playing Slayer (a rock band apparently) to his plants with no improvement. Some of the older gardeners have seen it all before and love the challenge of tending the soil on top of the hill in a howling gale with rain lashing across – and that’s in June. They are committed to their task, that’s for sure. Even with all this to put up with, they will be planting peas and broad beans to over winter and give an early crop next year hopefully. The National Allotment Association is a membership well worth considering if you’re serious about your patch.
Please remember to check any bonfires you may be lighting, as hedgehogs find them irresistible. If you do cook one accidentally then take salt & pepper with you as they are quite bland.
Take care and happy gardening.
THE VILLAGE GARDENER