Amateur Gardening – 10 July 2019

6 JULY 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 5

Holiday time! Pick up next week’s AG (in shops 9 July) to find

out how to help garden and indoor plants survive your

absence as you enjoy a summer break.

It’s heating up in the greenhouse

• literally – so take
  steps to protect
  plants and
  keep them
  healthy.
  Too much
  direct sun
  will scorch
  leaves and
  dry out the
  atmosphere,
  making it perfect for
  pests such as glasshouse red
  spider mite.
  Help diffuse sunlight by painting
  the glass with washable liquid
  shader or by attaching fleece to
  the greenhouse frame.
  Keep doors and windows open
  for maximum ventilation and damp
  the floors to raise humidity.
  Use biological controls such
  as the parasitic wasp Encarsia
  Formosa to keep whitefly and
  other pests at bay and remember
  to water plants daily.

Four key jobs to tackle now!

Split plants, beat pests, clean tools and maximise crops

And when you’ve got a spare minute...

1

Warm, wet weather

lets weeds flourish.

Be diligent about weeding;

weeds steal light, water and

nutrients, but please leave

one or two for pollinators.

In the greenhouse

Lower temperatures

with shading paint

or by attaching

fl eece to the frame

2

When watering,

ideally use harvested

rainwater or ‘grey’ water

from washing-up (don’t

use water containing

bleaching agents).

3

Keep hard surfaces

clear and clean to

avoid a build-up of debris

that hosts pests and

disease, and can block

drainage channels.

4

Deadhead short-lived

perennials, such as

lupins, so the plant puts

energy into new leaves and

next year’s growth, rather

than seeds.

• literally – so take
  steps to protect

making it perfect for

Raise humidity

by damping

the fl oor

1

Divide overgrown perennials, unless

the weather is extremely dry. Lift,

split with a knife or spade, then replant

divisions at the same depth, water well

and expect more flowers.

2

In the shed, make sure chemicals

are in date, labelled and out of the

reach of children and pets. Look after

your tools – wire wool is a gentle way

of removing rust spots.

3

Keep pests at bay, using organic

methods rather than chemical,

unless absolutely necessary. I find that

regular applications of Grazers 4 gives

excellent protection against lily beetle.

4

The June drop should have

finished now, so thin overloaded

tree fruits by hand and support heavy-

fruiting branches. Don’t forget to feed

tomatoes, courgettes and squashes.

Split plants, beat pests, clean tools and maximise cropsSplit plants, beat pests, clean tools and maximise crops

and expect more flowers. of removing rust spots.