Amateur Gardening – 20 July 2019

20 JULY 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 5

Patio profusion: Buy next week’s AG (in the shops

July 23) to see how to keep your patio containers and

hanging baskets looking their best all summer.

Dividing a clump of irises

Remove unproductive material to create more blooms

1

Dig all the way around the plant so

you can lift it with soil attached and

without damaging the roots.

Perennial

problems

Pick off snails

at dusk

Healthy perennials should be

able to shake off most pest and

disease attacks but the British

summertime can throw up problems

for even the most robust plants.

Busy beds clustered with

many plants can fall foul of fungal

problems such as powdery mildew

and botrytis, especially when the

weather is humid.

Bolster plants with regular

watering and by not planting them

with plenty of space, so there is

good airflow between each one.

Remove and destroy affected

material and use a fungicide such

as Scotts Fungus Clear Ultra on

extreme infections.

Check regularly for pests, picking

snails off during torchlight dusk

patrols and squishing aphids

between your fingers.

Many pest predators, such as

hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids,

flock to perennials for their nectar

and pollen, so avoid using

chemicals where possible.

Seeing red with this week’s wallfl ower seeds

1

Fill a tray or modules

with fresh seed and

cutting compost. Tamp

it flat and dampen with

fresh tap water.

2

Scatter the seeds as

thinly as possible over

the surface. Don’t worry if

they clump – you can thin

seedlings later.

3

Cover the seeds

with a thin layer of

compost, vermiculite or a

mix of the two, then label

the seeds.

4

Add a lid (remove it

once the seeds have

germinated) and place

your tray on a warm, light

windowsill. Monitor regularly.

2

Once the plant is out, replenish

its replanting site with plenty of

well-rotted compost or manure.

3

Divide the plant using a spade or

knife or insert two garden forks

back to back and lever them apart.

4

Replant divisions to the same depth

as before, in a hole large enough to

accommodate all their roots.

5

Infill around the roots with soil and

compost, firming it down as you go

and heel-treading around the plant.

6

Water generously and don’t let the

ground dry out while the divisions

get established.

Powdery mildew can be combated

with watering and good ventilation