In the Garden : Flaming June

One of last months tips was to make sure you kept up with your watering. That certainly started something with what happened in May! Do watch out for hot sunny days though, particularly in the greenhouse. When watering outside, do it early or late in the day, to avoid evaporation.

Weeds will have gained a foothold in the garden with the wet weather, so get that hoe going!

When purchasing fertilizers, look out for ‘slow release’ types. They release plant food according to ground temperatures just as the plant needs it. Not only that, they provide feed all season, so they save you work!

Have you tried growing leaf salads from seed? You can grow them in the garden soil or containers, or on the windowsill indoors. The great thing about them is that they are ready to use in just 3-4 weeks and if you leave round 2.5cms of stem when you cut them, they will grow again and produce a further crop!

Remember to remove the side shoots from upright growing tomatoes such as Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker to induce early cropping and increase fruit yields.

Many gardeners will have had failures with early sown dwarf French beans this year. Don’t blame the seedsmen, its not their seed, its purely down to the low soil temperatures in May. No need to worry though, there’s plenty of time to resow into warmer soil in June.

Its time to think about shading for the greenhouse. You can use netting suspended inside or use a whitewash spray on the roof and sides.

The first flowers will be appearing on your sweet pea plants. Remember, its essential to keep picking the blooms to encourage the plants to ‘bulk’ up and keep producing flowers.

Make sure you stake plants with long flower spikes such as delphiniums and hollyhocks to support them in high winds.

Finally, keep a close eye out for the first signs of any pest or disease problem. They are much easier to control if dealt with early!

Happy gardening!