Trees, shrubs and summer perennials are nearing the end of their main growing season. Plenty of water will be needed to maintain growth. 

Invest in a water timer and save water. Set, walk away and forget.

Keep your containers and garden from drying out and soil becoming hydrophobic (repels water) with the addition of Saturaid. This amazing granular product will help water penetrate the soil down to the roots and retain moisture.  Add mulch (a thick layer of compost or pea straw) to conserve moisture.

Edible Garden

Plant brassica crops  for winter this month and protect from white butterfly and aphid attack with fine netting or spray with Success Ultra and Enspray 99.

Feed winter crops planted earlier with ican 100% Organic Vegetable Food.

Protect tomatoes from blight and pests with FreeFlo Copper and Mavrik. 

Keep tomatoes and other summer veges cropping with regular picking, and fortnightly liquid feeds of ican Fast Food. It gives your plants a boost and keeps them healthy.

Harvest onions when the tops have died down. Dry well, then trim the roots and leaves before hanging or storing.

Mulch citrus trees with compost, keeping it clear of the trunk, and feed with ican Citrus & Fruit Food.

Protect citrus, tamarillos and passionfruit trees from summer pests and diseases with a spray mixture of FreeFlo Copper, Enspray 99 and Mavrik.

Spray plants for powdery mildew which spoils cucumbers, courgettes, grapes and many other plants. Control with Enspray 99.

Prune summer stonefruit (peaches, plums, apricots) soon after picking. Pruning when the trees are in full leaf is important for the prevention of silverleaf infection. Prune out overcrowded branches to open the tree’s framework. Peaches and nectarines fruit on one year old wood–prune out about two thirds of new growth on vigorous trees so current season’s growth is evenly spaced for fruiting next year.

Check crops of peaches every day for brown rot and protect with regular sprays of FreeFlo Copper. 

Thin out heavy crops of apples, pears and plums, and remove any malformed, damaged or undersized fruits.

Trim grape vines to allow sun to penetrate to the grapes and sweeten the fruit.

Prune summer raspberries that have finished fruiting (unless they also crop in autumn). Prune out the browner tatty canes that have fruited, leaving the fresh green canes for next seasons crop.

Trim the long runners on strawberry plants back to the main plant. This encourages the plants to produce flowers and another batch of fruit. Some varieties, such as Seascape and Temptation, fruit well in Autumn. Feed now with ican Berry Food to get a good crop of autumn fruit. 

Ornamental Garden

There are plenty of late summer and autumn flowering annuals to plant to brighten the garden. Check the stocks in your local garden centre for inspiration. 

Sow seeds of biennial flowers, foxgloves, honesty, forget-me-nots, for blooms next year.

Freesias, anemones, early daffodils and jonquils can be planted now in pots. Fill pots with ican Premium Potting Mix. In warmer areas, place your bulbs in the fridge for 4-6 weeks before planting. (NOTE: if storing daffodils, name them clearly as they are poisonous and should not be confused with onions.)

February heralds the start of bulb planting. Prepare the soil for planting of spring-flowering bulbs with ican Premium Compost and ican Real Blood & Bone. As a rule of thumb the bigger the bulb the deeper you plant it - about twice as deep as the size of the bulb.

Thrips enjoy warm weather and can become a problem on rhododendrons, viburnums and other flowering shrubs. Protect with Mavrik or Enspray 99.

Spray plants for powdery mildew which spoils roses, begonias and many other plants. Control with Enspray 99.

Where water supply is an issue, plant a dry garden using dry tolerant plants. Try arctotis, gazania, rosemary, thyme, portulaca, sedum, lomandra and all types of succulents 

Continue to deadhead roses to lengthen the flowering season. Boost their growth with a feed of ican Rose Food. 

Deadhead dahlias and summer flowering perennials to encourage a constant display of blooms. Boost their growth with a liquid feed of ican Fast Food.

Trim English type lavenders when flowering is over to maintain a compact, bushy shape, but avoid cutting into old wood which will not produce new shoots. 

Trim back the long tendrils on Wisteria and other climbing plants that have finished flowering.

Trim garden hedges and conifers to shape. Only trim conifers back to green wood–mature wood will not produce new growth. 

Keep pots and hanging baskets flowering by watering and deadheading regularly, and add ican Fast Food fortnightly. Start thinking about preparing pots and baskets for their winter displays. Start with fresh potting mix, adding in some extra ican Slow Food. Seedlings of Alyssum, Lobelia, Pansy, Primulas, Viola will all be available this month to get you started.

Keep mowing lawns regularly but raise the cutting height to leave the grass longer during dry weather. Aim to reduce the lawn height by only one third each time you mow – any more would decrease the health and vigour of the grass.

Indoor plants will need more attention to watering and feeding, particularly if in bright light or full sun. Keep a watch for pests, especially mealy bug, which will thrive in the warmth. If necessary, spray with Enspray 99.

Pests to watch for:

• Thrips
• Passionvine hoppers
• Leaf hoppers
• Tomato potato psyllid
• Green looper caterpillar
• Leaf roller caterpillar
• Green vegetable bug

Mavrik can be used across a range of plants to control many pests.