Edible Garden

It is time to plan ahead for winter crops that require a warm growing season to get them started. 

Continue planting seed and seedlings of dwarf beans, beetroot, carrots, spring onions and lettuce for successive crops, every 2 to 3 weeks. 

Regularly harvest quick producing crops. Courgettes, cucumbers, gherkins, beans, peas all need checking and picking on a daily basis. This will keep your veges young and sweet and stop them getting too big! It will also encourage plants to keep on producing for many more weeks.

If space allows, plant seedlings or sow seed of vegetables for late summer, autumn and winter. Celery, parsnip, leeks and the brassicas—cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower—which need protection from the white cabbage butterfly. See below.

Sow small batches of rocket and other easy salad leaves every three weeks for a quick and continuous supply of salad greens.

Protect vege seedlings from slugs and snails with Quash or Blitzem.

Protect vegetable and flower seedlings from downy mildew with FreeFlo Copper.

Feed rapidly growing tomatoes and vegetables with liquid ican Fast Food, and a side dressing of ican Tomato Food.

Keep potato crops mounded to protect the tubers from the sun and the potato tuber moth.

Continue to remove laterals (side shoots) from tomato plants and tie up against stakes; trim off the bottom older leaves to improve circulation around the plants and allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit. Ripening tomatoes may need to be protected with bird netting. Tap the flower trusses each day to shake the flowers which improves pollination. 

Protect potato and tomato plants from diseases such as late blight, and pests including Tomato/potato psyllid (TPP–Fact sheet) with FreeFlo Copper and Enspray 99 at 2-3 weekly intervals, or Success Ultra.

Protect summer brassica crops (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower) from aphids, moths and white butterfly with Success Ultra and Enspray 99 at 3 weekly intervals; or cover with an insect mesh.

Garlic, shallots and onions should be ready to harvest; dig up and leave to dry in the sun for up to 14 days before storing.

Collect herbs for drying or making pesto and freezing.

Cultivate (hoe) between rows of vege seedlings regularly as weeds grow rapidly at this time of year.

Spray passionfruit with Free Flo Copper, Enspray 99 and Mavrik monthly to protect against diseases and sap-sucking bugs – aphids, mealy bugs and passionvine hopper.  

Tie in or support the canes (shoots) of raspberries, boysenberries and blackberries, and protect from birds with netting or mesh. Spray with Free Flo Copper, Enspray 99 and Success Ultra  to protect against pests and diseases. 

Protect citrus trees from aphids, scale and sooty mould with Conqueror Spraying Oil which will smother the pests and their eggs. Add Free Flo Copper for Verrucosis disease. 

Stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines and cherries) must be pruned in summer to avoid infection by the fungal disease ‘silver leaf’. Prune only on a dry day, clean your secateurs with bleach between trees and keep the pruning to a minimum when the tree has a good size and shape.  

Start a regular spray program for stonefruit, peaches in particular, to prevent Brown Rot. When the fruit start to get their first blush of colour, spray every two to three weeks with Free Flo Copper. 

Continue to water regularly, especially if the summer is dry. A good deep watering around the roots of the plants 2-3 times per week is more beneficial than a daily light sprinkling.

Add a layer of mulch (ican Premium Compost is good) around the drip line and up to but not against the trunk, of established fruit trees, small fruits and ornamental trees and shrubs, to help retain moisture over the summer months. 

Increase watering of all fruit trees in containers and liquid feed with ican Fast Food to support and enhance growth and fruit development. 

Ornamental Garden

Seedlings of your favourite summer flowers can still be planted in the garden or pots.  Water in and feed with ican Fast Food  or ican Ocean Grow to give the plants a boost and keep them healthy.

Zinnias are great for providing summer colour. They also attract butterflies, bees, and birds to your garden.

Plant Gazanias and Arctotis in drier, sunny spots of the garden for masses of bright colour through these hot months.

Deadhead geraniums,  penstemon, dahlias, salvias and delphiniums, and liquid feed with ican Fast Food to encourage new flowers.

Provide supports for taller growing perennials such as dahlias, gladioli, penstemons and delphiniums. 

Increase watering of all plants in containers and hanging baskets, including indoor plants, as the weather warms. Add ican Fast Food to support new healthy growth.

Roses will be blooming. Protect from aphids and fungal disease with Combat 3-in-1 for Roses spray. Feed with a ican Rose Food and mulch with ican Premium Compost.

Deadhead roses, snipping back to at least the second 5-leaflet leaf where there will be a stronger bud for the next flush of flowers. Watch this video to explain: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-deadhead-roses/ 

Hibiscus will be in full show. These respond well to plants food high in potash, such as citrus fertiliser. Remember to water well after feeding.

Lawns will begin to dry out. Apply fasting acting Lawn Force fertiliser and water as often as possible. Raise the cutting height of your mower to leave the lawn longer– around 5-10cm–as this will make it less prone to going brown in dry weather. 

Water deeply once or twice a week, not a sprinkling every day. The best time to water is in the morning or early evening. Water the soil not the plants. Incorporate Saturaid to help the soil hold onto more moisture. Add deep layers of mulch to trap moisture in the soil.

Earwigs can become a menace, chewing on soft new growth and fresh flowers. Spray susceptible plants with Mavrik, and place screwed up balls of slightly damp newspaper between susceptible plants. The earwigs will hide there during the day so you can collect them up and burn them or dispose into the rubbish bag.