'Garden Column - September 2008'

Prepare plants for their return into the greenhouse.

Half-hardy plants which you will be over-wintering inside the greenhouse for the winter should start to be prepared.
Don�t wait until it is too late otherwise some of your prize plants will be have damaged by the climate getting cooler.
Clean the plants up and remove any dead, damaged or diseased growth. Check them for signs of pest damage and treat accordingly. As a precaution treat each plant with Bayer Provado Vine Weevil Killer 2 which will stop any damage from Vine Weevil grubs that are harbouring in the soil.
Slowly move the treated plants back into the greenhouse as and when they are ready.

What to do with the vegetable plot through the winter?

The vegetable plot can seem a bleak place through the autumn & winter months but it doesn�t have to be.
Various crops can be sown this month � everything from salad crops such as Lettuce, Radish & Rocket to vegetables like Turnips, Spinach & Broccoli. Also oriental vegetables like Pak Choi can still be sown.
Autumn Onion & Shallot Sets along with Garlic can be planted to give you an early crop.
Remember to prepare areas with Vitax Growmore fertiliser to encourage your plants to grow.

Areas that have been cleared needn�t sit barren either for the winter months. Green Manures can be planted especially to areas designed for next years leaf crops. Winter Field Beans, Grazing Rye, Mustard & Winter Tares are just amongst some that will help enrich unused areas.

Top dress ericaceous lovers.

A number of shrubs like Rhododendrons and Azaleas plus other acid-loving plants will respond well to a good general top dress of fertilizer. Use one which is particularly suited for this job like Vitax Pelleted Conifer & Shrub Fertilizer.
Before applying - remove any leaves which have shed and lay at the base of the plant as these make great hibernation areas for pests like Vine Weevil�s to over-winter in.
Place about a handful around the base of each plant and lightly hoe in. Also add a mulch of Levington Ericaceous Compost to help increase the acidity. Do not use manure as this can be too strong for acid lovers and could cause irreparable damage.
If the plants are in containers then scrap off the top few centimetres of compost and replace with some ericaceous compost and feed.
By top dressing this will help nurse your prize acid lovers through the autumn and winter months whilst ensuring you plenty of fresh new growth & flower next spring.

Prepare to grow your own!

This week is an ideal opportunity to prepare and plant for all kinds of top fruit and soft fruit.
First of all double dig the area over and as you turn the soil over dig in some well-rotted farmyard manure compost or a tree and shrub planting compost and remove all weed growth.
Once the area is prepared decide on which varieties you are going plant and if the plants are going to be trained up boundary fences of walls then place their support in place.
A wide variety of plants now are grown in containers. If your planting an area and you are limited on space but you would like to have an orchard but only have room for a couple of trees then help is at hand because now you can get fruit trees which will grow and fruit on a single stem. These trees are known as Minarettes and can be grown in rows on the vegetable plot, dotted amongst ornamental plants as useful dot plants or if you have no more room left in the garden then you can always grow them in containers on the patio.

Sow new areas of lawn.

This month is probably the last ideal time to sow a new lawn from seed.
Rake the area level removing any large clumps and stones. Once the area is in a fine tilth apply a general purpose fertiliser like Vitax Pelleted Q4 Fertiliser.
Use about a handful per square metre. Lightly rake this in and then apply the seed thinly. This will allow you to remove any weed seed which germinates amongst your new area of turf.
If the weather is dry keep well watered and don�t cut until the turf reaches about 9cm height.