JULY - WINTER NEED NOT BE DULL!
TIME TO ENJOY...
Indoor plants add a fresh touch of green to the home scene. if you’ve got green fingers you’ll still be in your element!
TIME TO HARVEST...
Winter-blooming flowers – pansies, polyanthus, primroses etc make great small posies, and hellebores (winter roses) can be picked; for longer vase life split the bottom 20mm of their stems and put into very hot water for 15 seconds, then into cold water.
TIME TO PLANT...
Roses, having mixed good quality compost into the soil; tramp the soil down post-planting to keep the roots well anchored. Plant roses at the same depth they were in the plastic pots, ensuring the graft is higher than the soil level allowing for extra compost over the years. The graft should always be clear of the ground to avoid rotting. Hellebores (winter roses) are available in a big range and can be planted now in light shade.
TIME TO FEED...
Any houseplants that need a boost but light feeding in the winter is preferable. Feed Rhodos, azaleas, & camellias with acid plant food as they’re either in flower or good bud getting ready to flower.
The cold damp weather can make your pots of winter colour (polys, pansies, primulas etc) look somewhat tired and less than vibrant but a quick feed will soon rectify that situation – Dried Blood works brilliantly on flowering plants and if the veges need a boost Dried Blood gives them the hurry-up as well.
TIME TO PROTECT...
Cover hydrangeas exposed to heavy frosts with frost cloth for good flowering in summer.
Watch out for slugs and snails who love winter dampness and are happy to chomp on any new shoots that appear. I saw long snails’ trails across the terrace at home this week, so they’re still out and about.
TIME TO CONTROL...
Weeds on paths/paving/drives while you have time and the garden isn’t needing much attention.
TIME TO PRUNE...
Free Flo Copper Fungicide - 100g, 200g
An organic copper hydroxide that controls a wide range of fungal and bacterial diseases on fruit, vegetables and ornamentals.
Superior efficacy and rain fastness due to fine particle size. Superior bio-availability giving better protection from fungal and bacterial pathogens.
Reduced elemental copper application means better environmental protection.
Quality formulation resulting in problem free handling, mixing and application. Certified input for Organics with no withholding period.
EnSpray 99® Spraying Oil - 200ml, 500ml
An emulisfiable, narrow range spray oil for the control of scale, thrips, aphidsmites and powdery mildew.
EnSpray 99® inhibits eggs, nymphs and adult insects and mites breathing resulting in suffocation. This mode of action is through direct contact. EnSpray 99® can also affect feeding and egg laying activity by interfering with a pest’s ability to detect host plants.
EnSpray 99® protects the plant from feeding damage and reduces the population density. Oil has been found to affect the feeding and egg-laying behaviour of thrips and mites