insideKENT Magazine Issue 53 - August 2016 | Page 139

OUTDOORLIVING

YOUR GARDEN THIS august

TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
1. Prune wisteria
2. Don’t delay summer pruning fruits trained as
restricted forms
3. Deadhead flowering plants regularly
4. Watering – particularly containers and new
plants, preferably with grey recycled water
or stored rainwater
5. Collect seeds from garden plants
6. Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as
they become ready
7. Continue cutting out old fruited canes on
raspberries
8. Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners
9. Keep ponds and water features topped up
10. Feed the soil with green manures

PRUNING WISTERIA
Wisteria needs regular pruning to keep the growth
and size under control, but it will also improve
the flowering display.
When to prune wisteria:
Wisteria is pruned twice a year, in July or August,
then again in January or February.
How to prune wisteria:
Wisterias can be left to ramble unchecked where
space allows but will usually flower more freely
and regularly if pruned twice a year. The removal
of growth in summer allows better air circulation
and more sunlight to reach the base of the young
growths, encouraging better ripening of the wood
and improving the chances of flower bud
formation. Restricting the amount of vegetative
growth and encouraging short, flowering spurs
will result in more flowers.

Summer pruning (July or August):
Cut back the whippy green shoots of the current
year’s growth to five or six leaves after flowering
in July or August. This controls the size of the
wisteria, preventing it getting into guttering and
windows, and encourages it to form flower buds
rather than green growth.

TIPS FOR ECONOMICAL
WATERING
1. Established trees and shrubs do not generally
need watering, as they have such wide-ranging
roots that they are drought-proof. But their
growth may be improved by watering when
they are under drought-stress.
2. Trees and shrubs planted less than five years
ago have increased water requirements and
may suffer drought-stress without watering.
3. Newly sown or newly planted areas are very
vulnerable to water-stress, and watering these
should be high priority.
4. Herbaceous perennials often need watering
to boost their performance in hot, dry spells.
Plant choice is crucial if you want to achieve
a drought-proof border. See RHS’s advice on
drought-resistant plants for more on plant
choice.
5. Edible produce yields and quality are greatly
improved by watering at times when drought
stress would affect the part of the plant that is
gathered. Leafy crops such as lettuce and
spinach should never be short of water. Onions
require little or no watering. Most other crops
need watering at sowing and transplanting
time, and then again as the fruits, roots or
tubers are developing. It is also a good idea
to give a single, thorough watering about two
weeks before harvest.

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6. Lawns require great quantities of water for
thorough irrigation, and this is a questionable
use of a scarce resource for any other than
high quality lawns or sports turf. Instead of
watering in dry periods, mow less closely and
less frequently. Brown patches usually recover
when the autumn rains return.
7. Mulching with a layer of organic matter or
gravel at least 5cm (2in) thick, or using opaque
mulching sheets, reduces moisture loss from
the upper layers of the soil. This may amount
to as much as the equivalent of 2cm (0.75in)
of rain.
8. Removing weeds is vital, as weeds use up
valuable soil moisture reserves.
9. Planting n ew plants between autumn and
spring gives them the best chance of growing
roots before dry weather begins.

The RHS is a UK charity established to share
the best in gardening. Their work is driven by
a simple love of plants and the belief that
gardeners make the world a better place.
For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk