Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 77
GARDENING
the mower blades higher.
Weeds
Hoe weeds out of gravel
paths, then carefully apply
a residual path weedkiller to
keep the area weed-free.
Pond care
Top up the sunken waterlevels in garden ponds
Bulbs
Order spring-flowering bulbs
from mail-order suppliers
ready for autumn planting.
September
Greenhouse
life
Lawn care
Prepare areas of ground
for sowing new lawns
later in the month.
Collect seeds
Make the most of free seeds
produced by perennials and
other garden plants by saving
them when they are fully ripe.
Collect mature seed-heads in
paper bags and hang them in
a warm place to dry out. The
seeds can be cleaned and
sorted, then put into labelled
envelopes and stored in a cool,
dry place. Swap your seeds
with your friends to share in
each other’s successes.
Make sure your plants are well
shaded on hot days to prevent
scorch. The easiest way to
do this is to apply netting or
shade paint to the outside of the
glass. Scorch is exacerbated
if leaves are wet, so take
care when watering plants.
General care
August
Holiday watering
There are several things you
can do to help prevent plants
drying out. Move any baskets
and containers out of full sun
to a position where they are
shaded at the height of the
day. Stand terracotta pots
on gravel trays topped up
with water, so the pots can
gradually absorb the reservoir
of liquid. You can also install
an automatic trickle watering
system on an outside tap, which
is controlled by a timer and will
turn water on and off each day.
Take Cuttings
Continue taking summer
cuttings of fuchsias,
pelargoniums and tender
perennials. These root quickly
at this time of year, forming
sturdy young plants that
will successfully overwinter
on a bedroom windowsill.
Many houseplants, including
coleus and African violets,
can also be propagated from
cuttings now. Take a look at
our propagation section to
discover which other plants
can be grown from cuttings.
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Trim hedges
Trim hedges, especially
hedging conifers that can
become tall and annoy
neighbours. Be considerate,
and cut their tops down to
3m (10ft) at a maximum. Our
guide to pruning hedges
has more useful tips.
Pests
Watch out for ants nesting in
patio pots, where they can
disturb root growth and reduce
a plant’s performance. Standing
pots in a large saucer of water
helps deter them from settling
in. Vine weevil is a particular
problem in greenhouses and
patio pots. Now is a good time
to treat compost with biological
pest control nematodes, which
search out and kill weevil larvae.
They can also be applied to the
soil around attacked plants.
Lawns
To achieve a fine finish, cut
your lawns more than once a
week. Spot treat and dig out
weeds, filling holes with gritty
compost, and rake a little
grass seed into bare patches if
necessary. In hot, dry weather,
keep grass longer by setting
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