Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 99

gardening

Island Life - August/September 2010

Blueberry
Hill

Tina's gardening
tips for August
and September

There is always something new to
learn in the garden and several
people have recently asked me
about growing blueberries. So I
decided this was a good time to
investigate these tasty and super
healthy fruits. There are two
species grown for fruit Vaccinium
corymbosum are the larger 'high
bush' varieties that need very
acidic soils with a pH of 4 to 5.5.
V. ashei are smaller and more
tolerant of less acid soils. If you
can grow camellias or other lime
hating plants and and your soil is
well drained but moisture retentive,
you can probably grow blueberries
in the ground. If not they will still
produce worthwhile crops in large
pots filled with ericaceous compost
and watered with rain water. They
don't like to dry out so put a saucer

Although you need patience to
enjoy the best yields, perhaps five
or six years to produce a heavy crop,
blueberries are pretty plants with
white bell shaped flowers before
the fruits and good autumn colours.

Now is the time to clip back lavenders.
As the flowers finish, cut back to just

Blueberries are self-fertile, but are

above the newest growth. Don't cut into

most productive if more than one

the old woody growth as lavenders don't

cultivar is grown. Fruit is produced

regenerate from this part of the plant.

from mid-summer on two or three

Before clipping, take heel cuttings of

year old growths. As with most

lavenders and rosemary in September.

blackcurrants, you should prune

Parsley and coriander seed can be sown

your blueberries by cutting out one

in the greenhouse to provide a supply

or two of the oldest stems at the

of leaves, in September mint, chives and

base of the plant once the plants

thyme can be potted up and grown in a

have lost their leaves.

under the pot to catch the water.

cold frame or greenhouse for winter use.
Continue to feed tomatoes and pick them
when ripe with the stalks intact. Pinch
out the tops in early September to divert

Patty's Plum

energy into developing the existing trusses
of fruit.
Keep ponds clear of blanket weed and
falling leaves, but leave debris to drain on
the edge of the pond to allow any wildlife
to escape, add the waste to the compost
heap. Top up water levels.
Put labels into plants that you want to
move or divide later, it makes it much
easier to remember where they are once
they have died down. Perennials that are
starting to look scruffy can be cut back.

Next issue: Next Spring starts this Autumn
and garden magic for making compost.

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