April is the real month of autumn when the trees put on their spectacle of coloured leaves. Although we are approaching the end of the growing season for summer fruit, vegetables and flowers, we still have time to prepare the ground for the autumn planting of trees and shrubs.
This is a busy month for bulb planting and for winter annuals such as pansies, violas, polyanthus, primulas, wall flowers, forget-me-nots and poppies.
This month is the transition from summer to autumn and a very busy time in the garden. Nights are cooler and morning dew is on the grass.
Pip fruit harvest time is here with apples and pears at their very best. Choose only the very best, sound fruit for storage over the winter and the second quality fruit for now, or to make into sauces or jelly.
February heralds the beginning of peak harvest time for most of our fruit and vegetables that were planted in Spring and early Summer before Christmas. The flower garden will be blooming as the dahlias, begonias, perennials and Summer annuals reach their showy best.
The longer days of Summer are here along with the warmer days and nights which means plants will grow rapidly. There are many tasks in the garden that will need to be attended to on a regular schedule.
We have had some useful rain in the last month but not enough to sustain good plant growth so watering is needed. Watering is best directed to the areas of the root zone of the plants and given a good soaking so that they may need to be watered about once every 10 to 14 days dependant on how hot and windy the weather has been.
As I write this it has been raining overnight (18mm) which is the first real rain that we have had over the last month, the plants will really appreciate this and it will mean a few days without the need to water the garden.
I noticed that some plants are showing signs of significant frost damage which is causing the leaves to be rather distorted. This may appear as if the plants have been harmed by a herbicide, given time they should grow through the damage.
The frost may have also caused the fruit set on stone fruit plants to drop so it may be a light crop this year.
Spring has now arrived and in my garden plants are really moving into growth. The weather has been on the dry side with only 4mm of rain at the time of writing, for August we would expect 40mm so it is dry. The Spring bulbs will need to have some water if this dry spell continues so that they can grow well and be in good condition to produce flowers next year.
The apricot, peach and nectarine are in full flower now which is about 2 weeks earlier than usual so hopefully there will not be any hard frosts that can damage the flowers. The soil is now dry enough to dig over and work up to make a good friable soil ready for seed sowing or the transplanting of seedlings. read more…
Spring has now arrived and in my garden plants are really moving into growth. The weather has been on the dry side with only 4mm of rain at the time of writing, for August we would expect 40mm so it is dry. The Spring bulbs will need to have some water if this dry spell continues so that they can grow well and be in good condition to produce flowers next year.
The apricot, peach and nectarine are in full flower now which is about 2 weeks earlier than usual so hopefully there will not be any hard frosts that can damage the flowers. The soil is now dry enough to dig over and work up to make a good friable soil ready for seed sowing or the transplanting of seedlings. read more…
August is a month of transition from the cold of Winter to the more changeable weather of the late Winter and early Spring at the end of the month. I can already see the daffodils budding up and other plants around the garden showing the signs of the coming season.
The pruning of fruit trees, roses, grapes and any other trees should be completed by the end of the month. Winter spray of copper and conquer oil should be done before the buds completely burst into leaf to get the most benefit from the sprays. As the soil becomes more workable gardens should be cultivated, green crops and compost dug in to prepare the ground for planting or seed sowing in a few weeks time. Some early seeds may be sown indoors so that the seedlings will be ready for planting out in about six weeks time. This month is still a good time for the planting of deciduous fruit trees, citrus and other shrubs.
July is the month where the real Winter weather kicks in. The trees have lost all their leaves, the ground is cold and wet and the garden looks gloomy. But there is activity in the ground, my daffodils are just starting to come through, my snow drops are almost in flower and some of the primulas are beginning to flower.
We are past the shortest day although we will not notice the days getting longer for a few weeks yet. On the fine sunny days take the opportunity to prune fruit trees, roses and other deciduous plants.
We are now thinking about the tasks that we will need to do in the Winter. Pruning, planting new trees and the final clean up of the leaves and weeds in the flower and vegetable gardens. Dahlias and chrysanthemums will benefit from lifting out of the ground and stored in a cool dry place protected from the frosts and wet (chrysanthemums are put into trays of potting mix or compost and put into a greenhouse or a sheltered spot).
Winter has arrived and the weather is much cooler but we are still below average for rain fall and the soil is noticeably drier below the top by a few millimetres.
We are now thinking about the tasks that we will need to do in the Winter. Pruning, planting new trees and the final clean up of the leaves and weeds in the flower and vegetable gardens. Dahlias and chrysanthemums will benefit from lifting out of the ground and stored in a cool dry place protected from the frosts and wet (chrysanthemums are put into trays of potting mix or compost and put into a greenhouse or a sheltered spot).