Gardening tips

May 2022

This month’s tip is about preparing for a dry spell. It is all very well to say ‘use water wisely’ with no explanation of what that means. When we are thinking about our gardens, we all know we should not waste water, so we need a plan. Our flowers and vegetables will die if they don’t get water. We can save water in a number of ways. The obvious one is that if your water butt overflows, get a bigger one, or drain it into a second one. You will also be surprised by how much tap water you can save if  you strain cooking water into a bucket, rather than pouring it down the sink. In the meantime until there is a water shortage, get into the habit of ‘use water economically’. Too late for this year, but do a bit of research into which plants are water hungry and which are drought tolerant. Annuals which self seed will need less water from you, otherwise they wouldn’t grow. In the second photo, which is a relatively dry bed, the orange poppies on the left and the foxgloves have never been watered – and yet they survive from year to year. Kent roses are very good survivors, because they have long tap roots. The first photo shows a small patio bed which survives entirely on water from the patio draining into the shingle in the foreground, before keeping the soil moist. The plants are semi-drought tolerant. One useful tip is to cover the ground in thick compost or rotted manure when the ground is very wet. A good tip for vegetables is to put a lot of water in the hole when planting on. After that, let the roots chase the water down and then don’t water them. Finally, also be mindful that young shrubs require water to establish. Give them directed water as needed – that is being wise!

This year many of us are noting unusual flowering times and there are many theories as to why this is happening. The most likely cause is that the plant cycle includes a function related to temperature. This is not a single temperature but temperature trend over a period of time. For example from a colder temperature warming up over a period of, say, one or two weeks. We have experienced a number of these temperature cycles over late summer and early autumn and this could be what is triggering some of the unusual shows we have seen lately. Whatever the reason, plants are demonstrating to us that we still do not know everything there is to know about plant behaviour. The important thing to remember is that pruning should go ahead at the right time of year, even if we have to sacrifice a few flower heads. If you are like me, cheat a bit on the pruning and enjoy the flowers first. The picture shows a spring flowering viburnum already in flower – just enjoy the spectacle and give the plant an extra feed now.

Now is the time to talk about pruning stone fruit trees. This has been a difficult year with many trees ‘bolting’ and producing long shoots. On stone fruit trees post-fruiting is the time to address this problem , so that the cuts can dry and seal before winter. This should only be done on a dry day to give the lesions the best chance to seal quickly. The rule of thumb is to always prune whilst the leaves are still on the branches. It is important to look up a pruning guide for your species, because some flower next year on the tips of this year’s growth. In years like this, it may be necessary to lose some of next year’s fruit to maintain the shape of the tree, especially if it has been planted to have ornamental value. There is a school of thought that you should prune in early summer to maintain the shape – but how do you know how much it is going to grow? The photo shows an apricot which has more than doubled in size this year. I intend to cut off only the lead shoots, the side shoots above the path and the suckers in the front. This is less than the recommended pruning, but why look a gift horse in the mouth!