Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course LtdThe summer is starting to mature and everything needs watering and a high potash feed to keep your plants flowering and fruiting. At the time of writing there has been virtually no rain for 7 weeks, the waterbutts are empty and there is talk of a hosepipe ban. Unless we end up with stand pipes in the street it’s a matter of running up and down with watering cans and recycling the water from the washing up. If it comes to having to ration water then my priorities will be vegetables, fruit, containers, borders, lawn. The borders and lawn will recover later in the year (although camellias and rhododendrons need a lot of water as next year’s buds are forming now), containers can be sacrificed (if you have perennials remember to take cuttings), but I do like to get the harvest in. Let’s hope that we get rain and things don’t get that bad. Remember to keep deadheading and trimming back to keep the flowers coming and prune summer flowering shrubs and climbing roses as soon as they have finished.
Maintain the battle against pests with a good pesticide and watch out for lily beetle. This is easy to spot as it is bright scarlet and the size of a house fly. Just tap the stems of the plant and they should drop off then despatch them with a well placed boot. However it is the larvae, that cause the damage and not so easy to deal with. They tend to work from underneath the leaves and strip them to skeletal remains. They cover themselves in excrement to deter predators while steadily ruining the whole appearance at the peak time when lilies are coming into bloom. I set about them with a box of Kleenex tissues, wiping the muck off the leaves and crushing the grubs inside.
Keep an eye out for blight on potatoes and tomatoes (which are both the same genus of plant) and cut out any infected parts. Do not compost as the fungus thrives in soil, but bag and throw away. Remove lower leaves to allow air to circulate as fungus likes moist humid conditions. If the blight gets too bad remove the entire plant and get rid of it before everything is ruined. Adopt a similar approach to powdery mildew that will get to your marrows and courgettes. Eventually it becomes uncontrollable, but there is still a good chance of fruits up until September/October.
Pinch out the tops of tomatoes to set the fruit and remove sideshoots to prevent too much fruit. Also take the tops off climbing and runner beans to encourage sideshoots which will produce more fruit. This may sound like contradictory advice but it’s the best way of managing the respective plants. Many crops can be taken now, and salads, carrots and beetroot can be resown for a second crop.
Now is a good time to start collecting seed especially lupins and delphiniums which can be sown straight away for overwintering and planting next year. Also when you get back to your armchair it’s time to think about Autumn planting of spring bulbs.
Also while you are sitting in your armchair enjoy a nice cold beer....in fact enjoy two....and it’s still light.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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