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October 2006 >>>
Short days and cold nights will see the end of summer flower displays as ground and air frosts will be felt by most of us by the end of October. Only sheltered coastal regions will see summer bedding plants continue to flower into November. The soil, however, is still warm enough for planting hardy trees, shrubs, fruit and hedges, so activity is not confined to clearing up ready for winter. Lawns deserve some TLC after the hot, dry weather of July so that they recover completely from any drought conditions during the winter. Autumn rains can be stored underground by digging in more organic soil conditioners into all soils and by spreading mulch layers all over the garden.
THE ORNAMENTAL FLOWER GARDEN
Before the first frost strikes, dig out any tender plants such as geraniums, fuchsias and the like that you want to keep over winter and pot them up separately. As these plants will be going into a semi-dormant stage where growth is not actively encouraged, long stems can be cut back and leaves showing signs of disease removed. Hacking plants back like this means they take up less space and can more easily be protected from frosts. I pot up in spent potting compost previously used in hanging baskets, pots and other containers. This previously used compost contains very little nutrients and will not encourage soft sappy growth, just provide a trickle of plant foods to keep the plant alive.
The foliage of dahlias will turn black immediately after the first severe frost and then it's time to store the tubers for next year's flowering. First cut down the stems to about 15 cm (6") above the ground and place the top growth on the compost heap. Lift the tubers carefully with a fork, starting well away from the stems to avoid damage. If you need to keep any order of colour, size or shape in your garden design, tie a label to the stem at this stage to indicate its colour and size. Clean off excess soil from between the fingers of the tubers and stand the roots upside down in a shed or garage so the stem can drain any water away and the roots can dry off completely before storage. Check the tubers for rotten areas and cut these out completely. Dust the tubers with Yellow or Green Sulphur to control storage rots before placing in boxes of dry peat or sand. Cover with several layers of newspaper and keep in a dry, frost-free place for the rest of the winter and check for new growth in early spring.
As land is cleared, dig over the area to remove weeds and debris, adding in plenty of organic soil conditioner as you go. Recent scientific tests carried out at Levington Research Station near Ipswich during this summer has finally put some definitive numbers on the beneficial effect of adding soil conditioners to soil. These tests showed that some organic materials act like miniature water butts when dug into average loam soils so that it holds more water immediately after watering or rain and hangs onto more of it for the benefit of plant roots after weeks of hot, dry weather. Obvious, you may say, but now Levington have the figures to prove the point. Not all soil improvers are the same, but everyone is beneficial.
For example, when Miracle-Gro Ecosense Soil Improver was dug into loam soil it increased water holding capacity by 35% (up from 19% to 26% immediately after irrigation).After 2 weeks of hot, dry weather this improved soil has 2.6 times the moisture content of untreated loam, (moisture level up from 7.7% in soil to 20% in soil improved with Miracle-Gro Ecosense Soil Improver).
Water holding capacity was even more impressively increased by the addition of a peat-based compost called Levington Multi-Purpose Compost. When dug into loam soil it increased water holding capacity by 50%, (up from 19% to 29.7% immediately after irrigation). After 2 weeks of hot, dry weather the improved soil had 2.2 times the moisture content of untreated loam, (up from 7.7% in soil to 17.3%).
Now that our summers are becoming hotter and drier, everyone needs to be aware that they can do a lot to prevent soils drying out and plants wilting in the sun. It's not just a matter of digging over the soil and hoping for the best. Everyone can make their gardening easier and more fulfilling by adding all manner of organic matter into the soil - from home-made compost to bags of Levington and Miracle-Gro soil improvers.
If you sowed wallflowers, sweet williams, foxglove, hollyhock and other biennials in the summer the plantlets are now big enough to transplant to their flowering position. Before digging up these plants, check for pest problems such as blackfly and greenfly. If you spot pests on the leaves or stems clean them up with a spray of BugClear or BugClear Gun! before transplanting them.
Improve the soil where these flowers are to bloom with Levington Organic Choice Soil Conditioner or Miracle-Gro EcoSense Soil Improver and dress the soil with Miracle-Gro Slow Release All Purpose Plant Food or Osmocote Plant Food so that the plants have a reserve of nutrients to draw on when the soil warms up next spring.
TOPICAL TIP
Plant new bare-root roses using a good fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro Slow Release Rose & Shrub Food to get the roots off to a good start.
BULBS AND WINTER BEDDING
After clearing away dead and dying summer bedding it's time to plant out spring bulbs and flowering plants such as winter pansies, polyanthus, drumstick primulas and wallflowers. First kill of any weed seedlings quickly and effectively with a treatment of a contact weedkiller such as Weedol 2 or Weedol Gun! You can do this before you start planting - just leave enough time after treatment for the weedkiller solution to dry on the weed leaves before you start.
Daffodils and narcissi come in many shapes and sizes, blooming at different times of spring. They also come in many different colours too. The oldest pink trumpeted variety is Mrs R O Backhouse which has been around since the 1940's. Nowadays you are more likely to be able to buy more modern varieties such as 'Passionale' or 'Pink Charm' that have pink trumpets or 'Palmares', 'Pink Wonder' or 'Colourful Cupful' that are 'doubles' giving you more pink petals for you pennies.
To add some variety to your spring display add to your shopping list some Iris reticulata, a dwarf blue iris that reaches just 15cm (6in) tall. Mixed with dwarf narcissi such as 'Jetfire', 'Tete-a-Tete' or 'Minnow' they make a great contrast. For something totally different the dog's tooth violet (Trillium) has strongly marked foliage.
Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus are the most popular of bulbs and these always sell in huge quantities. The secret of success is to ensure your bulbs are planted at the right depth in soil that has been enriched with a slow release plant food such as Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster, and contains a fair amount of organic garden compost or similar soil conditioner. Digging in organic matter such as Miracle-Gro Ecosense Soil Improver or Levington Organic Choice Soil Conditioner will improve drainage in heavy clay soils and hold much more moisture in sandy or light loam soils.
THE LAWN
Rake leaves off the lawn at least once a week to avoid dead patches and the spread of fungal diseases. Place the leaves on the compost heap and mix in with other autumn material so that it rots down adequately. If you have a large quantity of leaves to rot down, keep them separate from other garden waste and use a special compost activator.
Lawns have been under a lot of stress this summer. Most of them were short of natural rainfall during summer and where hose-pipe bans were enforced they were short of tap water too. When coupled with normal wear and tear of regular footfall and play, the soil structure below the lawn has probably got compacted and any air at root level has been stamped out.
To get air back around the roots, spike the area with a fork to a depth of at least 10cm (4") or use a hollow-tine fork to take out plugs of soil to the same depth. Remove any plugs onto the compost heap and brush over the lawn surface with a dressing of EverGreen Lawn Soil filling in the holes as you go. This dressing will improve drainage and encourage stronger grass roots by providing an organic base that holds more rainwater than ordinary soil.
With drainage improved the grass plants now deserve an autumn feed to help them recover strength and resilience over the next few months. Use a special lawn treatment designed for application in October, rather than any spring tonics you already have in the shed. EverGreen Autumn will refresh and strengthen tired lawns and kills autumn moss. By helping the grass to withstand harsh winter weather this autumn dressing promotes a healthier lawn next spring.
Autumn is a good time to level out bumps and hollows that have developed in an otherwise level lawn. To make an invisible repair, make a couple of cuts squarely across the peak of a bump about 3cm (1") deep and peal back the turf. Lift out soil from below the peak until the turf can be replaced to make a level playing field.
Filling in hollows is relatively easy, simply add EverGreen Lawn Soil into the hollow to a maximum depth of 3cm (1") and allow the grass to grow through. By spring the treatment can be repeated so that gradually the hollow will disappear.
TOPICAL TIP
If worm casts are a problem allow them to dry off in the sun and then brush them off the surface with a besom broom.
THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN
Harvest the last of the summer crops. Dig maincrop potatoes, lift onions, cut marrows and dig up maincrop carrots ready for storage. Carrots are best stored in trays of dry bark chippings or sand. First cut off all but the last 2cm (1") of stem, remove the surface dirt and sort through so that only the sound carrots are stored. Place in layers so that the carrots do not touch each other and they should last until spring.
Start to dig heavy clay soils adding in plenty of well-rotted garden compost, Miracle-Gro EcoSense Soil Improver or Levington Organic Choice Soil Conditioner below the surface. Don't try to break down the large clods of clay, leave them rough and let the frosts gradually brake down the soil into a much more friable state come springtime. Pick pears and store the unblemished ones in a shed or garage until they are needed. Bring a few into the kitchen at a time where the warmth will turn them juicy. Cut back to ground level stems of blackberries and tayberries that fruited this year. Tie in the new canes to their fruiting position.
Autumn raspberries should still be producing fruit if the plants are well watered and fed occasionally with soluble Miracle-Gro Plant Food. Applying the diluted nutrients over the foliage will help to feed the plants almost instantly.
TOPICAL TIP
Plant new fruit trees while the soil is still warm. Improve the soil with Miracle-Gro Ecosense Soil Improver or Levington Organic Choice Soil Conditioner and a couple of handfuls of Osmocote or Miracle-Gro Controlled Release Fertilizer. Stake the plant to protect it from wind damage.
THE PATIO GARDEN
Although there should be plenty of autumn rains during October, don't always assume that because the surface of the compost is wet there is adequate moisture for survival. Despite showers, it may still be necessary to occasionally water patio pots thoroughly to ensure moistness at root level.
Potted rhododendrons, azaleas and other ericaceous plants should especially be checked regularly to see if they need watering. Dryness at the roots tends to make the buds drop at this stage, ruining your spring display. When the compost dries out use rainwater rather than tap water, especially if you live in a hard-water area where your kettle furs up.
Complete the planting of bulbs for your patio display. A good idea to stagger the time when different pots are in bloom, is to plant up small pots containing 5 or 7 bulbs and put them on display only when they are in flower. To have a succession of pots, plant each variety of bulbs at fortnightly intervals during October and November. In this way you should be able to plunge several different pots together in a decorative urn or tub so that your bulb display lasts for months. You will find that it is just like arranging cut flowers in a vase - you can create a visual feast that can be viewed from windows in the home and from the patio.
Use a good compost such as Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster Compost to give the bulbs some nutrients at the beginning of their growing season and cover them with a layer of spent compost or bark for at least a couple of months while the roots develop strongly in the pot.
When the bulbs have finished blooming feed and water the plants while they still have leaves and then dry out for planting in the garden next year.
TOPICAL TIP
Continue to feed chrysanthemums in flower with a fortnightly dose of Miracle-Gro Outdoor Plant Food and to pick off flowers that have finished.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL: USE PESTICIDES SAFELY
Information supplied by the Scotts Miracle Gro Company UK Ltd
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