June is the month when we start to see colour in abundance in our gardens, from early flowering perennials, Shrubs and of course our Summer bedding displays. Its a happy time in the garden as plants seem to revel in the warmer temperatures and occasional sunny days. Everything is growing fast and in dry spells watering is essential especially for newly planted flowers, vegetables and of course containers. It is also a time when all plants including the lawn are growing rapidly and need feeding to help them along. When you go to the garden centres there are shelves full of gardening feeds and tonics, it can be a little confusing but most plants will be happy with a general liquid or organic pelleted feed. With liquid feeds look for something that has what we call a balanced feed. If you look on the label it should have the initials N P and K, along with a series of numbers such as 7:7:7, this means that the nutrients Nitrogen (for shoots) Phosphorus (For roots) and Potash ((K) for fruits) are balanced or equal. If you compare the numbers to a typical Tomato feed 4:3:8, this shows that it has more Potash, for fruits. Liquid feeds are the easiest and quickest for plants to take up. Organic pellets ( Chicken or Sheep) can be used both in the garden and in pots but act a little slower, lightly scratch them into the surface and water if it doesnt rain for a couple of days. I use both liquid and pellet feed for plants and a specific lawn feed for the grass. I don’t tend to use Lawn feeds with weed and moss killer unless there is a severe infestation of moss or weeds, but remember if you use a fertiliser with moss and or weedkiller in that you shouldn’t put the lawn clippings on your compost heap as they can scorch plants when you use it as a compost later in the year.
As the flowers fade on the early spring flowering shrubs, such as Forsythia and Jasmine it is now time to tidy them up and remove any wayward or spindely branches. Spring flowering shrubs flower on the growth produced the previous summer and this has to remain all through autumn and winter to flower in early spring. If you cut any of this growth back in winter when you are tidying up in the garden you will cut off the flowering wood, oops!
Strawberries are a favourite fruit for many, and although they seem to be available at the supermarkets most of the year there is nothing quite like freshly picked fruit ripened by the warmth of the sun, rinsed under the tap and acompanied by a large scoop of your favourite ‘Yorkshire’ ice cream. If you are growing strawberries in your garden watch out for pests and diseases, place straw around the plants to keep the fruit off the soil and help air circulation. Remove any damaged or decaying leaves. Although the plants at this time of year are full of ripening fruit they are also producing runners.
If you want to increase your strawberry bed then these can be pegged down or better still fill a 3” (9cm) pot with general purpose compost, peg the runner down into the pot with a small piece of wire and sink it into the soil near the plant.
Check it every couple of days and water when necessary. after about four weeks carefully lift the pot and if roots are emerging from the bottom you can cut the stem that attaches the runner to the parent plant. Repot into a one litre pot and keep watered until your strawberry bed is ready for them to be planted out.
Last but by no means least, why not plant a patio container to celebrate Her Majesty, the Queen’s birthday, I am reliably informed that her favourite colour is Blue, but also likes bright strong colours, perfect, as most summer bedding is bright and colourful.
Next Month, Summer pruning, shrubs and fruit, keep an eye on the vegetable garden and plant autumn flowering bulbs.
Happy Gardening
Martin
Q & A
This month’s question has been sent in by George, who’s enquiry is most relevant given that it is the year in which we celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday.
George says,
‘I would like to celebrate the Queen’s birthday by planting a rose in my garden, I believe there is one named after her. I have never grown roses before could you please offer any advice’.
There is indeed a rose named ‘Queen Elizabeth’ it was introduced by the rose breeder Lammerts, to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953, and is still around to this day. It is a cross between a Hybrid Tea and a Floribunda rose, known as a Grandiflora.
I remember my mother’s neighbour planting this rose in his garden almost fifty years ago, it is a very vigorous and tall rose that will make a decent hedge if required. It will exceed 6 feet (2 m) in height and can spread to about three feet (1m) wide.
The Queen Elizabeth rose has a fairly mild scent with clear pink blooms about four inches (10cms) across. A repeat flowerer, it will bloom from early June until late October. The Queen Elizabeth rose requires deep rich soil, slightly on the heavy side, and doesn’t do too well on light sandy soils.
For those with limited space there is a very nice rose called The ‘Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Rose’, launched in 2012, it is a modern shrub rose with a rich fruity fragrance, white blooms flushed with peach. Again a repeat flowerer, and will tolerate slightly poorer soils.
Both of these roses are available from most good rose breeders ask at your local garden centre or nursery and I am sure they will be able to source them for you.
When planting roses dig in plenty of well rotted compost before planting and firm the soil around the plant with the heel of your boot. Roses do not like to wobble about or be rocked by the wind. Feed in spring with a rose fertilizer most garden centres and rose nurseries will supply a good quality feed especially for roses. Water during dry spells and mulch with well rotted garden compost in spring. Roses can suffer from two main problems, Greenfly (or Aphid) and a disease called Black Spot, I like to spray my roses around mid May to control greenfly, there are many products on the market and your local garden cente will be able to advise you regarding a suitable product. For the Black Spot there is a product that will treat both mildew and black spot, again check with your local nursery or garden centre.
A light prune at the end of the season is advisable especially if they are exposed to the wind, cut down by about one third their height, then in Spring (Early March) prune again removing damaged, diseased and dead wood then reduce the remaining stems again by about one third, to give a open centred shape.
Happy growing
For all your gardening questions email;
gardening@yorkshirereporter.co.uk
