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August Trees Any trees that have been planted over the last two years will need careful attention during dry weather and especially in August. It is much better to water them thoroughly twice a week, than superficially, daily. If in doubt scrape away the top surface of the soil to see how far down the water has soaked after watering. It needs to reach right down to the roots, approximately 12.5-15cm deep (5-6 inches), to ensure that the tree can absorb the water. If you continually just wet the soil surface you will encourage roots to form higher up where they are much more susceptible to damage from extremes of temperature. Top up existing mulches around your trees. This will improve the overall appearance of the garden and reduces moisture loss through evaporation at the soil surface. It will also insulate the tree roots. Weed around young trees by hand removing any weeds that are within 60cm (2 ft) of the main trunk. Weeds will compete with your trees for precious water and nutrients and can also harbour a variety of garden pests and diseases. If you are away on holiday this month then be sure to check your trees before you leave. Make sure that they are given a thorough soaking, especially if they are relatively newly planted. Roses and Shrubs Keep a watch out for aphids and other pests partial to roses. Be sure to deal with them as soon as you see any evidence of pest activity. Be particularly vigilant if you are leaving your garden for a week or two while on holiday. Just a few bugs can quickly become a heavy infestation. Choose a control that is friendly to bees, ladybirds and other beneficial insects. Organic gardeners should encourage pest predators such as birds, lacewings and ladybirds into the garden. Top up the bird food and water, and be sure to deadhead brightly flowered annuals so that they make lots of new flowers that will continue to attract a wide variety of garden insects. Give your roses a summer boost and feed with Rose Plant Food. It's designed to support healthy roses, encouraging plenty of rich green foliage and masses of wonderful flowers. It can also be used to feed trees. Keep a watch out for the telltale signs of black spot and mildew. Prune out affected stems and remove blemished leaves. Feed affected roses with Westland Rose Plant Food with an NPK of (8:6:8) with Iron, Manganese and Zinc for deep, green foliage, plus Sulphur, a natural enemy of black spot and mildew. Simply apply three to four times a year around the base of the plants to ensure great results. Some roses are very susceptible to mildew and this can quickly take hold when the weather is hot and dry. Be vigilant in terms of rose care by ensuring that your plants are well watered and well mulched during periods of low rainfall. If mildew is a persistent problem consider choosing other varieties that show better disease resistance. Alternatively use a suitable garden fungicide. Prune out and remove dead rose flowers as soon as they have withered. Cut just behind the immature rose hip at the base of the flower and remove this and all the dead petals. This will prevent your roses from putting essential energy into making seed and will encourage the plants to produce more flowers. Prune late summer flowering shrubs after flowering. Some summer flowering shrubs flower on ripened stems that are 2 seasons old. By pruning out the stems that have flowered you will rejuvenate the plant, encouraging it to form new shoots and growth that will develop this season, mature early next season to flower next summer. After pruning feed and water and top up the mulch over the roots. Trim and prune overgrown conifer hedges now so that they encroach less on the garden and draw less water from the soil. Cut back Hawthorn hedges and also Lonicera hedges to keep them in trim allow them to thicken up before the onset of winter. Summer prune Wisteria to encourage the development of new flowering spurs for next year's display of flowers. Trim back all this season's new growth to leave about 6 leaves on each new stem. These can be pruned back harder over winter to encourage flowering. Feed shrubs that have already flowered such as some roses, Weigela, Potentilla and Philadelphus with Sulphate of Potash. This will toughen the plants and harden the summer's growth before the harsh winter weather, and help the plants survive extreme cold. Fruit and Vegetables Continue to harvest salad crops, carrots, radish, beetroot and other garden vegetables. Where possible remove alternate plants to leave plenty of room for the remaining plants to develop. As other crops start to mature in quick succession, keep up with the harvest. Vegetables such as peas, mangetout, runner beans and courgettes will be more productive if the crop is harvested regularly. Take cuttings of perennial herbs such as rosemary and sage. Protect young vegetable plants and fruit such as strawberries from slugs and snails. Employ your preferred method of control. Keep the vegetable patch well weeded so that the weeds do not compete with your plants for vital moisture and nutrients. Keep vegetable and fruit plants well watered while they are cropping to ensure that the crops develop and swell properly, this is particularly important for beans, potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes, marrows, melons and pumpkins. Feed
developing plants using an appropriate, quality fertiliser. Choose
one of the Feed-all range of products according to your preference. Keep a watch out for caterpillars on your cabbage plants. Look out for clusters of orange yellow eggs beneath the leaves. Let these hatch first to ensure that they are not ladybird larvae, a very beneficial insect for gardeners. Caterpillars will hatch as tiny wriggling strands, which can be removed by hand or sprayed if you prefer. Pinch out the tips of tomato plants when five trusses of fruit have set, this diverts the energy of the plants into the developing fruits and also keeps the plants in check. Continue to tie in and support tomato plants, peppers, cucumbers, aubergines and melons as they develop, especially as fruit starts to swell or they will quickly topple over and be damaged. Feed tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and other fruiting plants with Tomato Plant Food or Organic Tomato and Vegetable Food for great results. Don't allow tomato plants to dry out. Stress, inconsistent watering and a lack of calcium can lead to split fruits and Blossom End Rot. Feed with Tomato Food, which contains vital trace elements to reduce the risk of this disfiguring disease. Keep the vegetable and fruit beds weed free. Weeds not only compete for any available food and water, but they also provide shelter for a number of garden pests and diseases. Dig out any perennial weeds making sure to remove all the roots, and hoe off any annual weed seedlings as they appear. Always hoe when the soil is slightly dry and on a sunny day so that the uprooted weed seedlings will quickly wither. Protect fruit bushes, especially raspberries, currants and gooseberries from bird damage. Cover with fruit netting to keep the birds off while the fruit is ripening. Tomatoes, fruit and vegetables have very specific requirements, so choose a high-performance fertiliser tailored to their needs. Organic Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food is specially formulated for premium results. It contains appropriate levels of nitrogen and potassium for crops that are unbeatable in terms of flavour whether they are grown in the soil or in the Instant Planter. It also includes trace elements to promote and sustain healthy plants and significantly reduces the risk of blossom end rot, a common disease of tomatoes. Plus it has gained approval of the HDRA - The Organic Organisation and also the Soil Association. Use the Instant Planter to grow a late crop of your favourite vegetables. It has twice the depth of compost of standard growing bags, so it's perfect for plants with deep roots. The rich layer of finely balanced compost contains everything your plants need to thrive. It includes a wetting agent to make watering easier and a water storing gel, which makes the water you use go much further and also helps retain moisture in the compost to support your plants during hot and dry weather. Support branches laden with plums to prevent them breaking off and causing damage to the tree and loss of the crop. Finish pruning plum trees, as the silver leaf fungus to which they are susceptible is less of a problem during the summer. Keep pruning to a minimum and ensure that it is completed before the end of August. Harvest developing crops in the greenhouse as soon as they are ready, this will encourage a constant supply and also improve the quality of the crop. Pinch out the plant tips of cucumbers and melons. Remove any yellowing leaves from the base of your tomato plants. This allows more light in to ripen the fruit. Do not remove leaves above developing or ripening fruit trusses. If you haven't already done so, propagate new strawberry plants by selecting runners (young strawberry plants, attached to the parent plant), choose parent plants that are healthy and cropping well to ensure good, strong offspring. Fill small pots with Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes. Bury the pot, with the compost surface exposed, just beneath a healthy runner. Use a piece of bent wire and pin the stem connecting the runner to the parent plant into the compost so that the base of the runner is directly over the pot. Pinch out the growing tip of the runner stem. The selected runner will quickly root into the compost. It can then be cut from the parent plant and allowed to develop. Lift the pot and place it somewhere sheltered for the plant to develop a good strong root system, ready to plant out. When your strawberry plants have finished fruiting, cut all the leaves off to the ground. Clear away the leaves and stems and top dress around the plants with Soil Conditioner. Keep a watch on apple trees and harvest early ripening fruit as it starts to ripen. Harvest, dry and store herbs. Pick your herbs when the leaves are fresh and young for the best flavour and fragrance. Harvest early in the day and avoid flowering stems. Freeze chopped mint and parsley in ice cube trays and dry other herbs for winter use, by hanging them in a warm, dark place. Harvest developing crops such as beans and courgettes regularly to ensure a constant supply. If your runner beans aren't setting very well (forming beans from the flowers), then try spraying the plants at dusk with a fine water spray and really soak the area of soil around the roots. This will also deter red spider mite, a common problem on beans in the summer. Finish harvesting second early potatoes and start to harvest main crop potatoes as they mature. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. If you see signs of potato blight then remove the foliage of the potatoes by pulling it off with your hands, this will slow the spread of the blight to the developing tubers. When the leaves of your onions have started to die back, lift them slightly out of the ground with a fork so that they can start to ripen. When the tops have died back further move them onto a drying frame where air can circulate freely around them to complete the drying process. Keep an eye on developing sweetcorn. When the corn silk (tassels) starts to go brown this is an indication that the cobs are nearly ready to harvest. Peel back the outer layer over the cob and gently crush an ear of corn, if the liquid that oozes out is creamy white the cobs should be ripe and ready to harvest. Pick them as you need them and use them immediately to make the most of the sweet flavour. Protect fruit bushes from the birds using an appropriate barrier that will not trap them or other visiting wildlife. Fruit cages are a good idea for fruit bushes. Fruit trees can be protected using old net curtains or bird scaring tape that hums in the wind. Propagate Tay berries and loganberries by tip layering. Bend a healthy cane to the ground and dig a hole level with the tip. Incorporate some Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes into the hole and bury the tip into it to a depth of about 6in (15cm). These should root easily and will be ready to cut from the main stem by mid autumn. Cut them off above a healthy bud and leave the plant to establish for 4-6 weeks. Then they can be dug up and replanted into their final positions, or potted up for friends. Plants propagated in this way should fruit after 2-3 years. Keep an eye on greenhouse grapes that may be showing signs of mildew, especially in very warm weather. Spray them with water daily if possible and if the problem is bad, prune out affected growth. Keep the air flow within and around the plant as good as possible, remove overcrowded leaves and thin heavy bunches of grapes by removing every third grape. Sow spring cabbages now into pots and modules ready for planting out in September and October. Keep the salad season going as long as possible and continue to sow lettuce, salad onions and even radishes. Look out for reliable winter lettuces that can be grown under cloches into the winter. Earth up around Brussels sprouts and firm in around the stems to give these plants better resistance to heavy wind and rain. Check Brassica plants for caterpillars and treat accordingly. Bend the outer leaves over the top of developing cauliflowers to keep them white and clean. Summer prune apple trees by cutting back the lateral shoots to three buds and the side shoots to one bud. Prune out stems that are growing vertically but leave most of those that are horizontal so that you keep the potential fruit crop within easy reach. Lawns If you are going away on holiday, cut the lawn before you go. Don't be tempted to cut it very short, as this will cause it stress. Weak grass cannot compete well with invading weeds and moss and will suffer. Cut it as normal as near to your leaving date as possible. Adjust how regularly you mow according to how fast the grass is growing. If the conditions are ideal for growth, i.e. warm, moist and sunny then you may need to cut a quality lawn 2-3 times a week to keep it looking good. If the weather is dry, grass growth will slow, so allow the lawn to rest and if you must cut it simply trim off the top third of growth. During spells of summer drought established lawns may actually turn brown and look dead. Unless your lawn has been recently re-sown from seed or re-turfed, it is very unlikely to be killed by drought and will quickly recover when rain falls. Watering the lawn may create instant visual results but is often unnecessary and can create problems. Unless you can be sure to thoroughly soak a dry lawn it is actually better not to water it at all. A well-prepared lawn that has been properly fed and treated during the spring is better able to withstand and recover from drought. Postpone any lawn treatments until the weather has cooled and make a note to treat your lawn to a tonic in the autumn so that it is better equipped to survive the winter ahead. Keep newly sown lawns and freshly turfed areas well watered in dry spells. It is far more effective to water the lawn thoroughly once or twice a week than to wet it superficially on a daily basis. Water at dusk and really soak the area so that the water filters through to the soil around the roots, this encourages deeper roots to develop and reduces the likelihood of surface roots forming that may be susceptible to extremes of temperature. Recut the lawn edges with a half moon edging iron. Trim the lawn edges every week using lawn-edging shears to give a neat finish. Cut long grass around trees and along the base of fences and walls using a nylon line trimmer. Take care not to damage neighbouring trees, shrubs or wildlife when you are trimming grass. If you are sowing a new lawn from seed, start to prepare the ground. Kill off any weeds with a glyphosate based weed killer. When the weeds have been removed or killed, dig over the whole area, breaking up clods of soil and incorporate plenty of Soil Conditioner if the soil is poor. Rake it over so that it is as level as possible, but leave the rest of the preparation until nearer the sowing time. Don't forget to enjoy the lawn, it is the perfect place to host garden parties or garden games while the weather is warm and the rest of the garden is looking good. Beds and Borders Keep your border plants blooming with quality feeding. Even though you may have used a long-term fertiliser, you can still give your plants a boost by adding a liquid feed to the watering can when you water. Choose Feed-all Concentrated Plant Food for all round excellent results. Dead head your bedding plants and border perennials to keep them blooming. Harvest seedpods and seed heads from any valuable plants and dry in a cool dark place. Leave some seed heads such as sunflowers for the birds. Pick flowers for drying when they are at their prime and hang in bunches upside down in a warm, dry atmosphere. Take cuttings of heathers from semi ripe stems and place into pots of Seed & Cutting Compost. Protect bedding plants and perennials from slugs using your preferred method of control. Sow seeds of hardy biennials such as Wallflowers, Foxgloves and Sweet Williams. These will grow and develop to flower next year. Keep on top of weeds, dig out perennial weeds removing the whole root and hoe off annual weeds from between the plants on a weekly basis. Keep an eye on any new plants in the garden and be sure to water them if the weather is dry. They need time to establish a good root system before they can fend for themselves in a dry spell. Pots and Containers Pay a visit to the garden centre or nursery and invest in a variety of summer patio plants. You can't beat the effect of plenty of pots and containers all around the garden for colour and interest. Even in August there are plenty of sun loving plants that you can grow in pots on the patio. Keep up with feeding your plants in containers. Even though you may have used a Slow Release fertiliser you can still give plants a boost by a tonic feed of Feed-all Concentrated Plant Food. Water the plants thoroughly before applying and then apply the diluted feed via a watering can. Alternatively choose the ready to use formulation that can be watered on. You can still plant up new containers for the patio. Don't forget that all container plants are totally dependent on their immediate environment for all their basic needs. For perfect container plants you need to plant them using a quality compost that has good drainage and excellent water retention. Choose Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes; it holds onto precious water and nutrients for longer and promotes well-balanced plant growth. The inclusion of John Innes makes this a truly superior compost that is easier to manage and maintain because it retains water and added nutrients for longer. This compost is also much easier to rewet after drying out. Added perlite improves the texture and creates the optimum air/moisture ratio for your plants. It is also an excellent choice for tall, top-heavy containers as it adds essential weight to the base. Several plants growing in a container will quickly use up the fertiliser held in the compost. For the best results you need to feed them regularly throughout the growing season. Use Feed-all Slow Release plant food tablets. These convenient clusters of slow release fertiliser are specially designed for pots and containers and actually regulate the rate of nutrients that are delivered to your plants, encouraging the correct rate of growth according to the environmental conditions. Simply push the tablets into the compost to give your plants everything they need for a great start and ongoing support for the rest of the season too. They will feed your container plants for up to 6 months. Deter an invasion of vine weevils in your pots and containers by applying the nematode based biological control to all your tubs, pots and containers, but especially those with Fuchsias, Begonias, Busy Lizzies and Pelargoniums. This will keep the compost around your containerised plants free from these voracious pests. If it is very hot and dry keep a close eye on hanging baskets and terracotta pots. Drying winds will quickly desiccate the compost and hot weather can scorch plants that have no shade. Move exposed baskets to a more sheltered position. Make sure they are thoroughly watered. Bring them down off their brackets in the evening. Stand them on buckets and give them a really thorough soaking until the compost is saturated. Collect any run off in the buckets below and use this water for other container plants. Re-hang the baskets at night to keep them away from marauding slugs. Keep feeding your pots and containers or for complete convenience opt for Feed-all Slow Release plant food tablets. These convenient clusters of slow release fertiliser are specially designed for hanging baskets and actually regulate the rate that nutrients are delivered to your plants, encouraging the correct rate of growth according to the environmental conditions. Simply push the tablets into the compost to give your plants everything they need for a great start and ongoing support for the rest of the season too. If you haven't already done so, feed potted shrubs and perennials. Top dress the compost surface with fresh Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes and push Feed-all Slow Release Tablets into the compost. Water thoroughly. In hot weather your patio pots will be very demanding in terms of water. Water them at dusk, and make sure that the compost is thoroughly soaked. If the weather is intense, consider moving the planters into the shade so that the plants do not suffer. Continue to dead head flowering plants in pots and baskets so that they keep flowering. Prepare your pots and containers well in advance if you are planning a holiday. For complete convenience set up an automatic watering system with a water timer that will water your plants in your absence. Make sure you try it out before you leave and be sure to switch the tap on. Seeds and Cuttings Gardeners are often encouraged to make very early sowings of flowers and vegetables for early crops. But there's a lot to be said for sowing some seeds later in the season so that they flower into the autumn and extend the season. Check your seed packets and make some later sowings so that you have a continuous supply of plants to replace those that may now be past their best. Sow hardy biennials such as Wallflowers, Foxgloves and Sweet William into small pots containing Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes. Keep them in a frost-free greenhouse or cold frame to germinate and grow on. Although they will not flower this year, they will produce strong healthy blooms next spring and summer. Sow hardy annuals such as Nasturtiums, Calendula, Californian Poppies, Sunflowers, Cornflowers, Virginian Stocks, Poppies and wildflower mixtures into the border soil. Rake the soil to a fine, crumbly surface and draw patterns of shallow drills in the surface, line the base with Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes, water gently and then sprinkle the seed thinly on top. Cover over with more compost. Sow half-hardy annuals and half-hardy perennials straight into the borders. Good ones to try are Antirrhinum, Begonia, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Pelargonium, Impatiens, Ipomea, Marigold, Nicotiana, Petunia and Penstemon. Take semi ripe cuttings from shrubs and roses. Choose stems that have started to ripen but are not woody and tough. Good plants to propagate at this time include Hebes, Rosemary, Weigela, Hydrangea, Pieris, Buddleia and Pyracantha. You can take heel cuttings by pulling short side shoots away from the main stem with a heel of bark still attached. Trim off any excess bark, pinch out the growing tip and remove the basal leaves. Push individual cuttings into Seed & Cutting Compost. Alternatively take tip cuttings by choosing healthy shoots and removing the top 15cm (6inches) of growth. Pinch out the growing tip and trim the base of the cutting immediately below a leaf joint, to leave a cutting that is about 5-8cm (2-3inches) long. Remove the bottom leaves and push the bottom of the stem into a pot containing Seed & Cutting Compost. Cover with a plastic bag tied around the pot and place into a cold frame. Take stem cuttings of climbers such as Ornamental vines, Summer Jasmine. Climbing Hydrangea and Kiwi (actinidia). Root them in pots of Seed & Cutting compost, and place them in a sheltered cold frame. Take stem and tip cuttings of established fuchsias and geraniums so that you have plenty of plants for next season. Propagate climbers such as Honeysuckle, Passionflower, Clematis and Virginia by layering. This is easy to do. Choose healthy stems on the outside of the plant and bend them to ground level. Where the stem touches the ground close to the plant, remove a small piece of bark and some of the tissue below, taking care not to cut through the whole stem. Mix in some Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes into the soil around the main plant and peg down the stem with a piece of bent wire into the improved soil. Layered cuttings can take several months to root. When rooted cut the stem to sever it from the parent plant and dig up the rooted cutting to plant elsewhere. Ericaceous Plants Give acid loving plants, especially those with leaves that are starting to yellow, a summer boost with Ericaceous Plant Food NPK (3:3:4). It actually reduces the soil pH creating and maintaining the necessary acidic environment around the roots of acid loving plants. For best result use it in combination with Ericaceous Compost. Top dress around acid loving plants using Ericaceous Compost. Take care not to dig this in around your plants, as you may cause damage to the roots. Instead mulch around the plant stems with the compost, covering an area of soil on the ground that corresponds to the area that the leaves, stems and branches occupy above ground. The activity of worms and other beneficial soil organisms will gradually work this into the soil, acidifying the area around the plant roots and providing vital plant nutrients for strong and healthy growth. Look out for tell tale signs of vine weevil damage on rhododendrons. Typical signs include jagged edged notches cut into the edges of the leaves. You may even see the occasional blue/black weevils with long, spidery legs. If you think there is a problem, then apply a nematode based vine weevil control to the soil around your plants. This will attack the larvae and break the life cycle of this destructive pest. House Plants Check your houseplants carefully this month to make sure they are in good condition. If they show signs of stress then try to identify the problem. Common problems include draughts, heat, dry air and a variety of pests. In hot weather, or if you are going away, make sure your plants are not in direct sunlight or they may be scorched. Move plants that are outside for the summer into shelter from the sun. Feed your plants regularly with Feed-all liquid plant food. Dust foliage plants to remove excess dirt, or wash gently with tepid water. Do not use water on cacti and succulent plants, or plants that have hairy leaves. Provide support for tall and climbing plants and tie them in carefully. Take leaf cuttings of Peperomias, African violets, Gloxinia, Sedum, Crassula, Streptocarpus, Sansevieria and Begonia Rex. Plant healthy leaves into Seed and Cutting compost to ensure that the compost is well drained and gives good contact with the plant leaves to encourage quick and healthy rooting. New young plants will form at the base of the leaves. When your houseplants are growing strongly and are in good health, it's the ideal time to take cuttings and propagate them. Many foliage houseplants can be easily and successfully divided by splitting up the rootstock. Divide plants such as ferns and Sansevieria. Take softwood, tip cuttings from plants such as Coleus. Choose plants that are brightly coloured, as the offspring will be identical to the parent plant. Cut 5-10cm (2-4inch) stems and root them in pots filled with Seed & Cutting Compost, on a warm, shaded windowsill. Take stem cuttings of most other houseplants. Remove suitable non-flowering stems, and cut below the tip to leave a 12cm section. Remove the leaves from the lower half. Cut the stem at the base of the cutting with a very sharp cuttings knife immediately below a leaf joint. Fill small flowerpots with Seed and Cutting Compost, and push several cuttings into the compost making sure that they are not touching. Collect seed from cacti plants that have flowered and sow them in John Innes Seed Compost. Alternatively store the seed somewhere cool and dry and sow in the spring. Keep orchid plants shaded in hot sunny weather. Feeding To get the very best from your plants it is essential to feed them with a quality plant food. Use the Feed-all range of food. It is specially formulated to suit most garden plants and will provide a generous proportion of all the essential plant nutrients, plus trace elements to keep plants performing. For the best results with ericaceous plants use Ericaceous Plant Food that is tailored to provide a high-quality diet for these specialist plants. For more targeted feeding for other garden plants choose a plant food specially formulated for your plants from the extensive Westland Garden Health range. For example Rose Plant Food is specially formulated for roses, trees and shrubs and is a particularly good choice for flowering shrubs. Use this for a summer feed to boost the plants before autumn. Be sure not to feed the plants too late in the season or you will encourage soft and sappy growth that may be damaged by the winter weather. Flowerbeds and borders can be fed using Feed-all Concentrated plant food. It is a liquid concentrate that can be diluted and watered onto the soil and over the foliage of your plants for fast acting results. It's the perfect choice for all garden plants and it gives fast, effective results. This formulation contains trace elements, which are important where mineral deficiencies in the soil or compost may be present. It is also high in potassium to encourage the development of strong, healthy flowers and has a generous proportion of nitrogen too, for healthy leaves. Keep feeding your container plants throughout August. They need plenty of food to keep them in tip-top condition. Several plants growing in a container will quickly use up the fertiliser held in the compost. While your plants are at their peak and to keep them performing into the early autumn, feed them now with one of the Feed-all fertilisers. Feed-all Concentrated Plant Food is a good choice for containers and it is also available in a convenient ready to use formulation. It's the perfect choice for containerised plants and it gives fast, effective results. This formulation contains trace elements, which are important where mineral deficiencies in the soil or compost may be present. It is also high in potassium to encourage the development of strong, healthy flowers and has a generous proportion of nitrogen too, for healthy leaves. Feed Ericaceous plants with Ericaceous Plant Food. Often the soil they are growing in is alkaline, so it is important to acidify their root zone and supply them with an easily assimilated fertiliser. Use Ericaceous Plant Food, it has a low pH which helps to unlock essential nutrients from the soil, and it also contains iron that alleviates plant chlorosis (yellowing leaves) and helps provide these special plants with just the right diet to suit their needs and perform to their full potential. Soil Matters By August any deficiencies in your garden soil will start to become obvious. If you keep the soil in good heart it will support plant growth right through the season and your garden will be healthier all round. If your garden soil is poor or depleted from active plant growth then improve it using one of the specially formulated soil improvers from Westland. For example Top Soil or the new Premium Garden Soil are both carefully selected soil with a high content of organic matter, vital for healthy soil. Premium Garden soil has added fertiliser so it is ideal for planting specimen garden plants such as Topiary sculptures. Both formulations are great for new beds and borders, rockeries and for replacing existing soil. Top dress around existing plants or make plans to improve the soil in the autumn and winter. Farmyard Manure is ideal for conditioning the soil and adds vital nutrients and water holding organic matter to garden areas where heavy feeders deplete soil nutrients quickly such as the vegetable plot or rose beds. Organic gardeners can opt for Organic Garden Compost or Soil Conditioner to improve the soil and add vital structure and organic matter to support healthy plant growth. Keep adding these soil foods to the surface of the existing soil, either by lightly working it into the soil surface, or by applying as a mulch. Either way the worms and other soil organisms will work the organic matter into the soil to create a healthy structure. Mulching It is very important not to apply a mulch over dry soil, as this will actually prevent some rainwater from reaching the soil below. If you need to apply a mulch over soil that is not completely moist then it is essential to thoroughly water the area first. Be sure to really soak the ground and scrape away the top surface to see how deep the water has gone before you apply a mulch over the top. If you have only wet the top inch or so of soil, water more thoroughly before applying a mulch. Use an ornamental mulch on the surface of your pots and containers. It not only looks good, but it also insulates the plant roots from high temperatures and late frosts. More importantly it helps to retain moisture in the compost. Make sure the compost is wet through before applying the mulch. Use a small piece bark such as Mini Chipped Bark for the best-looking results over a small area. Water Gardening During hot weather the oxygen levels in your pond may be depleted and this can cause stress to any wildlife or fish. If you don't already have one install a pond pump to keep the water moving and to introduce oxygen into the water. Add oxygenating plants to the water to increase the oxygen levels. Don't be tempted to clean out newly established ponds. There is a settling in period where the water needs to gain its balance and settle. Algae growth and green water are often a part of this. If you clean out a balancing, or balanced water feature too soon, you will simply restart the cycle and have to allow the pool to go through this period all over again. In summer, algae can ruin the appearance of the established garden pond. There are many ways to deal with this problem. Water plants will help to use up excess nutrients that can cause algal surges. Plants provide shade to the pond and help reduce algal growth. Ideally the pond should be shaded for 6-8 hours of daylight. Avoid excessive levels of fish. 20-30cm of fish to every square meter of surface area is the ideal level. Use quality fish food, it will be quickly and easily digested and avoids wastage and nutrient build-up. Remove accumulated sediment at the bottom of the pond using a pond vacuum or a suitable filter. Identify whether water run-off from the garden enters your pond and causes a problem and if so prevent it from reaching the pond. If the problem is getting out of hand choose a suitable algae treatment from your aquatic centre. Aquatic herbicides can be used but make sure you are absolutely sure they will not affect any plants, fish or wildlife in your pond. Rectify ponds badly affected by algae by installing a filter fitted with a UV light; these are particularly suitable for ponds containing Koi carp. Remove dead leaves from water lilies and pond plants so that they do not contaminate the water.
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