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JUNE
A LEAK IN JUNE, BRINGS HARVEST SOON.
More weather folklore
"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months,
and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade." - Gertrude Jekyll
Flower of the month - ROSE
- Weeding - it's like the washing-up or painting the Forth Bridge - there's always some to be done. But it has to be done, if you let them get the upper hand you're lost.
Remember "one year's seed is seven years weed" as the old saying goes, so try to get
them before they flower and go to seed. Sorry about the repetition but it has to be done. Anyway, there's something very satisfying about filling a bucketful of weeds and seeing a tidied border. Take heart, though, their numbers decrease as the bed matures and the seeds are exhausted.
One tip for lightening the load is to pay a child for a bag/bucketful of weeds - pick one weed at a time so that it is the only one to be removed, eg. Hairy Bittercress or Chickweed.
- When planting, water the new plant well, first (especially if in soil-less compost which is difficult to re-wet - plunge in a bucket of water for half-an-hour, if really dry). I have constantly to remind myself, it's so easy to rush to the planting spot. I always dig some compost into the base of the
hole, this improves the soil and retains moisture. Water well after planting, take the rose off the watering can or use a bucket for larger plants and shrubs, so that you can 'puddle' them in. This helps to settle the plant by washing the soil around the root-ball.
- If you are a 'plantaholic' like me, visit plant fairs and open gardens, which usually have plant
stalls (see The National Trust Ulster Gardens Scheme leaflet or website) . The plants are usually great value and
not the chain-store-like range stocked at garden centres. One drawback is that as they have usually been recently uprooted from someone's garden they may be harbouring some unwelcome pests and weeds. Have a look through the rootball for roots not attached to the plant, there may even be a few leaves present as well. Of course it could be a bonus plant so if you are unsure, pot it up and see what develops.
- For a new patch of grass it's probably too late to sow seed sucessfully, as dry weather will cause
patchy germination, but you can use turves. (Needless to say this generally accepted rule may be losing it's validity if the past few years of wet summers are anything to judge by.) Unroll the turf before buying to ensure that is still green, if there are yellowing blades it has been sitting around too long and will die back. If you intend to sow in the early autumn start now with the preparation (the sooner the better). Dig over the area and level, remove perennial weed roots and stones larger than an inch, firm well by tramping. Leave for a few weeks to allow weed seeds to germinate, hoe them off or use weedkiller - don't let them go to seed!. Gather any stones that have turned up. Repeat the process
throughout the summer to exhaust the weed seeds in the upper layer of soil and give the grass a better chance later.
- If you have some Box topiary, it will have started into fresh growth. When you trim it use
the clippings to propagate lots of new plants. The easiest type is the heel cutting - tear off a
small shoot with a heel of last year's wood, dip it in rooting powder and pot into multipurpose
compost, covering with a plastic bag tent or place in a propogator. In a couple of years time
you will have enough small plants to make a beautiful edge to a path or make a parterre.
- In dry weather, newly planted herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees will need copious soakings - not just a splash with a hose. To cut down on loss from evaporation, water in the evening or early
morning. If you are using a sprinkler, try placing a jam-jar or other cylindrical container
in the catchment of the water. If you time how long it takes to fill the container to one inch (an
inch of water goes down about nine inches in the average soil), you will know how long to leave the water running for future waterings.
When planting a tree or shrub incorporate a plastic milk carton with a few small holes in the base, buried to the top (a soft drink bottle will do but has a narrower opening). Leave the cap on to prevent it getting fouled with soil, but pierce it to allow in some air, then you can add water in dry weather and it will go directly to the roots and use less water than pouring it over the surface of the soil.
If you have a clay soil, watering may form a "surface pan" - this is a crust of dried clay particles. Subsequent watering will run off the surface and germinating seed may be unable to emerge through it. Break this pan up with a hoe or fork to allow penetration.
- When using the clip-on type hose fittings ensure that the little O-ring washers which keep them watertight are not exposed to too much sunlight as it makes them brittle and they fail - this is the usual reason for leaky joints. Keep the fittings attached to something or clip on a spare female fitting to keep them covered.
- Aphids abound, gently rub them off, the reduced numbers should soon be devoured by ladybirds and hoverfly larvae. In the vegetable plot use a quick squirt from a hose to sweep them off, especially black bean aphids which will seriously affect the crop, pinching out the tips of the bean plants will also remove their preferred feeding site. French Marigolds attract hoverflies, so make good companion plants to vulnerable species, eg. Nasturtiums.
- Sow maincrop peas for autumn picking. Cover with netting to keep the birds off. If you can, raise them indoors in cellular trays for better results.
- Removing the flowers of potato plants is said to increase the crop by 10% as the energy used to produce the later berries is passed to the tubers instead. Flowering is an indication that the tubers are developing so ensure that the crop has a plentiful supply of water to help them to swell.
- Prune out the flowered stems of Euphorbia characias at the base to encourage new growth. They produce new stems which will bloom next year. Wear gloves to protect from the milky sap which irritates the skin, especially in sunshine. Cut close to the base to keep the clump compact.
- Erect bird netting over strawberries and other soft fruit, if it has a small mesh, wait until the petals are falling or raise it to allow the pollinating insects access to the blooms. Make sure it is suitable as some loose knitted netting will trap the birds, a fixed square mesh is best. Slugs are also a problem with strawberries, so go on the offensive.
- The strawberries will also be producing lots of runners, so nip them off as they develop to ensure a better crop - unless you need some new plants to renew the patch, then guide them into pots.
- Continue successional vegetable sowing, lettuces, raddish, etc.
- Check potatoes for signs of Blackleg - the plant may wilt. Remove the whole plant and the tubers which may be big enough to eat if they have not become affected by the rot.
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