Looking after your lawn in Summer

Mowing

As temperatures hot up and we move into summer the growth of your lawn may actually start to slow down, mow as and when necessary never taking more than one third of the length of the plant off in any one cut. As always a sharp mower is essential. If temperatures become very hot your lawn will become stressed and it may be necessary to cut back on the frequency of mowing.

Feeding

It will not be necessary to feed your lawn during summer, however a feed with a spring lawn food in late spring will give it everything it needs to see it through the summer.

Watering

Summer is the time when drought can occur and a lawn can turn brown and straw coloured. Before addressing this problem the first thing to say is that well-maintained lawns will invariably recover once the rains return. Good maintenance at other times of the year, aeration and appropriate feeding will help rooting and the lawn’s ability to withstand and recover from periods of drought. If possible, avoidance is better than cure and the only way to prevent drought is to water the lawn. If you can water it is best to do this at the first signs of drought, when the grass is still green but starting to show signs of stress (little growth and a dulling of the normal bright green coloration). If you can water try to do this evenly. Also irrigate at times when the water is more likely to soak in. The general rule here is early morning or in the evening, which probably suits most homeowners. Remember to follow any local regulations when using water in summer. If your lawn does suffer from drought then mow as little as possible, the lawn won’t be growing rapidly and it will stress the lawn unnecessarily.

Broadleaf Weed Treatment

Broad leaved weeds should be treated using a suitable selective herbicide. Alternatively weed them out by hand or using a knife / mechanical weeder remembering to get the root of the weed out.

Enjoy your Lawn

Looking after and maintaining a beautiful lawn is a rewarding experience and past time. The results speak for themselves and are there for all to see. A grass surface is also one of the safest surfaces for you and your family to enjoy.

There are other benefits to having a beautiful lawn for example it is believed that standing barefoot on grass is a multi-sensory experience. It triggers within us deeply rooted associations with the smell and sound of nature and the vision of dense greenery.

Dealing with Lawn Pests

The most common lawn pests, Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets, can cause significant damage to lawns. If you notice patches of poorly growing, yellowing grass check for signs of grubs feeding on the grass roots. These pests can be easily and safely controlled by applying a suitable nematode based product. Rolawn Chafer Grub Killer should be applied from mid-July through to late October. The optimum time of year to apply Rolawn Leatherjacket Killer is from August through to late October.

This advice comes courtesy of Rolawn Direct

What’s the difference between Chinese Wisteria and Japanese Wisteria?

Wisteria is a wonderful, colourful climber which is very easy to grow and has hanging, fragrant clusters of flowers during May and June

Ideally Wisteria should be grown against a wall or fence with a sturdy support system in place. However, it can be grown as a tree or shrub if pruned correctly.

There are two main species of Wisteris; W. floribunda or Japanese Wisteria and W. sinensis or Chinese Wisteria.

Wisteria floribunda flowers in May and June with clusters of flowers reaching up to 46cm (18ins) in length. The flowers range in colour from white through pink to shades of blue and appear at the same time as the leaves begin to develop.

Wisteria sinensis flowers mainly during May and the clusters of flowers are slightly smaller at up to 31cm (12ins). They tend to be either white or lilac and the flowers open all at once before the leave appear.

Plant your Wisteria in a sunny, well drained position, add manure or compost to the planting hole to give it a good start and water it in well and keep well watered until established. Once established it will thrive on a certain amount of neglect so don’t water or fertilise it unless it is looking sorry for itself in which case a small amount of rose fertiliser during late winter should perk it up.

To ensure a good display of flowers Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year. Make sure that your secateurs are sharp to avoid crushing or tearing the stems, which may lead to die-back.

Winter Pruning – Between October and mid March cut back this season’s growth to two or three buds from the base. Cut at an angle just above the bud. This will encourage the development of spurs which carry the flowers in spring.

Summer Pruning – Between late June and Mid August but ideally in April or May cut back the long vigorous shoots that have been produced during late spring and early summer. Cut just above a couple of buds from the base. If the plant is young and still being trained, select some of the stronger shoots to tie into the frame and cut back to this framework.

Buy Wisteria from Crocus.co.uk

A New Lawn from Turf

Turf  is pre-grown grass, which is cut from the ground ready for you to use as an instant lawn.

There are two types of turf available, Cultivated and Meadow. Cultivated turf if the most expensive but it gives a good quality lawn. Meadow turf is cheaper but it may have weeds or bare patches so will require more initial maintenance.

When you order your turf make sure you arrange for its arrival on a day when you are available to lay it. It is important to lay your turf as soon as possible after it arrives to ensure success.

If you have had to leave it sitting for a while, give it a good watering before you begin to lay it.

You can lay turf from early autumn to late spring, as long as the ground not too dry, frozen solid, or boggy.

Laying turf is fast but it is at least 10 times more expensive than producing a lawn from seed.

Equipment Required

• A sharp spade
• A garden fork
• A garden rake
• Special lawn fertiliser
• The turf
• A wooden plank
• A sharp kitchen knife

The Process

• Dig over or fork the ground the soil removing stones and roots as you go
• Rake the soil gently until level
• Sprinkle on fertilizer at the recommended rate and rake it in
• Tread over the whole area, sinking your weight well down into your heels to consolidate the soft patches
• Rake again to cover the footprints
• Without walking on the prepared ground, lay a line of turf in a straight row along one end of the area, butting their short sides up together
• Pat down the turf with the rake head so that each turf makes contact with the soil beneath
• Place your plank on the turf row you’ve just laid and walk along it as you lay the next row, staggering the joints between the turf like joints in brickwork
• Repeat, patting down each new row with the rake
• When you’ve covered the whole area, trim the outer edge of the turfed area with a sharp kitchen knife, so the lawn edge follows the shape of your beds
• Keep the area well watered for several days until the turf has knitted together
• Continue watering during dry spells

When the grass begins to grow cut the lawn with the blades set high so that only the tips are removed. The blades can be lowered as the lawn becomes more established.

If you laid your lawn in autumn then apply a quick-acting fertiliser in April or May. You can also add a top dressing to help smooth out any bumps and hollows.

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Find out how to produce a lawn from seed or click here to read other Lawn Care articles.

Green Manure

Green manures are short-term crops that are specifically grown to be dug back into the soil, adding organic matter and nutrients. The main reasons for growing green manures are:

• To help break-up heavy soils and improve drainage>
• To suppress weeds
• To add organic matter to the soil to improve its structure and fertility
• To help make nutrients available to plants that are grown in the soil afterwards
• To prevent nutrients being washed through the soil in winter
• To protect the soil from compaction caused by heavy rains

Here’s how to produce green manure:

• Sow either by broadcasting (thrown randomly) or sown in rows
• Prepare the ground as you would for any other crop
• The crop can be dug into the soil as soon as it has put on some growth but the longer you leave it the greater the benefits. However, it must be dug in before it flowers and set seed or before the stems go woody
• Use a sharp spade, shears, nylon-line trimmer or even a rotary mower to chop down the green manure, and then incorporate everything (including the roots) into the soil as you dig
• Leave three weeks after digging in a green manure before planting or sowing in the same ground

The main drawback with green manures is that nothing else can be grown in that area whilst it is growing so it is best to choose an attractive, useful plant such as Lupins.

There is a range of good green manure crops; which you choose will depend on when you intend to sow it and how long you are prepared to leave it growing before incorporating it into your soil. Here are some examples:

Common Name	Latin Name	When to Sow	Growing Time	When to Dig In
Alfalfa	Medicago sativa	Late Spring	3-24 Months	Any Time while Fresh
Buckwheat	Fagopyrum esculentum	Spring to Late Summer	2-3 Months	Any Time before Flowering
Alsike clover	Trifolium hybridum	Spring to Summer	2-24 Months	Any Time while Fresh
Crimson clover	Trifolium incarnatum	Spring to Summer	2-6 Months	Just before Flowering
Essex red clover	Trifolium pratense	Spring to Summer	2-24 Months	Any Time while Fresh
Fenugreek	Trigonella foenum graecum	Spring to Summer	2-24 Months	After Flowering before pods develop
Fava beans	Vicia faba	Autumn	4 Months	Any Time before Flowering
Italian ryegrass	Lolium multiflorum	Early Spring	2-3 Months	Any Time before Flowering
Lupin	Lupinus angustifolius	Spring to Early Summer	2-3 Months	Just before Flowering
Mustard	Sinapis alba	Spring to Early Autumn	Up to 2 Months	Any Time before Flowering
Phacelia	Phacelia tanacetifolia	Spring to Early Autumn	2-6 Months	Just before Flowering
Rye	Secale cereale	Late Summer to Autumn	4-6 Months	Just before Flowering
Trefoil	Medicago lupulina	Spring to Summer	12 Months	Any Time while Fresh
Winter tare	Vicia sativa	Spring to Late Summer	2-6 Months	Any Time before Flowering

Buy Green Manure seeds from Suttons:

• Green Manure Mix Seeds – adds nutrients and moisture to soil. Price: £2.99
• Organic Green Manure Red Clover Seeds – helps improve fertility. Price: £2.45
• Organic Green Manure Phacelia Balo Seeds – dense, quick-growing foliage. Price: £2.45

The GR Allotment: Update

The Gardening Register has had it’s allotment for nearly a year now and we are finally making progress.

We were unable to do much during the winter months due to the bad weather then we struggled to find a vehicle large enough to deliver our supplies.

The first job this year was to have a few tonnes of aggregate delivered which my brother Allan spread across the area planned for the shed and greenhouse. We then had a couple of tonnes of sand delivered which was spread on top of the aggregate.

To finish off this area we were lucky enough to have the help of Allan’s father-in-law to lay the slabs which look great.

Allan also managed to get three raised beds built and ready for planting so our potatoes went in a couple of weeks ago. We are growing Anya, a second early and Maris Piper a late and our Mum’s favourite potatoe, great for chips, roasting and mash.

It’s not too late to order your seed potatoes from Thompson & Morgan. Click here.

Last weekend Allan and I started to erect the greenhouse; a much harder task than is sounds! We will finish the glazing next weekend.

We also planted out some Brussel Sprouts and Petit Pois Peas; our first splash of green on the plot.

A lot of the heavy, landscaping work is complete but we still need to erect the shed lay pathways. We are still to decide what our pathways will be made of as we’re not keen on having too much of the area covered in slabs. We may lay a good thick layer of bark on top of a weed suppressing membrane which will keep the weeds down but will look more natural.

The Pyracantha hedging is looking good and we think it will make a great background to the site. Pyracantha is an evergreen shrub with dark green leaves, spiny branches and bunches of small white flowers in late spring. These are followed by a profusion of yellow, orange or red berries in autumn. It can be grown as a free-standing shrub, against a wall or as a hedge. Click here to buy your own from Crocus.co.uk.

Last update June 2009; more updates to follow.

When do you sow Phormium Tenax seeds?

Question:

I have acquired some phormium tenax seed pods. When can I sow the seed?

Answer:

Phormium is a hardy perennial so the seed can be sown in late winter/late spring and late summer/autumn.

To help germination put the seed in the fridge for a 6-8 weeks prior to sowing.

Sow in a mixture of well drained compost and keep damp but not too wet as they are prone to damping off.

The seeds will take between 30 and 180 days to germinate and they can be quite difficult so give them some heat either in a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill.

Clematis Rebecca

I’ve just bought the most amazing new plant; it is a red clematis called Rebecca.

This great clematis is from Raymond Evison and was the Chelsea feature for 2008, it was named for his eldest daughter and has brilliant red flowers!

It flowers late spring/early summer and again in late summer. It can be planted in any aspect and will reach a height of around 6ft. Give is a light pruning in early spring to keep it in good health and producing these wonderful red flowers. Suitable for growing in a container as long as some support is available.

The specimen I have isn’t a bright red but it is the most red I’ve seen in a clematis and is a great buy.

I’ve found it at Thompson & Morgan for £5.99 for a young plant or £9.99 for three to be despatched at the end of October. This may be a limited offer, let me know if the price changes and I’ll update the page.

Click here to buy Clematis Rebecca from Thompson & Morgan

Planting Box Hedge

Question:
I want to plant a box hedge this summer – how far apart should they be?

Answer:
For the best results plant 30cm (12in) apart. Prepare the soil well, adding lots of well rotted manure to the surrounding soil. Don’t allow the manure to touch the roots directly. Firm the plants well and sprinkle some fertiliser on the surface before watering well. Ensure that the soil is never allowed to dry out. Carefully trim the plants in mid or late summer. Prune each year in late spring. After pruning apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow-release fertiliser such as blood, fish around the base of the plant, ensuring that none touches the leaves or stems. This should produce a good quality hedge in no time.

Plant of the Month for May

Dicentra spectabilis or Bleeding Heart is one of the first plants to emerge in late spring and has arching sprays of dainty, rose-pink, heart-shaped flowers above fern-like, fresh green leaves.

It is extremely easy to grow and as long as the ground is moist it will thrive in full sun or partial shade and it looks great planted in groups towards the front of a shady border or as part of a cottage garden scheme.

Dicentras are happy in any good garden soil that is fertile but not too heavy. Enrich the soil with plenty of leaf mould before planting and apply a mulch in autumn too. A light fertilising in March will also help.

Clumps of dicentra remain compact for many years and do not need dividing however they have brittle roots and so do not like disturbance – instead, try taking root cuttings in spring.

BUY NOW!

Here are a selection of Dicentra from Crocus.co.uk – click here to find out more or to go shopping

Dicentra spectabilis	Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’	Dicentra ‘Bacchanal’	Dicentra formosa ‘Aurora’	Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’

How to Prune Wisteria

To ensure a good display of flowers Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year. Make sure that your secateurs are sharp to avoid crushing or tearing the stems, which may lead to die-back.

Winter Pruning – Between October and mid March cut back this season’s growth to two or three buds from the base. Cut at an angle just above the bud. This will encourage the development of spurs which carry the flowers in spring.

Summer Pruning – Between late June and Mid August but ideally in April or May cut back the long vigorous shoots that have been produced during late spring and early summer. Cut just above a couple of buds from the base. If the plant is young and still being trained, select some of the stronger shoots to tie into the frame and cut back to this framework.

Flower Bulb Storage

Question: I have been offered a large number of bulbs via a friend who deals in bankrupt stock. My garden is currently in the planning stage and I won’t be able to plant them until late spring at the earliest. I know that spring flowering bulbs should be in the ground by now anyway. Can I ‘stop their clock’ by storing them in a fridge until I can plant them in the autumn? Answer: I can’t see any reason why the bulbs shouldn’t be OK in the fridge until autumn, although you need to ensure that they are dry and free of rot. Check them every few weeks and discard any that start to rot off. If you have the room, another idea may be to plant them in large plant pots, allow them to flower in their pots this spring to enjoy the display. Once they are over and the foliage has died down you can lift them, dry them out and store them until autumn when they can go into the ground.