Amateur Gardening 20-Oct-2018

SO here we are, slap bang in the middle of the season of mists, mellow fruitfulness – and mould. The hot, dry summer has segued into a mild, still and slightly damp autumn, which can provide the perfect nursery for all sorts of garden problems. This summer was brilliant in so many ways, not least because the weather was about as anti-blight as you can get. It has resulted in a glut of soft and tree fruits, courgettes and squashes, and the tomato crop to end all tomato crops. But autumn can be a tricky time – it isn’t yet cold enough for frosts, but it is becoming increasingly damp. This creates ideal conditions for fungal diseases and mould, such as botrytis (which is also known as grey mould), powdery mildew in…

1 Keep your patio free from moss, fallen leaves and other debris to reduce the risk of flooding after hard rain. 2 Decking can get dangerously slippery, so pressure-wash it to remove algae and leaves. Adding a non-slip surface is a good solution. 3 Still, cold and damp greenhouse air can cause moulds and fungus, so ventilate well on warmer days, remembering to close doors and vents at night. 4 Preserve wood and metalwork before winter. Brush away dirt and then coat with varnish, paint or a preservative on a still, dry day.…

IT is important to keep your beds, borders and raised beds in good condition now, so don’t just concentrate on your hard surfaces and recreational structures. I have emptied my raised beds of this summer’s crops, topped them up with fresh compost and sowed them with green manure. This will all help replenish lost nutrients and stop weeds growing in winter, making life easier next spring. Beds and borders may look largely inactive, apart from those plants that keep interest going through winter, but there is plenty you can do to make sure the plants and soil stay in good condition, ready for when the garden comes back to life next spring. In the panel below, I mention four of the most important tasks for now and the coming weeks. Remember not to cut…

Native wildlife that makes itself at home in our gardens needs our help now. Hedgehogs and other hibernating mammals will be feeding up before their winter snooze, so provide them with high-protein food. Never give hedgehogs bread and milk as it makes them poorly. Offer them meaty pet food instead, or specific hedgehog food such as Brambles Meaty Hedgehog Food or kibble. Keep bird baths and feeding tables clean. Provide fresh water regularly, and remove and replace uneaten food to deter rodents, larger animals and diseases.…

EVERY year UK’s largest horticultural brands attend Glee, the Garden and Outdoor Living Trade Show. For three days, the show showcases new products and innovations for the coming year. AG editor Garry Coward-Williams and gardening news editor Ruth Hayes went along – and this is their Top 11 for 2019. Roundup Speed Ultra weedkiller There has been a lot in the news about the weedkilling chemical glyphosate and now Evergreen, which manufactures glyphosate-based market leader Roundup, has released a glyphosate-free version. It delivers results within an hour of application and allows for next-day replanting. It is available in one-litre and three-litre bottles. Gardena Textile Hose Liano After this summer’s drought, a garden hose that doesn’t snag, perish or kink must be high on many gardener’s shopping lists. Gardena’s new lightweight textile Liano hose covers…

TRADITIONAL homemade deterrents for slugs and snails have been damned as largely ineffective by a recent RHS study. Copper tape, grit, bark mulch, wool pellets and crushed eggshells were all tested and found to have a negligible effect on the molluscs’ progress. Instead, the RHS recommends that gardeners deploy beer traps in which the slugs and snails drown, or up-ended orange-peel halves under which they shelter so they can be collected and disposed of. Natural predators, such as hedgehogs, frogs, toads and slow worms, should be encouraged into gardens by creating welcoming wilderness areas. Scientifically proven controls such as nematodes and pellets are also recommended when used in strict accordance with manufacturers’ instructions. Home-made slug and snail deterrents have been used since the Middle Ages by gardeners in the belief that rough surfaces are…