flower garden Theres still time to plant daffodil bulbs and other spring flowering bulbs For those growing exotic plants outside, protect the hardy bananas (Musa basjoo) and tree ferns by wrapping their trunks and crowns in straw or bubblewrap and hessian. Plant tulip bulbs now to prevent Tulip Fire infection. Plant up a terracotta pot of hyacinth bulbs Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year Prune roses to prevent wind-rock Plant out spring bedding displays of pansies, violas and primulas. Start to plant bare-root roses - they can be planted any time between now and March. Plant heathers, grasses and trailing ivy in pots for winter colour. Lift cannas and dahlias if your garden is prone to freezing, pot them into just-damp compost and store somewhere cool Gather up fallen leaves from around the base of rose bushes which suffered from blackspot or rust this summer, to reduce the chance of infection next year. Continue to lift dahlia tubers, begonias and gladiolus corms to store dry over the winter months. Remove the dead foliage before storing. Cut back the yellowing foliage of herbaceous perennials, and lift and divide overcrowded clumps to maintain their vigour. Before the birds eat them all, cut a few stems of holly with berries for making Christmas garlands. Stand them in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot where our feathered friends cant take them. vegetable garden Lift parsnips after the first frosts when their flavour will have sweetened. Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem Divide mature clumps of rhubarb once they are dormant. As with October, as ground becomes vacant, you can dig it over and spread manure over the surface. Leave the soil roughly dug in large clumps and the worms will break these up as they get the manure. The freezing and thawing of water in the soil will cause the soil to break up finely so becoming easier to handle in the spring. Prepare a bed for planting autumn garlic. Improve heavy soils with organic matter before planting. Now is a good time to invest in mushroom kits. Place a scaffold plank on the ground along the main access route into the plot to allow access without compacting the soil as you walk across it. Cover compost so that rain doesnt flood and leach the nutrients Autumn planted broad beans go in now If you have access to fresh manure, now is the time to spread it across the surface of your vegetable beds to rot down over winter. Build a raised bed to take the bending out of vegetable growing. Stake top-heavy brassicas and draw up some soil around the base of the stem to prevent wind rocking the plant and causing damage to the roots. fruit garden Now is the ideal time to plant currant bushes whilst they are dormant. Plant raspberry canes now for a delicious home grown crop. Remove the top netting from fruit cages as heavy snow in winter can make it sag. Check fruits in storage and promptly remove any showing signs of disease or rotting. Tidy up your strawberry plants Prune pear and apple trees anytime between now and February. But dont be tempted to prune your plum trees now as they will be susceptible to the silver leaf fungus - wait until midsummer. Apply glue bands or greasebands to the trunks of fruit trees to prevent wingless female winter moths climbing the trunks and laying their eggs in the branches. greenhouse Replace damaged glass before the worst of the winter weather sets in. Clean out the greenhouse thoroughly. Wash the glass, the floor and the staging with horticultural disinfectant to kill any overwintering pests and diseases. Insulate the greenhouse with sheets of bubble wrap attached to the inside of the frame, to reduce heat loss. Don’t forget to ventilate the greenhouse, particularly after watering and when paraffin heaters are used at night. As the winter approaches, take special care to not to over water plants that remain in active growth. Little and often is the key. Clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 10:52:02 +0000
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