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Mathew Biggs Gardening Diary
August 2010
It may not be sunny but it is still very dry. The lawn is parched and cracked, yet there is still plenty to do, even in this traditionally quiet month, when gardeners concentrate on weed control and harvesting. Now is a good time to clean and paint garden furniture and fencing while the weather is dry. A blast with a pressure washer or cleaning with a bucket of soapy water and rinsing thoroughly, ensures that surfaces are clean before painting. I am going to paint my raised vegetable beds a bold tone of purple, unless I lose my nerve! It is amazing how many vegetables have red stems or venation, the most obvious are cabbages and beetroot but many others will contrast nicely, too.
It is also time to summer prune wisteria, if you haven’t already done so. Long, whippy stems should be pruned back to six buds, to control growth, keep it within its allotted space and encourage flowering. These same stems should be cut back to two three buds in February (a friend of mine calls it the ‘two ‘n’ six’ plant!).Gardeners often bemoan the fact that their Wisteria does not flower. It can be due to several factors, including feeding with high nitrogen fertiliser, lack of water from July to September, when the flower buds are formed, frost damage in spring or buying plants that are grown from seed, which take up to 20 years to flower. Buy plants that are flowering or chose named cultivars, rather than a species, for an early display. Sometimes apparently healthy Wisteria’s suddenly die. This is usually due to graft failure, so always buy plants with a strong, well bonded graft. Although the most popular cultivars have traditional violet and lavender coloured flowers, there are pink flowered cultivars like ‘Rosea’ and ‘Pink Ice’ if you don’t think that is sacrelige.
It is also the final chance to thin apples, pears and plums, to ensure a individual fruit reach a decent size and to prevent trees like Victoria plum going into a cycle of biennial cropping - producing a heavy crop one year and nothing the next. It also allows light to reach the fruit to speed ripening. Apples and pears can be thinned so they are about a hand’s width apart; plums should be two to three inches apart. Ideally thinning should be completed by mid July, after fruit trees have naturally aborted some of their crop in June. Use a pair of secateurs or your finger and thumb, taking care not to break off the fruiting spurs. When thinning apples, remove the ‘king fruit’ at the centre of the cluster, that is often mis-shapen.
Finally, a further reminder not to worry about watering your lawn, even though it looks parched, just remember to book a scarifier from the hire shop well in advance of September, the traditional month for lawn maintenance. It will make a stunning recovery when you revitalise it in autumn. Happy Gardening!
Matt.
Aug 4, 2010
July 2010 Matt’s diary – July 2010 As you can see from the picture, with the ongoing dry weather, my lawn is parched and patchy, yet there’s no... Read More...
Jul 2, 2010
June 2010 After several weeks of patient waiting, my tomato plants are now well established. Once the first truss appears, I’ll be transplanting them into... Read More...
Jun 4, 2010
May 2010 After enjoying the delights of April when we were greeted by warm sunshine for several days, the weather is now back to erratic, un seasonal, ‘normal’.... Read More...
May 5, 2010
April 2010 Despite a few sunny days and the welcome appearance of daffodils and early bulbs, it is still very cold. Eighteen inches of snow in Northern Scotland... Read More...
Apr 12, 2010
March 2010 What an old fashioned winter, it's been! Old country lore is that it's 'February fill dyke', but it's not just the rain that's... Read More...
Mar 5, 2010
February 2010 This cold winter has been a shock and I wouldn’t be surpised if there’s yet more snow to come. Even now there is some lying in a large... Read More...
Feb 3, 2010
January 2010 The ‘Indian Azalea’ is one of my favourite winter houseplants, the deep green foliage and delicate, tissue paper flowers are just perfect.... Read More...
Jan 7, 2010
December 2009 Although ‘Growing your own’ has ignited an unprecedented interest in vegetable growing, a fascination for fruit is taking a little longer.... Read More...
Nov 26, 2009
November 2009 Whatever the weather in October, from the beginning of November, temperatures drop and strong winds begin to blow, clearing the leaves from deciduous... Read More...
Nov 4, 2009
October 2009 Three years ago I decided to make my own apple press, to take advantage of two giant ‘James Grieve’ apple trees, the most reliable cropper’s... Read More...
Oct 22, 2009
September 2009 September is one of my favourite months of the year, it’s often warm and settled for part of the month, despite what may have gone before and... Read More...
Sep 3, 2009
August 2009 August is the ideal time to be storing fresh herbs for winter use. Although they are much tastier when freshly harvested, there are several ways of... Read More...
Aug 3, 2009
July 2009 In a departure from my usual diary this month, I’d like to use the space to announce that I’m creating a feature garden at this year’s... Read More...
Jun 29, 2009
June 2009 Spring has been one of the best for years, after several mild winters when plants couldn’t decide whether to be dormant or grow, they’ve responded... Read More...
Jun 1, 2009
May 2009 Twice a year I march out into the garden with a scrubbing brush, cloth and bucket of warm water to clean the grime from the frame and panes of my greenhouse,... Read More...
May 5, 2009
April 2009 During last month’s sunny weather I replanted my collection of cordon gooseberries, that had been lifted when new paths were laid around the raised... Read More...
Mar 30, 2009
March 2009 Here’s an urgent reminder to anyone reading my diary early in the month. March is at the extreme end of the planting season for bare rooted trees... Read More...
Mar 30, 2009
February 2009 This winter is like the winters of old and is the coldest for over ten yars, with snow and chilling winds. It will be interesting to discover how... Read More...
Feb 2, 2009
January 2009 The only way to get through January, is to think of spring! Those long dark days and evening are the ideal ‘Preparation Time’ for warmer... Read More...
Jan 5, 2009
2008 Archive Click below to read previous entries in Matthew Biggs' Diary January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August... Read More...
Jan 7, 2008
2007 Archive Click below to read previous entries in Matthew Biggs' Diary January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August... Read More...
Jan 5, 2007
2006 Archive Click below to read previous entries in Matthew Biggs' Diary January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August... Read More...
Oct 13, 2006
2005 Archive Click below to read previous entries in Matthew Biggs' Diary May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005... Read More...
