There’s still plenty to do in the garden this month. Here are our top tips for maintaining happy and healthy hedging and shrubs as we head into autumn.
Keep Watering
We can still often get dry spells in September so remember to keep watering plants installed this year until the end of the month. As far as watering goes, for the first year to treat your plants as if they are still growing in pots and are reliant on you for their needs.
The moisture requirement of the plants is largely driven by evaporation from the leaves. So the faster the evaporation the more water will be needed. A good analogy would be that if it’s good weather for drying laundry, your plants are drying out!
Feed plants with a potash feed
Feeding your shrubs and trees with a potash feed this month will harden them off and ensure they get a good boost before winter. Feeding creates strong healthy plants, aids disease resistance and helps with frost protection. Potash feed contains water soluble potassium which is easily absorbed by your plants’ roots and will help your plant to thrive. Any high potash feed such as from a good garden centre will do the job.
Treat vine weevil
If you’ve noticed notching around the leaves of your plants then chances are you’ve got vine weevil in your garden. The vine weevil grubs eat the roots of the plant and the adults eat the leaves. As they’re a native species, this pest is relatively common and can be treated with a biological control nematode drench. It’s also a good idea to remove any dead leaves around the root of the plant as the adults like to hide underneath them.
The adults will start to lay eggs at this time of year. So now is the time to treat your plants with a drench as the nematodes will penetrate the soil and destroy the grubs, thus breaking the pest cycle. Ask your local garden centre for a low-temperature nematode drench.
Need specific advice? Just ask!
If in doubt or if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We’d be delighted to offer our suggestions for your needs and site conditions. Simply contact us at enquiries@wykeham.co.uk or call 01723 862406.