Now that the school holidays are here if you’re planning on going away, don’t forget to leave arrangements for the garden
Plants grown in containers need water – a lot! If you can ask a neighbour to look after your pots while you are away that is ideal.
If not, consider investing in an automatic watering system. These systems are available from garden centres and can save you a lot of time
…and when you get back from your holiday, there’s plenty to do in the garden this month – starting with caring for your lawn….
Lawns are growing well right now because of all the rain we’ve had but again, the wet, warm weather has caused a problem.
We recently had an enquiry from a client whose garden we designed and landscaped, which included a lawn we laid last year. He described patches of dead grass on his lawn and we identified this as Red Thread; this is common during wet summers and can last into the autumn.
It’s caused by the fungus Laetisaria fuciformis and will rarely kill the grass completely. If your grass has been similarly affected, treat the area with a broad spectrum fungicide and the patches should recover.
Now is a good time to apply a fertiliser with high potash content to ‘green up’ the grass. In late summer it’s not advisable to apply a high-nitrogen fertiliser to a lawn as it will promote vigorous growth, which will not stand up to the rigours of winter.
Fertilisers with a high potash content will instead promote root growth, toughening up the grass for the winter ahead.