Garden Enthusiast Topical Tips

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	The tips are arranged by month for a whole year. You can use the Edit/Find in Page menu command to search for specific words.
January	February
March	April
May	June
July	August
September	October
November	December

 

June	Birds are Good for the Garden
	Don't forget the birds at this time of the year, if you give them water to drink and bathe in they will reward you by eating all manner of garden pests.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse Care
	Leave vents and door open all day. Be vigilant against whitefly. Damp down paths regularly to increase the humidity.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond Care
	Plant water lilies, oxygenating plants, and other aquatics. Feed fish. To stop 'green water' wrap a bunch of barley in an old sack and place in water; organic straw only please.
	Tip from Vision Software

 

May	General
	Rake paths fortnightly to weed and tidy.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Water regularly and ventilate overnight. Apply shading. Pot up rooted cuttings.  Keep checking for pests.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Introduce new fish, buy water plants. When feeding plants around edge take care not to spill fertilizer into water as it will encourage algae. Thin out oxygenators.
	Tip from Vision Software

April	General
	Good time to check general safety in garden, re-lay uneven paths, fill cracks with cement. Provide adequate support for plants. Check trelliswork.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Increase ventilation. Check for infestations of pests. Plant up some hanging baskets and keep in greenhouse for a good start. Prick out seedlings and pot up plants. Apply shading. Start hardening off first batch of hardy annuals.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Feed fish to improve disease resistance but don't leave scraps of food in the water to pollute it. Remove decaying plant matter and give a partial water change. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, get a dechlorinator from your supplier. Raise baskets, divide rampant plants. Clean filter.
	Tip from Vision Software

March	General
	Good time to erect framework for climbing plants.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Clean glass. Increase ventilation. Take cuttings of Michaelmas daisy, chrysanthemum and dahlias. Continue making sowings of half-hardy annuals. Pot up or prick out sowings made earlier.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Divide and replant aquatic plants. Weed the bog garden and add fertiliser. Begin to feed fish as you see them moving. Remove the pond heater and replace pumps and pond lights. Clean the pond filter. Clean the netting of debris and remove.
	Tip from Vision Software

February	General
	Check garden structures for gale damage. Hang fat in roses and shrubs to attract birds to eat pests. Insulate outdoor containers to prevent frost damage.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Keep the greenhouse as dry as possible. Humidity encourages disease. If you have a heated propagator you can start off various seeds such as tomatoes and pelargoniums. They will need constant warmth, best delay if there's any doubt about keeping them adequately warm.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Plants
	Plant dormant shrubs and roses. Move deciduous trees and shrubs. Check wall trained plants for lack of water. Use a winter wash to clear trees of pest eggs. Clear conifers of heavy snow in case it damages them.
	Tip from Vision Software

January	General
	Check garden structures for gale damage. Hang fat in roses and shrubs to attract birds to eat pests. Insulate outdoor containers to prevent frost damage.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Keep the greenhouse as dry as possible. Humidity encourages disease. If you have a heated propagator you can start off various seeds such as tomatoes and pelargoniums. They will need constant warmth, best delay if there's any doubt about keeping them adequately warm.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Melt ice with a kettle of boiling water.
	Tip from Vision Software

December	General
	Clean pots for reuse. Clean and check the mower. Plan for next years planting. Order seeds. Clean paths to remove snow and any slippery material.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Plants
	Mulch shrubs and trees. Plant bare rooted and container grown stock. Prepare new beds and reposition plants. Sharpen shears and clean tools. Gently fork borders if the soil is not frozen or too wet. Take care not to overwater resting plants.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Lawn
	Don't walk on the frozen grass.
	Tip from Vision Software

November	General
	Clear fallen leaves.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Plants
	Good month to plant roses. Tidy herbaceous plants. Plant herbaceous plants. Plant tulips. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs. Take hardwood cuttings. Check tree-ties. Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs if they are in the wrong place. Protect frost tender plants such as Bay. Inspect lifted Dahlia tubers for damage.  Protect Alpines from wet conditions which cause rotting. Lift chrysanthemums. Cut down long stems which are dead to prevent wind rock.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Lawn
	Mowing will be at a minimum now. Try to get in one last good cut before winter sets in. If you have a flower meadow give it another cut now.
	Tip from Vision Software

October	General
	Consider making nest boxes for native birds.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Reduce watering and ventilation. Clean glass and insulate. For early herbaceous perennials, pot aquilegias, astilbes and dicentras. Fumigate if pests have been a problem.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Divide and replant marginals and bog plants, drastically reduce number of oxygenating plants. Feed up the fish for the winter until the temperature falls, when feeding should be reduced. Net to stop leaves falling in.
	Tip from Vision Software

September	General
	This is a good time for drawing up plans for creating new beds.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Greenhouse
	Remove shading. Continue ventilation, check extremes of temperature. Bring pot grown chrysanthemums into the greenhouse to protect from frost.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Lawn
	Raise the cutting height half an inch on your mower but continue to mow regularly. Aerate and feed with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Scarify lawn. Spike compacted areas of lawn. Sow new lawns on well-prepared soil. Wash trays and pots for winter storage.
	Tip from Vision Software

August	Water Butts
	As the water butts become empty, this is a good time for a good general clean.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Cuttings
	Take semi-ripe cuttings. Plant herbaceous perennials. Clip lavender hedges and dry the flowers for pot-pourri. Water and feed hanging baskets frequently. Buy winter aconites, soak dry corms for 2 days. Many hardy annuals can be sown late in August for a more flowerful display next year.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Pond
	Lift and divide large clumps of aquatics. Lift baskets to cut back side shoots or divide. When the water becomes muddy, switch on fountain or waterfall to filter out the silt. Use a stick to twirl up blanket weed.
	Tip from Vision Software

July	Greenhouse Needs Care
	The main job now it to keep temperatures down by freely ventilating and to damp down regularly to stop drying out. Sow herbs like basil and parsley for winter use.
	Tip from Vision Software
	The Pond
	Top up pond. Remove algae. Feed fish. Keep a watch out for fry if the fishes have spawned. Separate the young fish from their parents to avoid being eaten. Use waterfall and fountain regularly to encourage aeration.
	Tip from Vision Software
	Shrub Care
	Take cuttings of ornamental shrubs. Dead head regularly. If you need to water, remember a thorough watering is the best solution. Little and often actually does more harm than good as it weakens the plants. Disbud chrysanthemums an dahlias for larger specimen blooms. Thin flowers in seedbeds.
	Tip from Vision Software

 

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