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In the greenhouse
Pick tomatoes as soon as they ripen. At this time of the year the skin can split allowing diseases to start if they are left too long on the vine. Continue to feed the plants with Tomorite Liquid Tomato Food. Its rich nutrient content with added magnesium and seaweed will help to produce fruit that is highly flavoured as well as big.
Throughout the month keep a close watch for whitefly and be prepared to spray plants affected. There are many insecticide products that can be used on flowering and other ornamental plants but their use on edible crops is restricted to the plants that are listed on the label. Nature's Answer to Insect Pests, on the other hand, can be used on all flowers, fruit and vegetables both in the garden and in the greenhouse. It contains pyrethrins extracted from the flowers of a member of the chrysanthemum family and gives a fast acting and effective spray.
Schizanthus seed can now be sown to provide flowering pot plants for spring display indoors. Sow in trays of Levington Multi-Purpose Compost kept shaded until the seeds germinate.
Topical tip
Continue to remove side shoots on tomatoes as soon as they are big enough to pinch out. Don't be tempted to remove lower leaves while they are still green and healthy. These are the power centres of the plant that is turning sunlight into energy
The vegetable and fruit garden
Raspberry canes that have finished fruiting should be cut back to ground level and the new canes that are emerging tied to the supporting wires. Hold in any available soil moisture by spreading a 7cm (3 inch) mulch layer of well-rotted garden compost, Levington Soil Conditioner or Miracle-Gro Ecosense Soil Improver over the widespread root area.
August is the ideal month for planting strawberries.
Feed cropping plants including courgettes, tomatoes, runner beans and French beans with Miracle-Gro Plant Food at regular intervals to encourage continuous production.
Sow seed of perpetual spinach (leaf beet) to provide a useful crop from October through until April. Another vegetable that produces similar winter greens is Swiss Chard or Seakale beet. One variety called 'Bright Lights' is so decorative that the coloured stems of yellow, red and orange deserve space in the flower border. Sown immediately the seedlings should stand all winter to provide a steady crop of tasty and attractive stems.
Topical tip
Feed autumn fruiting raspberries with a plant food such as Miracle-Gro Ericaceous Plant Food that is rich in nitrogen and sequestered iron.
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ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE PESTICIDES SAFELY
Ant Stop! Bait Station contains fipronil. Ant Stop! contains chlorpyrifos. BugClear and BugClear Gun! contain bifenthrin. FungusClear ™ and FungusClear Gun! contain penconazole. Levington® Container & Hanging Basket Compost with Vine Weevil Control contains imidacloprid. Nature's Answer® Natural Pest Control contains pyrethrins. Roseclear® 3 contains bifenthrin and myclobutanil. Roseclear Gun!® contains bifenthrin and flutriafol. Verdone® Extra and Verdone Extra Ready to Use contain fluroxypyr, clopyralid and MCPA.
® , ™ , Miracle-Gro, Tomorite and Levington are Trade Marks of The Scotts Company or its affiliates. Roundup is the registered Trade mark of Monsanto Company. |
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