OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH:
APRIL
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
1. Keep weeds under control 2. Protect fruit blossom from late frosts 3. Tie in climbing and rambling roses 4. Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wild flower seed outdoors 5. Start to feed citrus plants 6. Increase the water given to houseplants 7. Feed hungry shrubs and roses 8. Sow new lawns or repair bare patches 9. Prune fig trees 10. Divide bamboos and waterlilies
KEEP WEEDS UNDER CONTROL
How to control weeds without chemicals:
Hoeing: Run a hoe over a bed or between rows to kill most weed seedlings. For maximum effectiveness, choose a dry day with a light wind, so that the seedlings will dry out on the surface of the bed rather than rerooting into moist soil.
Hand-pulling or hand-weeding with a fork: Pull up annual weeds by hand before they set seed. Perennial weeds should be dug out with as much root( or bulb) as possible, using a hand or border fork. Hand weeding is easiest on lighter soils and should only be attempted where it will not disturb the roots of garden plants. Further pulling may be necessary with persistent weeds such as bindweed or couch grass where small root sections left behind can re-grow into new plants.
Weed knife and other weeding tools: A weed knife has a hooked end and is a useful tool for weeding between paving slabs and along path edging. Various other hooked, narrow-bladed or spiral-type tools are available for specific weeding jobs such as digging out dandelions on a lawn.
Repeated cutting: In large weedy areas, repeated cutting to ground level over several years will weaken and even kill some weeds. This is usually done with a strimmer or sickletype weeder.
Flame gun: Scorch off weeds between paving slabs and on driveways by blasting them with a flame gun. Use only when the foliage is dry and allow sufficient burn-time for deep-rooted weeds, such as dandelions, to be killed.
Mulching: Use deep organic mulches such as bark or wood chip to smother weeds around plants. To be effective, keep them topped up to a minimum depth of 10-15cm( 4-6in) to smother established annual weeds. Keep woody stems clear of mulch to prevent rotting.
Edging boards or strips: These can be used to edge lawns and grass paths to prevent unwanted grass growth into the border. Especially useful where invasive rooted grasses such as couch grass are a problem.
FEED HUNGRY SHRUBS & ROSES
Plants need feeding if they: are showing signs of nutrient deficiency; are producing lower than expected yields of flowers or fruit; or are putting on less growth than expected( but appear otherwise healthy and are growing in suitable conditions). Feeding is usually done in spring or summer, during the growing season. Few plants need fertiliser in the winter months, even if they are winter flowering. Some organic fertilisers, such as fish blood and bone or poultry manure pellets, are slow
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