September 6th 2011

1. Despite the grey overcast skies of the last few weeks there has been very little rain and the soil is dry. Water where needed, particularly the Rhododendrons that are currently filling out their the buds for next years flowers.
2. It is not too late to deadhead your Pelargoniums ( many people call them Geraniums). They will flower until the first frost or when the daylight fails them.
3. Pick your ripe tomatoes and strip off any remaining leaves so what little sun we get can ripen off the remainder.
4. Order your seeds for next year. You can sow many hardy annuals, biennials and broad beans for a quick start next spring.
5. Turn your compost to get air into the pile of summer grass cuttings and mixed waste. This reheats the rotting process.
6. Shred or chop twiggy waste and old stems as you put them on to your compost heap to help them rot down.
7. Tie in Raspberry canes, climbing rose stems and any growth that you think may be damaged by high winds.
8. Clean the greenhouse glass to maximise the light.
9. Tidy dead leaves and garden detritus that may harbor pests and diseases.
10. Give house plants maximum light and continue with a week feed.

September Crab Apple John Downie