5 minute read
Gardening Diary
'September blow soft 'till the fruit's in the loft '
The two great jobs of the month are the harvesting of fruit and the digging-in of dung. Apples and pears remaining on the branch may be picked just as soon as they will readily part from the tree, those allowed to fall will inevitably be bruised and bruises are fatal to the prospects of stored fruits, though not to the making of cider. Raspberries and blackberries may be pruned, cutting out all stems which have borne fruit this year. Main crop potatoes should be lifted as soon as the haulm dies down; there is nothing to be gained by leaving them in the ground and in the event of a wet spell there is every prospect of them making secondary growth. The digging-over and manuring of the ground starts this month whilst there is warmth left in the soil for the dung to fester down before winter inertia sets in. We should begin by Battle of Britain Day and be finished by Trafalgar Day at the latest. The full benefits of dung may only be gained when applied with deep digging, the best results gained by trenching or 'bastard digging', which may seem a penance but only after a hard spell of bastard digging may we take to the shed to fully savour a long pipe and gloat over our superior work ethic. Some words on dung and his cousins. Plants build themselves from the gases of the air and the minerals in the soil, thus one of the foremost jobs of the gardener is to maintain a productive soil. Traditionally animal manures have been the staple fare, the best is that which has been dry stored, the value of dung is greatly reduced when left for years in the elements. Where possible we should avoid using dung which contains wood chippings or saw dust as these can be detrimental to the soil. Pig and sheep droppings are higher in nitrogen than horse and cow. For heavy soils, being what most of us East-South Saxons are blessed with, we should use strawy manures. For those that can't get their hands on dung, the compost heap is a good substitute. The heap should be built up with alternating layers of green soft stuffs and slightly woody fibrous cuttings. If one has garden lime to hand, a sprinkling every six inches is helpful. Chicken guano will act as a great accelerator. Faster and better results are gained from a covered heap; a sheet of old corrugated iron or even sacks to keep out excessive rain and to keep in some heat. The compost is ready to use when it smells earthy. For very heavy soils we may contemplate the digging-in of shoddy; a good time to discreetly dig in those Christmas jumpers. Wool shoddy better than cotton shoddy. For those of us that enjoy nothing more than dragging home pleasing items of flotsam from the beach, we may fill our boots with seaweed, which makes an excellent addition to the soil. Green manures are a good substitute for dung, there are many varieties out there and the good gardener should always have a packet of seeds by them; whenever a patch becomes vacant it may be sown and the resulting growth dug in. Those keen on onions will be sowing now, the reader having remembered to first prepare the ground with those dry-stored ashes saved from the wood burner. Lettuce and parsley for winter use may be sown on recently vacated ground, dug over but not manured. Evergreen shrubs, including hollies and conifers may be planted now. Rhododendrons may be transplanted but care must be taken to keep the roots from drying out. Early bulbs may be planted, including crocuses, snowdrops, fritillaria and narcissi and also biennials such as wallflowers, foxgloves, canterbury bells and verbascum. Sweet peas may be treated as ordinary autumn-sown hardy annuals, the seeds sown outdoors now where they are to grow next year, choosing a sheltered and well drained spot. We may also be increasing our stock in the borders by division of existing plants. Many fleshy-rooted perennials will take root after division now and may safely face the winter. If left for another six weeks they will be ready for slumber and will then lie inert in cold wet soil, possibly rotting off before the spring awakening. Michaelmas daisies now in flower may become heavy when wet, it is as well to stake these, as their tall stems flopped across the lawn are a chastening sight. The growth of vigorous climbers such as clematis and wisteria may be cut back now. Climbing roses will lately have been sending up new shoots, these will bear the best flowers next year and should be tied in now as they are brittle and easily damaged by winter gales. To clothe an arch or middling sized garden structure, an alternative to the climbing rose is to allow a bush rose to keep on growing, less work and easier to manage. More than ever, the hoe will have its work in the borders, September is the great month for weeds, and hidden away under the foliage they will do great mischief if overlooked at this late stage; care should be taken not to let them get the upper hand. The days may be shortening but there is no slackening off in the work to be done.
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