Several years ago when we first took the plot we inherited several old apple cordons and redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes. These had to be rediscovered in the overgrowth that soon swamps a deserted plot and were surrounded by coarse grass which each summer became overgrown and difficult to control.
Long grass around the base made it difficult to look after the trees and bushes correctly. There was no point using glue bands if the insects could crawl up the grass to gain access to the trees.
Areas around the base of the cordon apples and redcurrants have now been cleared and a weed suppressant membrane laid. This is held down by hazel trunks. The membrane has been covered with a thick layer of wood chippings. Not only has this tidied up the area but hopefully it will be less likely that wasps will nest in burrows in the ground under the bushes. One year I inadvertently stood on the entrance to one such burrow and it wasn’t an action I would like to repeat!
The hazel trunks were acquired after pollarding the two hazel bushes which grow on the edge of our plot. Not only had these become too large but they were covered in aphids this year so drastic action was called for.
The apple tree trunks and stakes have been greased to control the damaging insects which creep up the trunks and early next spring codling moth traps will be set up. Click here to read details of our efforts.
The old blackcurrant bushes which looked diseased and this year were totally unproductive have been dug up. Dug up is probably not the correct term to use as the removal was achieved by the wielding of a pick axe. And not by me.
Now that most of the tomato plants have been removed from the greenhouse, the potted chrysanthemums have been moved in. Although I am not trying for show winning blooms, some disbudding will be carried out. Leaving all the buds to develop will produce sprays of flowers rather than the larger single blooms that I am looking forward to.
Although much of the harvest has now been gathered there are still some crops growing so watering has become a necessity. The soil is now bone dry so digging over the cleared beds will have to wait.
In the garden the shrubs over the arbour had become very overgrown and so they too have been the subject of some serious pruning. Some tubs and pots are looking rather sad and so they have been replanted with pansies and crocuses
Harvested this week:
Vegetables:
Sweet corn – Honey Bantam
Lettuce – Little Gem & Yugoslavian Red
Cabbage – Picador
Tomatoes – Japanese Trifle Black
Fruit:
Grape – Himrod
Alpine strawberries – Mignonette & Alexandria
Raspberries – Autumn Gold & Joan J
Plum – Marjorie’s Seedling
Strawberries – Flamenco
Apples – unknown variety, Discovery & Golden Delicious
Click here to view my September photo album
