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The end of June marks the start of summer, meaning Britons will be preparing their gardens for the warmer weather.
Experts at Barnsdale Garden have shared which jobs must get done this month in order to achieve a flourishing garden.
1. Spray roses
This includes spraying roses against aphids which will help to keep the plant protected heading into the summer.
The experts said: “At this time of year the roses are very succulent and a real feast for aphids, so as soon as these are spotted start to spray with environmentally friendly washing up liquid, diluted in water at a rate of approximately one teaspoon per three litres of water.
“This will break down their outer protective coating and they then succumb to the general environment.
“Spraying before they have a chance to lay eggs is important, as the spray will not kill the eggs, so you would have to re-spray every seven to 10 days.”
2. Prune flowering cherries
The best time to prune flowering cherries is just after they have finished flowering, according to the pros.
It’s important to prune when they are in growth so that the wounds heal quickly, minimising the risk of leaf fungus.
3. Deadhead tulips
The gardening pros said: “In order to prevent a tulip from wasting energy on producing unwanted seed and therefore not putting all its energies into bulking up for a good floral display the following year, it is important to deadhead them once they’ve finished flowering.
“Because, unlike daffodils, the leaves are much lower and the team prefer to cut back the whole flower stalk as far back as they can, without damaging any leaves.”
This will “guarantee” a “good display” next spring, according to the experts.
4. Pinch out broad beans
To ensure a crop full of beans, it is important to pinch out the growing tip from the plant when the first set of flowers at the base have produced small pods.
These can be steamed and eaten as a delicious leafy vegetable.
5. Keep sowing
The experts continued: “The Barnsdale team are great lovers of veg generally and really like salads, not just in summer but at any time of the year.
“For this reason, they like a constant supply of salad crops, which means successful sowing.
“The regularity of this sowing very much depends on the crop, space available and the speed you eat them!
“To ensure the crop is young and tender when harvested, and therefore has the best taste possible, they like to sow radish every week, lettuce every two weeks, carrots and multi-sown beetroot, kohl rabi and turnips every three weeks. This means that at any time throughout summer, you can go out and find just what you need.”
