Jobs to do in the garden this week
- Maintain the soil moisture to growing crops. Lettuce require it to keep the foliage sweet and crisp, sweetcorn for plump cobs, tomatoes for juicy fruit, French beans for snap and root vegetables to prevent them from growing woody.
- Give roses a summer rest, withholding any further plant food until early February. However, keep an eye on black spot, rust and mildew, not only on roses but other susceptible ornamentals, which need spraying with a fungicide according to instructions on the label.
- Move container-grown ornamentals and hanging baskets that require daily watering and are having to cope with intense sunlight and overbearing summer heat into cooler spots where possible. Mulching will reduce the need for watering of beds and shrubbery.
