Hints & tips – ponds, weeds and more

Ponds

During periods of hot, dry weather, the water in ponds can be very short of oxygen, which will affect the fish and plants.

If your fish are gulping at the surface it’s a sure sign they need more oxygen. Make sure your pond contains plenty of oxygenating plants and add a pump, waterfall or fountain as the constant movement of water is one of the best ways of aerating it. Fish will be very active now so feed them little and often with a high protein fish food. Just ask one of our friendly staff to show you what we stock to ensure you have a perfect pond.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are our favourite home-grown salad crop and a little care and attention now will ensure bumper crops throughout the summer. Make sure your plants are well supported – tie them in as they grow, remove sideshoots from upright cordon varieties, remove yellowing or dying leaves and watch out for pests and diseases, then treat accordingly. Feed weekly with a liquid tomato fertiliser and water regularly so that the compost or soil remains evenly moist.

Weeds

Weeds can soon take over the garden and not only do they look unsightly, but they can smother your prized plants, steal valuable water and nutrients from the soil and become hosts to pests and diseases. Now’s the time for an all-out assault on them. Use a hoe for annuals and small weeds, mulches and planting membranes to keep beds and borders permanently weed-free and weedkillers to stop even the most persistent weeds taking over. Use a weedkiller designed for persistent, deep-rooted perennials. If you need any expert advice, we’re here and happy to help.

Wisteria pruning

To get the most from wisteria it’s important to build up a good framework of permanent branches to cover the support, so make sure you tie in stems as they grow. Now’s the time to give your wisteria its summer prune. Cut back all this year’s leafy sideshoots to five to seven buds from the base. After pruning, feed with a potash-rich granular feed such as a rose fertiliser. And if you were jealous of everyone else’s wisterias earlier this year then get buying and planting today. Remember they need a spot in full sun and a sturdy trellis or similar for support.