In his August newsletter, Monty has shared advice to gardeners who might be preparing to head off on their summer holidays. Monty says it is worth preparing your garden before you go away, particularly if you plan on a two-week holiday.
He wrote: “Mow the lawn, weed, and make sure plants are well supported. Pots are most likely to suffer in hot weather and an irrigation system is ideal, but at very least give them a good soak before you go. Ideally move smaller pots into the shade and group them together which will reduce evaporation.
“If you have sweet peas or vegetables ready to harvest, ask friends or neighbours to come and pick them.”
Monty says there are a host of jobs to be done in the garden before the month is out. As the month progresses he advises taking semi-ripe cuttings from wood that is likely to root-off soon.
He advises picking plants that are healthy, strong and straight. Once the material has been cut, it can be placed in a polythene bag and potted immediately.
Monty explains: “Strip off all lower leaves and side shoots so that only an inch or less of foliage remains. Cut the bare stem to size with a sharp knife or secateurs and bury it in a container of very gritty or sandy compost or even pure perlite.”
Monty recommends giving the plant water and oxygen for nourishment. Once it has formed a good root, then gardeners can move onto giving it better nutrition and a better compost.
After four to six weeks there should be viable roots and the plant can then be moved into a peat-free potting compost before being put aside over winter in preparation for spring.
Monty says August is a good time to sow hardly salad crops. These can include rocket, corn salad, land cress and “winter density lettuce”.
Anything sown now will be available for harvesting between October and November. If gardeners are using a polytunnel or greenhouse then they should be able to last through the winter as well.
The TV star suggests planting them in plugs that can be transplanted when they become seedlings or sowing them directly into rows. The seedlings should be thinned as they start to emerge.
