KEEP ROSES LOOKING TIP TOP

TO KEEP ROSES healthy and blooming as long as possible, give them a bit of attention this month. l Remove faded blooms. Encourage more blooms on repeat-flowering roses by deadheading to just above a leaf. You don’t have to deadhead species roses and those that only flower once because these will go on to form attractive hips. l Prune ramblers.

Control their spread straight after they’ve finished flowering.

l Spray on liquid rose fertiliser. Apply to the leaves as a ‘foliar’ feed.

l Snip away blackspot.

Look for leaves showing black smudges and spots. Pop them in your council green waste bin. To control the disease use a fungicide such as Provanto Fungus Fighter Plus (£8.90 for 1L spray) .

l Squish aphids by hand. Or, blast them with water.

l Look out for rose balling. This is where the outer petals fuse together and prevent flower buds opening, usually after heavy rain. Carefully remove the outer petals to allow the flower to open.

“Make life easier for yourself in the coming months by removing the heads of prolific self-seeders such as alchemilla, aquilegia and alliums before they ripen and disperse...”

The temperature inside a greenhouse can reach extreme levels on bright, sunny days, causing plants to become stressed and compost to dry out quickly.

✿ Provide ventilation. Open vents and the door. Automatic vent openers operate using wax-filled cylinders that expand and contract as temperatures rise and fall.

✿ Use shade netting. Drape over the outside of the greenhouse to prevent some of the sun’s rays hitting the glass, keeping it cool inside while still letting in enough light for plants to grow. Or, paint the glass with a special shade paint such as Vitax Summer Cloud (£23 for 500ml). ✿ Known as ‘damping down’, this increases humidity.