Tidy up time

Trim mock orange and other late-flowering shrubs this weekend – they’ll thank you for it, says Mary Lovell-Smith.

ORNAMENTALS

Time for some early autumn pruning. Give evergreen hedges a trim, which should keep them in good shape over winter. Late-summer flowering shrubs such as crepe myrtle, datura, hibiscus, philadelphus (mock orange) and Russian sage may also do with a tidy up.

Climbing roses may be pruned once flowering is finished. Cut back side shoots of the main branches to two or three buds, and remove any weak, diseased or dead growth.

Sow hardy annuals, such as alyssum, candytuft, cornflowers, nigella, larkspur and viscaria for an early spring display.

Stop: don’t put your banana skins in the compost; instead treat your roses by placing the skins at their base. They will benefit from the speedily released beneficial minerals such as potassium, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, trace elements and some phosphates.

HOUSE PLANTS

Start to reduce the amount of water and frequency of watering of houseplants. Let the surface of the soil dry a little before watering and always drain excess away so the plant is not sitting in water.

Before bringing plants indoors for the cooler season, check for any pests they may have picked up outside, such as red spider mite, mealybug and scale insect and treat where necessary.

EDIBLES

Plant broccoli and cauliflower (remembering how expensive cauliflowers can be to buy).

Check sweetcorn, if the tassels have turned dark brown, the ears should be good to eat.

If any crops weren’t as successful as you may have hoped – your tomatoes too pale, your corn dry, for example, now is the time to research what might have gone wrong, while the problem is fresh in your mind. Maybe your soil is poor, you didn’t water enough, you fed it too much of a certain fertiliser. Find the answer and then you’ve got all winter to mull over remedying it for next season.

Dig up any potatoes left in the ground and store in shallow boxes lined with paper in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight – maybe in a shed. Once land is clear of them, sow a green manure crop, or use it for winter greens such as silver beet or brassicas.

It’s been a good season and there seems to be an abundance of lemons being sent home to all and sundry, along with the courgettes and tomatoes. But as lovely as they look in the fruit bowl, remember that lemons last much longer stored in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.

Prune grape leaves to allow more sun on the bunches to help them ripen. This will also help air circulation and combat any lurking fungal diseases.