5must-do jobs for the week
1 Get free strawberry plants Create your own strawberry plants by potting up ‘runners’, rooted baby plants that develop on the ends of long stems known as stolons. Sever the stem between the runner and mother plant, and then prise it carefully from the soil with a hand fork. Remove any dead leaves and pot into a small container filled with compost.
2 Tackle congested irises Every four to five years, rejuvenate large, overcrowded clumps of bearded irises to improve their floral performance.
Prise plants from the ground with a fork, discard the dead, central section and divide up the outer sections with a knife.
Cut straight across the leaves, 6in from the roots, and replant 6in apart.
3 Turn compost heaps Compost heaps can stop working in hot, dry weather, so ensure all of your spent garden waste continues to rot by occasionally watering heaps and turning with a fork. If it doesn’t have a lid or a cover, place a sheet of cardboard or a piece of old carpet on top to retain moisture and heat.
4 Stop brown rot Reduce the risk of brown rot fungal disease spreading to healthy apples, pears and plums by removing any fruit on trees that show telltale rings of white spores or soft brown patches on their outer skin. Reduce the disease carrying over through winter by putting blighted fruit in a green waste bin and not on the compost heap.
5 Grow some parsley Sow some parsley seeds for a supply of fresh leaves that will be ready for picking over the winter.
Fill an 8inwide pot with compost, sow seeds thinly over the surface and then cover with a half-inch layer of compost. Water, put in a sheltered spot and they should germinate within a month.
Thin out seedlings to three-quarters of an inch apart.