August 2000 promises to be a good month© John Bottomley
Aug 11, 2000
Just received a Newsletter from the local nursery. It reminds us that if we have nectarines, peaches or grape vines in the garden then we should spray for leaf curl. Apparently the necessary copper sulphate preventative spray is essential now because it is too late when the leaves begin to take on that horrible curly look. This disease cannot be controlled if you do not spray before the buds have begun to swell.
The bottom of my garden looks a bit tidier, I have nearly finished building the dry stonewall. This morning, with the temperature around about 4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees F), it was a great opportunity to keep warm by barrowing sand and shifting stones. The temperature has been around about that level for the last couple of days - and there has been little or no rain.
There is still time to buy a few fruit trees and other deciduous trees. I think I will plant one more tree at the bottom of the garden, near to where I transplanted four trees last month. All are doing well I might add. I am trying to make up my mind between nectarines or mandarins. I find there are several varieties of mandarins, and I think it will have to be the latter. Looking in a gardening reference book there are: Imperial, Emperor, Dancy, Ellendale, so I will mosey down to the nursery this afternoon and make my choice. Don't forget, there is still time to plant a fruit tree
I have prepared the ground well for these trees, and as they are surface feeders I have included a combination of mulch and regular all purpose fertiliser dressings. Regular watering is going to be needed in the summer months and all the trees have been linked to the reticulation system. I believe that poor watering results in a pithy fruit with no juice, or fruit that splits before being properly formed. It is better to water under the trees using a spray or a drip feed.
Some people with a small space available may like to plant their citrus trees in tubs and cultivate a potted citrus garden. There are many types of citrus plants suitable for this arrangement. Fruit trees do not like competition so remove all the grass and the weeds and add mulch to your garden.
Coming back to mulching for a moment. They tell me that nature dislikes bare soil, so mulch regularly and never apply fertiliser to a dry soil. By the way, have you fertilised the roses yet?
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