Ruud Kleinpaste: Looking out for seasonal troubles in the garden

Looking out for seasonal troubles 

Some of us had a rubbish summer – wind and water and wholesale destruction. 

It’s really hard to give suitable advice as each situation is different. 

The only thing I can say is: protect your valuable top-soil, as that is the most important part of your garden. 

Mulch what you’ve got and add more organic materials to allow the beneficial creatures to thrive. 

Plant your winter crops when you have the time and inclination to do so: Brassicas and good root crops. Don’t give up! 

For those of us that have had a drought: we may have broken that problem over the past weeks or so. But temperatures have been relatively high and the dry conditions have turned a lot more moist: 

Mildew is amongst us. 

That white cover on the leaves on a range of plants (roses, pumpkins, oak leaves, grapes, you name it). It’s caused by a fungus that loves warm day time temperatures, followed by cooler evening temperatures – it causes a layer of dew on the leaves and rust spores love that very much. 

Prevention: spray some copper/sulphur fungicide on the leaves on a regular basis; it literally creates a barrier for the spores to become active. 

Plants that are already “hammered” by mildew may need a heavier, “systemic” fungicidal spray to contain the fungus 

Spider mites adore the late-summer heat. They have slowly increased their numbers, built fine webs on susceptible host plants and are reproducing like there’s no tomorrow. 

Organic control can be achieved via Yates’ fatty acid spray (NatraSoap) … that stuff works on tiny critters with a sensitive skin; alternative: Neem Oil or Conqueror Oil. 

Repeat sprays recommended.

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