Gardening: Plenty of time to keep your patch tip-top

In the Garden  

When planting tulips this week, I was struck by how dry the ground is when you dig below the surface. It turns out I’ve got hydrophobic soil. This is not uncommon where we live and happens after a hot, dry summer where mild winters proliferate. A wax like covering builds up over the soil which means that water will run off or go straight through. Not only that, there will be gaps in the soil where roots can’t travel and extend their reach to support the plant. 

Fortunately it’s reasonably straightforward to remedy this issue. Apart from resorting to chemical methods such as wetting agents like weak detergent, improving the soil structure is the best and longer term option. 

Add organic matter directly onto the soil and then cover with a mulch. At this time of year there is a lot of leaf and grass cuttings that have gone through the mower that are the perfect mulch. They will add carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to the soil as they decompose. Adding mulch will stop the soil drying out further and there will be an overall increase in microbial activity which eats away at the waxy residue, improving your soil biology. 

By next summer the soil structure will look quite different when its dug into. I find the garden works best when it becomes a self sufficient entity. This includes reusing grass cuttings and making leaf mould every year. Mulching has become ever more important where rainwater is more scarce. 

Drought conditions are generally spread over several years so we can expect another dry summer next year, so improving the moisture retaining properties of your soil is priority number one this autumn. If you don’t have leaves blowing around then plenty of people are only too glad to get rid of them. Scatter them in a line and mow over. This will increase their surface area and they will break down much quicker as a result. Spread them on the beds and let nature do its magic over winter. 

On the Plot 

One thing we have at this time of year is time. Time to do those jobs you’ve been putting off like tidying the shed, clearing the pond of sedge or sharpening tools with a file rather than a whetstone. A sharp hoe will do the work in half the time. 

It’s apple tree pruning time so using sharp loppers cut at an angle just above a bud taking out anything crossing, diseased or dead. The idea is to let light and air into the canopy whilst keeping to a goblet shape. Don’t take off more than a third where you make your cuts. 

Don’t forget to weed under cabbages that you’ve covered with fleece. The warmer conditions also encourage weed growth which takes nutrients from the cabbages. Replace the fleece when you’re done and tuck in tight because frost will be here sooner than we think. 

Go round and remove yellowing leaves from kale and swiss chard. Remove lower leaves from celeriac as this helps them avoid pest and disease attack by increasing air flow. 

Rhubarb can be planted this week if you have the space. Sometimes crowns can be picked up cheaply but they might be dehydrated so submerge them for a while before planting with the shoots facing upwards and placing a spadeful of compost or mulch on top to help them through winter. Famously they like manure so if you can pick up a bag from the local stables, all the better and it will make a huge difference. 

Schedule a trip to the local tip to remove accumulated plastics and broken glass and tools. It’s surprising how much packaging there seems to be over a year. Once you’ve been to the tip it will encourage you to be more selective about what you bring onto the plot next year.