As Summer prepares to take its final bow, with shorter days and lower night time temperatures already apparent, plants need all the help they can get to squeeze the most out of the last few weeks of the growing season. There’s a tendency to think that there’s not much you can do, but a few simple tips can make all the difference to those bedding flower displays or vegetable crops:

  • Dead-head- if you keep removing flowers as they fade this prevents the plant putting energy into forming the seeds, which if allowed to develop, sends a message to the plant that its job is done for the year and it can give up. Snip off old flowers regularly and you’ll be rewarded with a final flush of flowers as autumn approaches
  • Feed! Both bedding flowers and tender veg crops such as tomatoes and peppers are hungry plants, especially if container-grown. Give them an instant boost with a high potash liquid feed, and it should visibly improve results this next few weeks
  • Remove dead or dying leaves and shoots. Fungal and bacterial infections can quickly run out of control on tender plants as conditions become cooler and more damp. Give you plants the best chance to remain healthy by taking out yellowing leaves and allowing air to circulate around the base of plants