Fact Sheet Thirty
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THE GARDENERS DIARY
WEEK 30
24th April 2005
THE DIARY THE FLOWER GARDEN: Prune early flowering shrubs Shrubs like Forsythia's and Mahonia's which have now finished flowering need to be pruned. All flowering stems that have finished flowering need to be pruned back to half their height. Prune them just above a bud or leaf and prune at a 45 degree angle away from the bud. Thin out any weak, unwanted stems and also remove any in-growing stems. Once pruned feed your plants with a shrub fertiliser. THE GREENHOUSE: Pot on Fuchsia's. Fuchsia's will need regular potting on. If left pot-bound, your plants will flower early and then deteriorate. When the roots have established, move the plants on into the next sized pot usually about 2-3cm up. If you pot into a too large container the plant will produce too much foliage at the expense of your flowers. Also keep pinching out the tips to encourage thick, bushy growth. Doing this will delay your flowers but will encourage more blooms later. Allow the growth to get 15cm in length and then pinch back to just above a pair of leaves leaving 10cm worth of growth. Keep pinching back until the end of May. Just in time to plant them out for blooming for the summer months. Don't throw the pinched out growth away because this can be used for cuttings to increase your stocks.
FRUIT & VEG: Start creating Celery trenches
Its time to make up Celery trenches. By making them now it will give them time to settle before planting. Dig a trench 26cm(10") deep, about the same as a spit of the spade. Line the trench with a thick layer of organic matter. The excess soil should be rounded off at the sides to provide an ideal growing area for lettuce or beans etc. and for blanching the celery later. The trenches should be 30-40cm(12-15") wide for a single row or at least 45cm (18") wide for a double row.
PEST PROBLEM OF THE WEEK: Hemispherical Scale on Citrus Plants
When inspecting any of your citrus plants you may come across leaves which are sticky from honeydew. At a closer inspection you will find some small, convex scale-like insects on the underside of the leaves. The hemispherical scale will be positioned feeding around the central veins of the leaves. These brown insects secrete a sticky excrement which falls onto leaves below. It left this sticky substance will bio-degrade down and then turn into sooty black mildew which then increases to the problem. To rid yourself of this pest spray with liquid malathion. You may need to spray several times over a seven day period to break the life cycle.
If the infestation is small then mix up some liquid malathion into a container and by the use of a cotton wool bud, dab the mixture onto the insects. Check the plant every day for any extra signs of attack.
If sooty black mildew sets in then spray with a fungicide to combat the mould. Listen to The Gardener's Diary with Luke Ashmead on BBC Three Counties Radio every Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm Contact The Gardener's Diary Here BBC Three Counties Radio 94.7, 98, 103.8, 95.5 and 104.5FM | 
