Weekend Work: Time to take cuttings of indoor plants
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Your support makes all the difference.What to do
Take cuttings of indoor plants such as coleus, tradescantia, zebrina and busy lizzies.
In sultry, overcast weather, top up pools regularly with fresh water.
Pick sweetcorn cobs when the silky tassels on the ends have begun to wither. I grew 'Sundance' (Suttons £2.49) this year – an easy crop and a worthwhile one.
Stake the flowers you want to enjoy in autumn: Michaelmas daisies, chrysanthemums, dahlias and heleniums.
Continue to feed and water sweet peas to prolong the display. .
Plant prepared hyacinths now for flowering at Christmas. The ideal temperature for the preliminary forcing is about 48F. Anything cooler will retard the bulbs too much; anything warmer will result in lanky leaf growth.
Lawn seed can be sown now in areas that have been well dug, raked and cleared of stones and debris. If you haven't had heavy rain, you will need to water the ground before you sow. The aim is to get the grass well established before the first frosts put paid to growth.
What to see
Billy Carruthers, owner of the magnificent Binny Plants nursery at Ecclesmachan, West Lothian EH52 6NL, has a well-known mania for peonies. But nursery manager Adam Fleming is mad about dahlias and is talking about them today (11am-1pm). Tickets £10. Call 01506 858931
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