Late summer troubleshooting

Ruth tackles pests and problems as summer progresses

- Ruth Hayes

WE are at the time of year when the garden is growing well but is also potentially very vulnerable to a host of problems, exacerbated this year by the ferocious heatwave that hit in mid-July.

The main culprits are pests, disease and drought, and together or individually, they can all wreak havoc in the garden.

As well as causing plants to wilt and weaken, poor watering or prolonged dry spells, can cause nutrient deficiencies Symptoms include weak growth, spindly stems, poor fruiting and flowering and pale, yellowing leaves.

Help plants recover by feeding once a month between April and the end of August with a general purpose fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or Growmore.

Don't keep feeding into the autumn as the soft new growth generated will be vulnerable to damage during cold snaps.

Weakened plants are more likely to fall foul of pests and disease, and our garden seems to have had its fair share of the former this summer.