Husbandry tips?

[Holly]

Hello all,
Do you have any tips for achieving good year-round garden husbandry? Any particularly good “stitches in time” that make it easier to stay on top of pests and diseases once the autumn months arrive?

Thanks! Holly



Your comments may be edited and printed in the September issue of Grow Your Own magazine

[Two_Sheds]

I wish I had a garden husbandy ~ he's allergic to daylight

[WendyC]

I always put my plot to bed during the Autumn, e.g clearing crops, weeding and covering vacant ground. One it makes me feel very smug but also when that Spring day arrives and it is time to get growing you can get straight to it. Having said that with the early onset of winter last year I didn't get the clear the last of the fennel and had to wait till the snow and frost went. When it finally thawed the revolting slime that was left made me resolved to get in there first.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Best advice you can give to anyone is to invest in a good hoe and keep your elbow going during the season. Many pests harbour on weeds and in fact some overwinter on them so it is a way of reducing pests as well as keeping weeds down.

[VirginVegGrower]

I regularly weed throughout summer months as it weakens the growth considerably. After pulling crop if I have nothing else to plant there I put in green manures. These are then dug in/turned over and in late Autumn/early Winter my fertiliser/compost goes on top as a thick mulch. In Spring I polythene cover in order to force new weed back and make prepping the soil easier.
In the greenhouse, after the growing season, it is scrubbed out; benches, glass, frame and floor. I then smoke bomb with a sulphur candle to ensure all disease is eradicated. I scrub again in early Spring along with all pots and trays ready for the start of a new growing season.

[salilah]

Nope - I can honestly say I'm hopeless!
I want to get as much as I can in terms of produce from the beds and greenhouse, so no I don't "pack up in autumn" but try to keep things going...
It does mean cleaning the greenhouse was a bit of a challenge and very much a staged event (!) as I had winter veg in the bed that only came out in time for the tomatoes going in!
I agree that keeping up with weeding can only be a good thing (I'm foolishly optimistic that one day the bindweed will run out of energy!) - but the rest, sorry, not as yet!
S

[Ja9]

I try to keep on top of weeding and sort out pests before they get too much of a hold.
a weekly sort out of the greenhouse trimming off yellowing leaves, tying in plants and making sure the riping tomatoes are not too covered by excess foliage.
Last year I covered carrots and parsnips I wanted for Xmas dinner with fleece just on the ground.. just as well as I would never have found them under the snow!