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Top gardening tips for Autumn

    These suggestions are taken from the Telegraph news feed which you’ll find on the JAG Gardening Tips page…

    Autumn is the best time to repot lilies. Cut back stems and separate out the largest bulbs for replanting. An equal mix of multipurpose and John Innes No 3 compost works well, but remember that some lilies need an ericaceous mix

    As night-time temperatures continue to fall, protect autumn salads and Oriental leaves with fleece.

    Protect and serve: cover delicate salad leaves with fleece

    Get autumn-planted garlic, onions and shallots in the ground before the weather turns cold. In warm soils the bulbs should root strongly, which will, hopefully, result in better yields next season.

    Most fruit trees need a pollinator. Even where claimed to be self-pollinating, cross-pollination invariably results in better yields. Good specialist nurseries can advise.

    Leaf mould is a great soil improver, as it holds on to moisture and nutrients. It can also be added to potting mixes. Collect fallen leaves and place inside enclosures constructed of posts and wire netting.

    Maggot damage inside apples is usually caused by the larvae of the codling moth. Where damage is extensive, make a note to spray trees next summer.

    It’s annoying to be rained out at weekends. Cover vegetable plots now with black polythene to keep the soil dry and this will allow you to work on them in all but the most extreme weather.

    If it’s not already done, cut out the fruited canes of raspberries and tie in the new canes for next year.

    Aphids can be a problem on overwintering brassicas. Insecticides that work by a physical effect, such as SB Plant Invigoratorm which creates a barrier over the leaf, are very effective.

    Spray peaches and nectarines with their first application of copper fungicide to protect against peach leaf curl.

     

    Find more tips for Autumn on the JAG Gardening Tips page