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  1. Onions and Garlic are ready for harvesting. Ideally after lifting the bulbs should be left to rest in the sun to dry but with the weather so variable thats a bit hit and miss. An alternative is to dry them in the greenhouse using the wooden slats to rest the bulbs on. This is ideal for both onions and garlic.  It's better to clean the soil off the garlic bulbs when you first lift them because as they dry they can become more brittle. This  can cause the head of garlic to break up as you try cleaning the soil off even when its dry. Although it seems counter intuitive, its better to clean the garlic when you first lift it as the bulb is firmer. Once dry both garlic and onions want a light place for storage, they will keep in an unlit conservatory for months.

    The photos below show garlic as lifted, then ready to dry in the greenhouse which is exactly the same for garlic and onions. Garlic drying after being cleaned and finally hanging up in storage in a bright cool place.

     

     

      Garlic by The Sunday Gardener Garlic drying prior to cleaning by The Sunday Gardener Garlic drying by The Sunday Gardener  

     

     For more about growing onions

    and garlic

  2. A recent enquiry to the help page was about moving an established  Magnolia, unfortunately on this occasion technology refuses to allow the Sunday Gardener to connect with the senders e mail address so instead the advise is posted below and hopefully the information will be found.

    The first piece of advice is not to move it if at all possible.  Moving a large established shrub is difficult and very often the shrub will not survive, or subsequently thrive,  and Magnolias are not keen on being transplanted. They  have an usual root system which makes it more difficult to re establish the shrub.  With a mature shrub the root ball will be large and the whole plant will be very heavy and may need professional assistance with lifting gear to help/do the job.Even with great care, there is  more than a chance it will not survive.  If you have time to plan the move, its better 6 months/ a year before to cut down into the roots in a large circle around the plant. This encourages it to throw out new roots  to develop a better root system which  will help  establish the plant when you move it later.  That said, most of us just don't have that much time and planning in life.  Timing wise,  the best time to ove  a Magnolia  is anytime from late Autumn,  to the very early spring February , as it needs to be done whilst the plant is dormant. If moved during the winter months pick a mild spell so that ground can be dug and its not frozen or waterlogged.

    Prepare the spot where the Magnolia is being moved to in advance and it will need to be a large hole in which the roots can spread, and if the soil is poor ensure that organic material is dug in. Dig the hole at least a foot larger in diameter/up to twice the size of the root ball of the Magnolia. If you can lift and replant together, this reduces the water loss from the roots and gives the best chance of survival.
    Next,  determined the extent of the roots on the Magnolia and aim to lift the plant with as much of the root ball intact as is possible.  A good starting point is to dig in a straight line down from the branches so the you dig down in a circle around the fullest extent of the shrub. Roots are shallow rather than deep so its likely to be large circle. The least you disturb the roots, the better the chances.

    Once  it's levered it out, lift it onto a large piece of damp Hessian, if not, a  tarpaulin  so as to wrap up the roots and then transplant to the prepared spot. Place in the prepared hole and plant so its at the same soil level as before, do not plant too deep. Fill in around the shrub with good soil and organic material and water in well. Tread in well to make sure the soil is packed down with no air pockets and the Magnolia  firmly planted. If its very large and the re planted spot is exposed, consider staking. In any event water well for the first month after transplanting especially if its dry. The shrub is at risk of loosing moisture so a mulch would help to retain moisture and feed in the spring.


    The Sunday Gardener

  3. Balled Rose by The Sunday GardenerWet weather is so common in August and plays havoc with the garden and veg plot.

    It brings out the slugs who make a slimy trail straight to the bedding and the lettuces. It is stunning . For all the best ideas on how to  beat the slugs

    Apart from the slugs the late flowering plants are battered and soggy. Take heart, summer isn't over. Dead head off everything looking sad and the next spell of warmer drier weather will see the plants picking up. In the wet some rose blooms may have  "balled", the flower looks full as if ready to bloom but the outside leaves are brown. Its caused by wet cool conditions which saturate the outer leaves, then a drier period which causes the leaves to dry out and turn brown and tighten around the bloom so it cannot flower. Because it will not flower the remedy is to dead head and make room for some more.

     

  4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Alchemilla mollis by The Sunday Gardener

    There's just about enough time to cut back untidy and tired looking plants and perinnals, and its often a better option than having brown fading foilage. This works for some of the fast growing plants such as hardy geraniums, Nepeta (Cat Mint) Alchemilla (Lady's Mantle). The plant may already have started some new growth which can be seen spurting from centre of the plant. They may, or may not, floweragain depending on the weather but the plant will put on new foliage which will look fresh.

    This photograph shows Alchemilla mollis which was cut back almost to the ground around second week of  July and this photo was taken at the end of July. The new growth has replaced the tired browning foilage, a little of which can be seen just in the top right of the photograph.