Monty Don shares important September gardening job to do now for lavish spring flowers
Gardeners in the UK are being urged to water three particular plants in September for an abundance of flowers come springtime.
UK gardeners are being encouraged to water three specific plants this September for a bountiful bloom next spring. This gardening task is quite straightforward, regardless of your horticultural expertise.
The Gardeners' World presenter has detailed why these these plants need special attention in his roundup of September tasks. He highlights that the buds of camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons are currently forming, so their care now will determine the number of flowers that bloom next season.
"Camellias, Azaleas and rhododendrons form their flower buds in late Summer and Autumn," says the gardening guru. It's crucial that these plants are adequately watered to ensure their flower buds develop correctly.
If not, they could become too dry to transform into flowers, reports the Mirror.
"The display they provide next Spring is largely determined over the coming weeks. If they are too dry, the buds will not form properly and those that do often drop off in the Spring before flowering due to dehydration the previous Autumn."
Using rainwater is even more beneficial, especially for potted plants.
He advises: "So give them a good soak - with rainwater if at all possible - especially if they are growing in a container, and do so each week for the next couple of months."
Monty Don has shared his top tips for gardeners to get ready for the spring bloom. He advises that while the soil may be too hard for planting directly into the grass right now, bulbs can be planted in pots as a workaround.
He suggests starting with crocus, daffodils, reticulate irises, muscari, and scillas, noting these are particularly crucial to plant at this time because they flower early.
For this purpose, Monty recommends using a terracotta pan or any "attractive" pot, even a small one, saying: "A few crocus in a small pot can cheer the darkest February day."
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He also advises mixing compost with grit to ensure good drainage and placing the pots in a sheltered spot until new growth appears, after which they should be moved into sunlight.
In addition to potting bulbs, Monty's advice for September includes regular deadheading of plants, which involves pruning off the dead flower heads, and cutting back flowers to the next leaf, even if it requires removing "quite a long length of stem".
