麻豆约拍

In Monty鈥檚 trial, the tomato plants in the grow bag are romping away but their fruit is the first to show signs of blossom end rot.听

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Blossom end rot is a physiological condition caused by an irregular water supply. When water is not constantly available to plant roots, calcium (a key nutrient in the soil or compost) can鈥檛 circulate fully around the plant and this leads to cell damage in the fruits.

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Grow bags are notoriously difficult to keep consistently moist as they provide a very limited root space and can be tricky to fill with water. If you use grow bags, take extra care to ensure water is properly absorbed before draining out of the bags and the compost never fully dries out.

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If you see blossom end rot on your tomatoes, don鈥檛 worry: affected fruits are inedible but new healthy fruits should form once watering is adjusted.

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听听(apps.rhs.org.uk)

Topiary is a great gardening tradition which stretches back to Roman times and was revived during the Arts and Crafts period to become a key feature of the British cottage garden.

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If you鈥檙e inspired by Charlotte Molesworth鈥檚 figures or Monty鈥檚 new Nigel project, why not create your own? Now is the season for pruning box, yew and privet but, before you do, consider what shapes the new growth could be trained into. For an instant effect, metal frames can be placed on top or around existing shrubs and trimmed into shape now.

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For a list of gardens to visit and see great topiary, please scroll down to the end of this page.

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听(apps.rhs.org.uk)

Watering can take up a lot of time at this point in the year so it鈥檚 important to do it efficiently. The best way to water is to give plants a soak not a sprinkle, be it a large pot or a border. Really drench them thoroughly; the roots will then go down deep meaning they鈥檒l dry out less quickly and you鈥檒l have to water them less often.

Although these are the high days of summer, it鈥檚 time to plant out crops like purple sprouting broccoli for harvest next spring. Get it in the ground now and it can grow steadily through the rest of summer and autumn. Remember with all long-term brassicas: plant them firmly in the ground, stake them if necessary and give them plenty of space; about 2ft (60cm) between plants is ideal.

听(www.rhs.org.uk)

Mid to late summer is a good time to prune trained apples and pears, including espaliers, cordons and fans. Cut this year鈥檚 growth back to about 3 -5cm to create a short spur. This may seem drastic but it will restore the shape, allow light to ripen existing fruit and encourage the new spur to ripen and form fruit buds for next year鈥檚 crop.

听(apps.rhs.org.uk)

Cumbria: 听(www.levenshall.co.uk)

Devon: (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Dorset: (www.mapperton.com)

Gloucestershire: 听(www.bourtonhouse.com)

Gwynedd: (www.brondanw.org)

Hampshire: (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Kent: Hever Castle

Rutland: (www.discover-rutland.co.uk)

Shropshire: (www.english-heritage.org.uk)

Warwickshire: (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)