The higher than average rainfall throughout the country between May and September means that plants are at risk of disease and could suffer from rot, mildew and mould unless basic garden hygiene is carried out. Gardening website www.gardencentre.co.uk  is advising those who care about their gardens to be scrupulous with their autumn garden tidying as a few hours work now could mean the difference between a lush oasis and a pest-ridden wash out next spring.



“Garden hygiene is more important that ever this year because of the soggy summer,” warns Peter Howarth from www.gardencentre.co.uk. “In the same way hospitals do all they can to stave off MRSA, so gardeners need to address the issue of garden hygiene. Everything looks very lush and green at the moment, but you could be storing up problems for the future unless you tackle things now.”

Week One: Remove plant debris from your flower garden or vegetable patch. Cut back your flowering perennials. Yellowing or dead leaves or flowers should be removed before rot develops and any weeds hidden under the plant foliage should be removed. This will reduce the spread of pests and stop them overwintering and it will also help stamp out any diseases that are lurking. Diseased leaves should be burnt or put out for the rubbish – do not compost them – to help reduce diseases such as black spot on roses, and scab on apples and pears.



Week Two: For the perfect lawn next spring scarify with a spring-tine rake to remove layers of thatch. Follow with a good specialised feed autumn feed, such as Bio Active Lawn Feed, which will release the correct balance of nutrients throughout the winter months. Protect tender plants before the first frosts strike - apply a layer of bark compost, such as J. Arthur Bowers Composted Bark, or mulch across the soil to help keep it warm. Spread grit around the roots of tender plants to stop moisture collecting and rotting the stems.



Week Three: Autumn is a good time to plant a few new flowering perennials, fruit trees and spring bulbs. Take cuttings of tender perennials, such as Pelargonium, and collect seeds and store seeds. September is also an ideal time to tackle vine weevil that can attack plants such as fuchsias, succulents and containerised plants with a bug killer such as Bayer Provado Vine Weevil Killer 2.



 www.gardencentre.co.uk has more than three thousand products available for the keen gardener online.

The first plant or soil treatment to be licensed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)



In early 2000 RHS gardeners began using rootgrow Professional, a blend of UK origin mycorrhizal fungi in their gardens throughout the country. In part due to the benefits seen by the gardeners in 2003 they also began stocking the rootgrow retail range in their plant centres for sale to the general public.

• Have superior plant establishment with better natural vigour.

• Overcome replant problems more successfully.

• Have better developed root systems.

• Are better able to cope with conditions of drought.

PlantWorks the producers of the rootgrow range are a science based company who are at the forefront of research and development in the growth, production, application, and marketing of mycorrhizal fungi products in situations worldwide. PlantWorks currently supply nearly 700 garden centres with rootgrow product



The Royal Horticultural Society 

Manufactured under licence granted by the Royal Horticultural Society

Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262

The days are getting shorter; the nights cooler, the grass isn’t growing as quickly as it was and it’s soon time to roll your lawnmower back into the shed. But before you do, leading petrol lawnmower engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton is advising all gardeners to clean and maintain their mower before storing to ensure it will start easily next spring.



Trying to start your lawnmower after a long winter can be very frustrating. Performing a few pre-winter checks will ease that irritation and extend the lifespan of your mower. Consult your service manual and look at the blade for general wear and tear and give the mower a good brushing to remove cuttings.



Top up your tank before storing your lawnmower and by filling it as full as possible it will keep water from building up in the gas tank. To prevent stale fuel, Briggs & Stratton recommend using ‘Fuel Fit’, a petrol engine stabilizer, which is added to the fuel. The fuel stabilizer will also help prevent gum from forming in the fuel system or on essential carburetor parts over the winter months.



Repairing a blocked carburetor can be very expensive and so purchasing a fuel stabilizer such as ‘Fuel Fit’ may prevent incurring additional costs. By adding ‘Fuel Fit’ to your mower it will help ensure your mower fires up first time in Spring 09.



Most gardeners are well aware that regular inspections help ensure any garden equipment, which uses a petrol engine, remains damage-free, reliable and environmentally friendly. Your local dealer will give your machine a professional service. This prolongs the life, reduces emissions of the machine and helps cut fuel consumption. A clean machine is a green machine.



The ‘Fuel Fit’ can be used for any outdoor power equipment powered by a 2- or 4 cycle engine, which operates with the use of petrol. ‘Fuel Fit’ should be treated as no substitute for fuel but instead as an additive to improve performance.