Athlone Advertiser, Ireland – Oct 4, 2014
While discussing her garden with a client lately I got distracted when I spotted a swallows nest immediately outside her patio doors, resting between the house and the down pipe. This nest was the hive of activity with mammy swallow feeding her young and directing traffic as the young birds flew in and out of their house. It looked like any home full of active teenagers.
No doubt that nest is empty now as those swallows have most probably joined the many other birds exodusing the country for warmer climes. I?m sure that you have seen, as I have, many birds lining up along the telegraph wires (in the birdie ?departure lounge?) preparing to leave us for the winter. Sometimes I envy these emigrants heading for the sun though it is sad to see them leaving already.
While we are on the subject of seasonal matters, now is the time to pick, eat and store your apples. Only late ripening varieties will keep well and the longer you keep the fruit on the tree the better it will store.
Try to catch eating apples before they fall to the ground and bruise as bruised apples will rot quickly. Carefully pick only perfect apples for storage and place them in a softly lined container for collection. Do not throw fruits into the container as they may get damaged in the process.
Place picked apples in a cool, airy room for approx 24 hours after picking in order to allow them to sweat a little. Once 24 hours have passed wrap each fruit individually in newspaper or greased proof paper. I have also known fruits to store well when placed in sealed polythene bags that have been pierced with a few holes to allow excess gases to escape.
Different varieties mature at different rates so I would suggest that you store varieties separately. Store in a cool, frost free shed or garage or similar.
Inspect stored fruits from time to time and remove any that show signs of rot. If you take care when selecting apples to be stored and then care when storing them you could be eating apples well into the new year.
As an aide from fruits but still on the theme of trees, you can determine the health of your trees (ie all trees including fruit trees) by examining their leaves.
A natural green colour indicates the presence of sufficient minerals to maintain a healthy tree. Discoloured leaves with a purplish hue indicate a phosphate deficiency while a yellow hued leaf with green veins indicates the lack of magnesium. Potassium deficiency shows itself as scorch marks along the edges of the matured leaves. Once you identify the problem you can solve it.
Happy gardening!
Anne.
Garden Checklist.
• Lift and store begonias.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs.
• Divide herbaceous perennials.
• Prepare sites for new fruit trees and fruit bushes.
• Prune currants and gooseberries.
• Take hardwood cuttings from mid October onwards.
• Layer rhododendrons and azaleas.
• Remove annuals from beds once last flowers fade.
• Remove fallen leaves from rockeries and lawns.
• Clear dead leaves from ponds.
• Prepare beds for new roses.
• Divide overgrown lilies.
(Publication Date: 05/10/2014)
