Here are three hot topics that our customers are currently asking us for advice on and this time of year is perfect for sorting them out in preperation for getting the most out of your garden this Summer!
Weeds
Right about now weeds are rife within the cracks of paths and patios. Despite being long gone, the warm spring weather brought a crop of weeds and seedlings which look unsightly - especially in the now rainy, dismal weather!
There are lots of weedkillers on the market - each having various properties for different applications. We're looking at a residual weedkiller which reduces the likelihood of regrowth. We recommend 'Path Weedkiller' from Bayer Garden, as seen on TV. This product is great for tackling those nasty path and patio weeds.
It provides total weed control for up to 6 months and is great for patios, paths, gravel areas and drives. It's available at Garden King in two forms; a 1 litre spray bottle which treats up to 25 square metres and a box of 6 concentrated simple soluble sachets which treats up to 60 square metres.
Treat them now to deal with the problem for the rest of the summer. Don't worry if you have children or pets running around as this product is safe once dry - but remember, always read and follow the instructions carefully.
Roses
It's important to look after your roses so they continue to look as beautiful as possible. Now's the time to protect leaves and prevent aphids from damaging fresh new growth. We recommend you spray them with a fungicide like 'Westland Plant Rescue Fungus Control'. Fungicides aren't cures but they are a useful preventative measure if you spray healthy leaves regularly.
Spray every two weeks from now until the end of the season. It's also a good idea to spray old bush roses with fungicide as they are more prone to disease. Many older much-loved varieties of hybrid tea and floribunda do not have as good disease resistance as many of the newer introductions.
If you've already got leaves showing signs of disease then pick them off and bin them. Rose leaves from last year have been very reluctant to drop (partly because of the mainly mild Winter) if they're not picked off, spores may spread onto new growth and spoil it. Don't neglect the base of your roses, collect any old leaves still on the ground - make sure you bin or burn these old leaves and don't compost them.
It's worth noting that fungus' build up a resistance to fungicides, we recommend you alternate between two fungicide products, one alternative would be 'Bayer Garden Fungus Fighter - Disease Control'. Use insecticides such as 'Provado Ultimate Bug Killer'. This is great for spot treating areas infested with aphids. These products are available to buy at Garden King 
now.
Climbers
It's a good time to give your climbers a helping hand, plants like honeysuckle climb by twining their stems around the support. Sometimes they can twine around themselves - so be careful when unwinding stems and take care not to damage new shoots.
Fan the stems out to encourage the plant to spread. We recommend that you use 'Gardman Foam Tie' which comes in a pack of 10m, available at Garden King now. The foam tie will hold the stems in place without damaging them. Most climbers will be putting on lots of new growth right now so have a pack of foam tie ready.
If you have any pressing gardening questions or need a bit of advice on what to do next, then drop us an email at plantdoctor@gardenking.co.uk or pop in and see us at Garden King Newhall or Bradley.
Happy gardening! x
