Plant seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, celery, leek, silverbeet, beetroot and lettuce.
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Rhubarb needs plenty of water during this hot weather as well as a fertiliser high in nitrogen to produce tender stems.
Dig in peas and beans that have finished.
BLOOMING BUSINESS
Summer prune roses to stimulate a late display.
Take cuttings of azaleas, camellias, daphne, fuchsias and hydrangeas.
Petunias can be cut back after the main flowering to encourage more blooms.
Sprinkle some blood and bone over straw mulch to supplement the nitrogen loss caused by the soil bacteria when breaking it down.
Don't plant azaleas too deep as they can suffer from collar rot, especially in heavy, wet soils.
These colourful small shrubs are the perfect choice for a position that receives filtered sunlight and protection from the hot summer sun.
PERFECTING PEONIES
Brown and/or shrivelled peony buds are usually indications of peony bud rot.
This is why you should not mulch over the crowns with manure.
Remove all infected tops.
Their exotic flowers, alluring fragrance and strong stems have made them popular as cut flowers for indoor displays.
Peony 'Ladybird' is a stunning example with highly fragrant, double white flowers as is Peony 'Madame Jos Odier', a deep rose with double blooms.
HARD GRAFT
Check grafted plants to make sure there is no new growth coming from below the graft union.
If there is it will be shooting from vigorous rootstock and may eventually take over the entire plant.
Rub away soft, young, unwanted shoots or cut them off with secateurs if they are already well developed.
SUMMER STUNNER
One of the hardiest plants for the summer garden is the daylily.
These sun-loving plants grow in clumps producing single or double flowers in a vast range of colours in shades of yellow, orange, pink, deep rose, purple and bronze.
Daylilies continually grow new leaves and shed the old ones which need removing to keep the plants looking tidy.
RING OF TRUTH
If you come across a freshly fallen tree look at the cross section and you may find a series of rings around a central core.
These rings not only tell us the age of the tree but also record the changing climatic conditions in the tree's life.
When the season is good with plenty of rain and growth is strong the rings are wider but in stressful periods or when there was a drought the rings are narrower.