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A gardening expert has revealed the essential chore homeowners should carry out this September to prevent their lawns from suffering hundreds of pounds of damage.
As autumn approaches, fruits and leaves begin to fall from the trees in our gardens.
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While you may be tempted to simply leave this waste on the ground to rot, James Lewis, an experienced gardener from MyBuilder.comwarned that rotting fruit can cause enormous damage if left untouched.
Dead fruit can attract pests and encourage new tree growth, but it can also lead to all sorts of problems. It can even cause damage to trees or even cause the death of trees.
James Lewis said: “It may seem like an unnecessary chore to pick fruit, but in reality it can cost you much more time, energy and even money if you leave it undone.
“Unpleasant effects, such as the smell it can cause, are one thing – but attracting rats or causing the death of your tree is quite another. Pick up the fruit and dispose of it in a compost heap far from your home, or take it to the dump if necessary. It will save you a lot of potential problems if you do.”
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James advised removing fruit as soon as possible after it has fallen to avoid the following problems:
Attracting pests
Wasps and other insects love rotten fruit. If you leave fallen fruit on the ground, you could get stung or bitten. This will make it harder to enjoy your garden.
Rotting fruit also attracts rats because it is an important food source for rats.
Rat infestations can be expensive to deal with, with pest control costs starting at around £100.
Diseases
James explained that fallen fruit is also a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.
This can spread to trees and plants, causing them to become ill.
Removing a diseased tree can cost over £200. In addition, treating diseased trees can be extremely expensive.
Weeds
If fallen fruit under fruit trees is not removed, there is a good chance that weeds will grow.
This is because rotting fruit provides the soil with rich organic matter, which provides an ideal breeding ground for weeds.
Garden work in September
As September begins, so does autumn. Veronica Lorraine, gardening editor at The Sun, has a few jobs to keep you busy as the summer sun fades.
1. Start thinking about spring bulbs
It’s early bulb season! As well as the more traditional daffodils, crocuses, alliums and bluebells, try snake-head fragillaries for something a little different.
2. Think of the bees
Be sure to continue to feed the bees with fall-flowering pollinators such as stonecrop, honeysuckle and asters.
3. Dig and enjoy your potatoes
The potatoes from the main crop are ready to be harvested. Make sure you harvest them all so they are not damaged by slugs.
4. Change your lawn mowing schedule
Raise the height of your lawn mower and start reducing the amount of mowing you do. Fertilize it in the fall, especially if you didn’t get around to it over the summer, and start raking to remove thatch.
5. Plant new perennials while the soil is still warm.
6. Take cuttings of salvia
It is as easy as cutting a shoot tip above a node and throwing it in a glass of water to see if roots develop. Especially with delicate Salvias that do not survive the winter.
7. Give camellias enough water so that buds will form again next year.
8. Keep removing faded flowers and watering your hanging baskets
They must continue until the first frost.
9. Make pumpkins Halloween-ready
Remove any leaves that are covering the pumpkins so they are ready for Halloween. Also make sure to water them regularly as they are very thirsty.
10. Check your pond
Cover your pond with a net to prevent it from filling up with fallen leaves when the trees start to fall.
You can remove weeds yourself and it is not expensive, but it can be a time-consuming job.
Ruining your lawn
Fruit that has fallen on your lawn blocks the light and air, preventing it from reaching the grass. In addition, the weight of the fruit causes the blade to be flattened.
This can damage your lawn and even be fatal.
After just one day, the fruit can cause the grass to turn yellow and after just two weeks, the grass can even die.
Treating your lawn can be very costly and in the worst case scenario it may be necessary to re-cover the lawn.
Distribution of trees
Leaving dead fruit on the ground will help the seeds spread quickly, allowing new trees to grow.
If you don’t want your garden to turn into a forest, it is best to remove the trees as soon as possible.
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