We gardeners have awaited the cooler weather with great eagerness, hoping the summer’s high humidity quickly recedes into the past.

I find I’m greeted with surprise when I refer to the summer as being relatively dry.

The humidity deceived many. Even my own garden hasn’t had the sprinklers turned on.

I’m paying now though.

I have a whole bed of Gardenia Floridas looking pretty sad.

Fungal diseases such as black spot have kept roses battling, although the dry spell of recent weeks has produced excellent blooms – though the leaves have been decimated by grasshoppers, some are too small to see.

Grasshoppers are a real problem as spraying is difficult, once they know you are nearby they quickly fly off, only to return when your back is turned.

I keep a low toxic pyrethrum pressure pack handy so I don’t have to waste time

mixing up product.

Although some gardeners have found the lawn pesties a problem, I haven’t found the normal decimation from army grub.

Keep an eye out as they still could arrive.

Remember whatever solution you used last year, it is time to change.

Fungal disease has been prevalent in grass this summer because of the humidity.

Therefore if you have brown patches, it is wise to check overnight with the wet mat before spraying for army grub.

If you have lawn pests such as black beetle or grub they will emerge during the night under the bag or mat.

I haven’t noticed citrus being attacked as they usually are with citrus leaf miner, which is indicated with curling leaves.

If this does occur, prune off new growth and spray with an appropriate chemical.

By this I mean check carefully to ensure the product is suitable to your particular lemon or orange as Rogor, for example, can cause defoliation if not used correctly.

March is the ideal time to feed citrus – never use citrus fertiliser on potted plants.

Use a slow release product such as Rapid Raiser, Bounceback or Organic X-tra to prevent fertiliser damage.