This is it, we are here! The perfect time to enjoy the fruits of your labour throughout the year in your outdoor space! I hope all of the hard work has paid off, but there is still more you can do! Here is my run down of garden care tips for the summer that will help you continue to keep it looking its best.
Weather protection and watering
In recent years we have had extremely hot weather in the UK over summer time and that has led to a need for extra watering and the risk of hosepipe bans across the country. Its absolutely heartbreaking to lose plants from lack of water, and for environmental reasons we should try to limit the amount of water we use from the tap to water the garden, so my first tip is to obtain a water butt that you can have fitted to your drain pipes at the front and/or back of your house. This is a great environmentally friendly way to water your garden, not only is rain water much better for your plants, (Camillias and Hydrangeas love rain water), but you are also helping to take the pressure off your neighbourhood drainage system! These covered tanks are really good, not only for the reasons I’ve covered already but they are also a lot safer because they are covered, eliminating the risk of accidents for small animals and children.
General tips for watering in very hot weather;
- Water early in the morning or in the evening when the heat is cooler. This helps you avoid the water being evaporated as soon as it is poured.
- Soak potted plants or planter boxes many times a day or move them into a more shady area. As you can imagine they dry out more quickly because the pot has less soil around it. To ensure they are fully soaked, pour until you see water running from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
- Direct water onto the soil underneath your plants, this helps you to avoid scalding the plants leaves with water that heats up quickly in the baking sun.
- Drench the soil when watering, you want to give the soil a chance to retain as much water as possible.
- Mulch! If you have read (my winter blog tips -link here) you will be familiar with this technique already, if not, mulching can be used in winter time to keep your soil warm, and in summer time to retain moisture. The technique entails the spreading of either organic or inorganic materials onto the surface of your soil, creating a barrier for your soil. I recommend always using organic materials as they are broken down by the organisms in the soil thus helping to nourish the soil.
Looking after your lawn in hot weather;
You will have more than likely got into the habit of mowing your lawn regularly, now that it’s well within its growing cycle. I like to keep my lawn very well manicured so I do this once a week at peak season, however, every two should suffice. Here some more tips to help you care for your lawn when it’s very hot;
- In hot weather cut your grass on a higher setting than normal, keeping the grass slightly longer.
- Remove the grass catcher from your mower, allowing the clippings to act as a mulch. This will allow some moisture to be retained in the soil and will by cast some shade from the shards of grass.
- If your grass begins to dry out and brown, stop mowing it all together until the weather cools again and the grass returns to its normal condition.
- Do not fertilise your grass when it is very very hot.
- Water deeply once a week.
- Care for your lawn year round and it will recover from drought well.
Rose care
Roses are a wonderful addition to any garden, whether a small bush in a pot or a large climber. There are a few little things that you can do to keep them in tip top condition and blossoming all summer;
- Make sure to keep dead heading (removing spent flowers) as this encourages more flowers to bloom throughout the season.
- Roses respond well to consistent watering and benefit hugely from being fed regularly. I recommend using an organic fertiliser such as well rotted manure, especially for young plants (chemical fertilisers can burn their tender roots) as this will slowly feed the plant over time rather than in one burst.
- Unfortunately summer brings with it a higher risk of diseases such as powdery mildew or black spot. Be sure to keep an eye out for a white powdery down, black spots on your plants leaves or curled leaves. To prevent these diseases you can make sure all your plants have a good air flow throughout them and once again direct water them into their roots.
Other jobs to keep up over summertime;
- Make sure to continue to weed regularly to prevent them from becoming overwhelming. Try to weed on a day when the soil is dry, as this will help kill off any weeds that you fail to collect up when you have finished.
- Your hedges will have grown quite a bit from march to July so August is a great time to get them back in shape. Use sharp shears or a mechanical hedge cutter if you have a large amount to do. A great tip for hedge cutting is to spread a ground sheet underneath and along the side of your hedge before you start cutting, this way you can very quickly and easily collect up and dispose of the debris.
- Harvest any fruit from your bushes as you go, as well as any herbs that you use in your garden. You will need to keep an eye out for when they need a trim, usually at the end of august your perennial herbs such as sage and oregano will need a trim back and your fruit bearing bushes such as raspberry down to the ground and blackberry will need to be cut back by one third.
This is all from me for now. I hope these tips have helped you, I will be back again with an Autumn tips blog soon.
Racheal
Recent Comments