It is no secret that water is great for the garden but to keep it looking as green as ever, there are some other handy hints provided by a gardening guru that will get even the basic of green thumbs stretching out their gardening gloves.
Peter Still from Peakhurst Mitre 10 said as people spend more time outside enjoying the summer sun, the new season means it is a great time to do some work on the garden.
From using the right tools to maintaining a supple lawn, it's important to remember to fertilise to see maximum potential.
Using slow release technology to avoid growth spurts and excessive growth, encourages strong steady growth. This means less pesky weeds coming to light.
Of course the mower needs to be dusted off. Let the lawn grow a bit longer in summer, because it reduce drying out and will slow down excessive water consumption on the hottest days.
Raise the mower to the second highest setting and let it thicken up over the height of summer before reducing it in autumn to mid-level setting depending on the grass species you have.
It is an ideal time to be water wise and check your irrigation system. Broken sprinklers or leaky pipes are risky.
Mulching can help retain moisture levels in the soil. Shredding garden waste will help the process of creating mulch and compost.
Ensure you have a reasonable canopy over the outside boundaries of your garden. This will act as a cooling point, baffling airflow from strong winds, increasing humidity in the garden and shading the ground below. The shade also reduces moisture stress in the garden, which means better water retention and larger lush healthier foliage.
Get those trimmers out because flowering plants need a little snip here and there, particularly roses that will flush growth after every prune and subsequently produce spectacular flowering results.
The only major exception to this rule is summer fruit, such as apricots, peaches, nectarines and pome fruit such as apples, nashis, quince and European pears, which benefit from a structural prune after they have finished fruiting.
Hedges are at their best in summer and this is when you let them grow a little thicker as the extra foliage builds up the inner strength of the hedge.
Don't have much of a backyard? Well it is also the time to give a little extra love to your indoor friends. Indoor plants are positively affected by available light, and summer delivers a high number of bright sunny days. Increased sunlight combined with warm conditions will increase the amount of water your plants require which also creates the perfect conditions for fertiliser.
Stimulate growth by using a controlled release plant food like Osmocote, which will see your indoor plants grow strongly and likely double in size over the summer months.
Happy gardening!
