10 Essential Tips For Healthy Gardens
Taking care of gardens is both a pleasure and a chore. Depending on the size of your garden, maintaining it could feel like a full time job. However, all the work is worth it when you get to sit in a beautiful space on a warm summer’s evening.
If you’ve been working on your garden recently, you’ll know that keeping it healthy during the summer can be difficult. Here are some essential tips for keeping every aspect of your garden healthy and vibrant.
Water, Water, Water
If you want to keep your grass green and your flowers blooming, water is essential during the summer. You should avoid watering your plants during the day because the sun will evaporate most of it and your plants will still be parched. Water during the early evening when the temperature has dropped and the sun is low in the sky.
This will give your plants and grass a good chance at absorbing the water and getting the fluid and nutrients they need to thrive.
Watch Out For Bugs
Bugs can cause an array of problems in your garden. Although damage from bugs may not be evident straight away, the smallest hole in a leaf can lead to disease. When bugs make holes, it leaves your plants susceptible to picking up bacteria and viruses.
A common carrier of viruses are aphids. These tiny winged insects can cause so much stress to plants that they wither and die. If you notice bugs on your plants, find out what they are or call pest control for professional advice.
Not All Plants Are Friends
Do you know what’s growing in your garden? If the garden was planted before you moved into your property, you may not know what’s in it. There are some plants that should be removed for the benefit of the rest of your garden.
For example, Japanese Knotweed will require invasive plant removal. There are also some plants that may look good but are actually weeds. Check what’s in your garden to ensure everything grows well.
Use The Right Fertilizer
Fertilizer is a great way to encourage your plants to grow quickly. However, it is possible to over-fertilize your plants so make sure to read the instructions carefully. If too much fertilizer is given, it can stop the roots from absorbing the water and nutrients it needs and could cause the plant to die.
Your plants may benefit from fertilizer if the leaves are smaller than usual, yellow in colour, or fewer leaves are flowering. You can test the soil to find out what nutrients your plants need most before buying fertilizer.
Disease Resistant Plants
If you’ve experienced problems with disease or bugs in the past, disease resistant plants could be what you need. There are many types of plants with their own defence mechanisms that allow them to protect themselves from disease. Some plants can even give off certain chemicals that reduce insects from feeding on them.
If you think your garden could benefit from disease resistant plants, do some research and look for the plants that will best suit the conditions of your garden.
Plant In The Right Place
If there are plants in your garden struggling to stay healthy, it may be that they’re planted in the wrong place. Some plants can thrive in the sun and find it easy to absorb moisture where they can. Others will need more time in the shade or they could become easy prey for insects and bacteria.
Where you choose to put your plants is just as important as what you feed them. Changing positions or offering more shade to your plants could make the difference you’ve been looking for.
Keep a Good Distance
All plants grow. Some plants can grow considerably so it’s vital to find out how big your plant could get and how much space it will need to grow. Leave a good distance between all of your plants so they don’t need to fight over water and nutrients.
Leaving a good distance between plants in your garden will improve airflow which can reduce the chances of insects. If your plants grow out too far, cut off any old or damaged stalks to improve space.
Assess Your Plants
Before adding any new plants to your gardens, it’s important to assess them first. Look closely at the plant before purchasing it. When you take the plant home, don’t plant it in your garden straight away.
Keep it potted until you have a chance to monitor it for a week and see how it grows. If there are no problems, you can transfer it to the soil but continue to monitor for diseases, stress, or insects.
Keep Pruning
Many plants can grow rapidly. If they’re left for a few months without any care, they can take up more space than you want them to. You should keep up with pruning throughout the year. Whenever you see a damaged limb, remove it.
If you have any trees in your gardens that need to be professionally pruned, call a tree specialist instead of attempting the job yourself. The more pruned your garden is, the better chance your plants have of staying healthy.
Make Your Own Compost
Making your own compost can be hugely beneficial for your gardens. If you’ve started making your own compost, you should make sure to wait the appropriate amount of time before using it. Some materials will compost at different rates and it’s possible to use it too soon.
Research how long different materials take to decompose and be patient when it comes to composting. If you can wait until each batch of compost is ready, you’ll have some healthy soil for your plants to survive in.
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