Eating, drinking and chilling outside is what summer is all about. Make that experience a lot more enjoyable by freshening up outdoor spaces and giving your plants plenty of food and water so they look lush and healthy during the hot days ahead.
Here are our top gardening jobs for December but remember if you’d rather us do it for you, book an appointment HERE to arrange that.
1 / Wise With Water
Here are a few tips to conserve water over the summer:
- Apply a layer of mulch or compost around the base of vegetable plants to keep the moisture in the soil.
- Water in the evenings.
- In dry periods apply occasional deep watering rather than more frequent light sprinklings. This encourages downward root growth.
- Pop a bucket in the shower with you to capture excess water.
- Keep grass away from the base of trees, apply a good thick layer of mulch around the base to help with moisture retention and to suppress weeds.
- If you are heading away, move your container plants together in one shaded area of the garden to make it easier for your friendly neighbour to water.
- Add water crystals to potting mix in your pots to stop it drying out too quickly.
2 / Tomato Time
Feed tomatoes once a week with a fast acting plant food such Seasol, worm tea or a liquid tomato feed. Water everyday too. Pinch out side growing branches and firmly tie your plants onto strong stakes.
3 / Love Your Lawn
With the warmer weather, raise your lawn mower up a level. Lawns cut too short, will dry out quickly & struggle in the hot sun.
4 / New Kids On The Block
Make sure that any recently planted trees, shrubs, perennials and roses are kept well-watered through drier periods to ensure they establish well and do not get stressed.
5 / Trim & Feed Hedges
If you haven’t already given your hedges their spring trim, give them a clip now. A good nitrogen-based liquid feed and plenty of water during the hotter months will keep plants healthy and help prevent diseases.
6 / Mulch, mulch, mulch
Avoid wasting water through evaporation by covering all garden beds with a good thick (10 to 15 centimetres) layer of organic mulch, such as bark mulch or pea straw. This will help retain moisture in the soil, improve its texture and of course reduce weeds. Mulches also give gardens a unified look.
7 / Feed Your Plants
December is the peak growing time for most plants. Liquid feed flowering plants such as hydrangeas, roses, and lilies every two to three weeks to encourage plenty of blooms.
