Maintaining a Lush Garden This Summer: Top Garden Maintenance Tips

Let’s talk about summer garden maintenance! In the summer, we are usually blessed with good weather and optimal time to enjoy our outdoor spaces. However, with the bouts of good weather, our plants are much more likely to grow and need maintaining on a more regular basis. To ensure our gardens remain lush and in good shape, we have put together this list of the most essential maintenance tips that you should consider this summer season.

Watering Wisely For A Thriving Summer Garden

The summer is all about enjoying the summer sun – and the same goes for our plants! In hotter months, your garden will see an increase in heat and sunlight, meaning your greenery may need more water to remain hydrated. In the summer, your professional gardening team may recommend changing your watering schedule, increasinging it to quench your plant’s thirst. However, it’s important to not overwater your garden or at the wrong time of day. 

Watering your plant’s deeply but less frequently is great for encouraging deep root growth and drought tolerance. It’s also important to monitor the heat throughout the day. In the early morning, before the sun is high in the sky, is one of the best times to water your garden. Alternatively, you can wait until the sun has set in the evenings. This will massively reduce the chance of water loss due to evaporation.

Why Mulching Matters

Mulching your plants is important all year round – especially in summer. Mulch can be applied around plants to conserve water and regulate the soil temperature. Mulch is also known for keeping weeds at bay and ensuring your plants thrive, no matter the season. Before applying mulch to your garden, we would suggest speaking to your professional gardening team. Mulching too early can present dangers such as the spreading of mildew and fungus.

Pruning and Deadheading Your Plants

One of the top ways to prepare your garden for a new season of growth is to stay ahead of maintenance tasks. Pruning and deadheading your plants can help in removing old blooms or spent flowers. 

This will encourage new blooms to form throughout the summer season. Here at BZ Gardens, we understand how daunting garden maintenance can be. Our team of friendly experts can assist in pruning back any overgrown plants and removing damaged branches. This will not only assist in getting your healthy plants ready for summer, but it also allow you to get back to enjoying your garden in the sun. 

Fertilising Your Garden Appropriately

‘Great soil health is a combination of structure, water retention and availability of nutrients” and that is where fertilisation comes in. Feeding plants with a balanced fertiliser provides them with all the necessary nutrients that will be required for healthy growth. Fertiliser is typically separated into two different types; organic feed and inorganic feed. Organic fertilisers are made from all natural plant sources or animal origins such as compost, manure or plant-based fertilisers. 

These are great for offering slow-release nutrients, over a long period of time. Whereas inorganic feed is more synthetic.These give a much quicker hit of nutrients, but will need to be applied to your plants more regularly – particularly with the growth of summer. No matter what fertiliser you choose, it’s important to not over-fertilise your plants. An excessive amount of fertiliser can actually harm your greenery and even contribute to environmental pollution. 

Pest and Disease Management

Let’s talk about summer pests. In summer, slugs and snails will appear more often. As it gets hotter, these unwanted visitors will look for moist environments in which they can hide out in. Snails and slugs tend to chew through stems, leaves and flowers which can hinder your plants growth massively. But, what is the best way to get rid of these pests? Create a healthy ecosystem, which invites their natural predators in – birds! This can be ‘hedges, shrubs (especially those with berries) and trees will all attract birds such as blackbirds and thrushes, which eat slugs and snails’.

It’s important to keep a close eye on your garden space and regularly check for signs of pests and diseases. If you happen to find any disease ridden plants, we would recommend removing them straight away. By practising good sanitation, you can prevent the spread amongst your other plants.

Provide Shade and Shelter To Your Delicate Plants

‘Having shaded spots throughout your garden is a must – particularly when you are trying to escape the summer heat’ and the same goes for our plants. Much like us, our more delicate plants may require solace from the warmth. Shade can protect sensitive plants from receiving too much intense sunlight. This can reduce the changes of heat stress and provide that much needed slice of shade. 

But, how can you spot heat stress in plants? Keep an eye out for any leaf rolling, cupping, wilting, blossom or fruit drops, sunscalds or bolting. If you need help identifying these telltale signs, you can always contact our team today for more gardening advice. 

To protect your plants, we would recommend adding some spots of shade throughout your garden. This can be easily done by using shade clothes, umbrellas or planting taller species of plants or trees nearby to create a natural shade. 

BZ Gardens – Maintaining Your Summer Garden

If you are looking to sit back and enjoy your garden this summer, our team of friendly professionals are on standby to assist you in all your maintenance needs. With the summer providing an optimal time for growth, we understand that staying on top of gardening tasks can be time consuming. Whether you are looking for general maintenance, green waste disposal or even a redesign of your garden space for the new season, we are here to help. Contact our team today to speak to one of our experts.