Released On 13th Jun 2023
Keeping Your Garden Healthy During Summer
July brings a lot of changes for the UK, mainly in the weather! It's time for our annual month of scorching weather, where we try to spend as much time as possible in the sun soaking up Vitamin D and developing a tan. That means taking a lot of precautions for yourself safe and comfortable, and the same thing goes for your garden. Because the sun can damage your garden just as much as your skin, so here are our tips for keeping everything healthy.
Water Everything
With hot weather comes significantly less rainfall, which means all of your grass, plants and trees are very thirsty. The heat is causing all surface moisture to evaporate much quicker than usual, giving them less of a reserve to draw on. So you need to water them deeply and often during the warmer weather. It's best to do this in the morning so that the water has a chance to soak into the soil before the heat really starts to set in. With every water, make sure to be thorough and give grass and plants a bit more than you usually would. Don't worry if your grass does go brown though - this is totally normal! Grass needs a LOT of frequent watering to keep that lush green colour. It will bounce back as soon as the British weather levels out again, so don’t panic!
Add Mulch And Compost
Flowerbeds also struggle to retain moisture during the warmer months, and the head can even scorch some plants if you aren’t careful. A good way to prevent this is to add some new compost to your soil to refresh the nutrients and then spread a thick layer of your preferred mulch on top. Mulch is a loose covering of material like bark, manure, compost or even straw that you lay on top of your flowerbeds. It acts as a protective coat, keeping moisture in and allowing your plants to handle the rising heat and hot sun.
Shade Sensitive Plants
Speaking of the hot sun, did you know that many types of plants can actually get damaged by too much direct sunlight or too high a temperature? It’s called ‘sun scorch’, and it happens when plants get too much harsh sunlight and their cellular regulation goes into overtime, needing more water to keep leaves lubricated and able to photosynthesise effectively. Since water is also scarce in this weather, plants can struggle and leaves can start to wither, giving the impression of ‘burnt’ plants. Some plants are more affected by this than others, with woody plants like Japanese maples and acers most susceptible. If you have any of these plants, or you start to notice signs of sun scorch, try to provide as much shade as possible for them throughout the day. We’ve seen people use other plants, gazebos, umbrellas and even muslin sash to keep their plants safe from the sun!
Get Your Shears Out
While you definitely shouldn’t be doing any gardening during the main part of the day (it’s dangerous in this heat), you should be doing some pottering in the mornings and evenings once it’s started to cool off. One of the best things you can do is grab your secateurs out and go around your garden pruning plants. In particular, look at any of your plants that produce flowers, and trim off the ones that are spent or dead. This is called ‘deadheading’, and encourages your plants to produce more flowers, keeping them looking healthy and beautiful for longer.
Watch Your Lawn
A lot of people are getting the lawnmower out for the first big trim of the season, and will keep cutting their grass as it grows over the next few months. Our advice? Don’t cut it too short! Check the height of your blades and make sure you’re leaving a little length in the grass, rather than cutting it all the way back to ground level. This will provide some shade for the soil helping keep it moist and your grass healthy. It’s also a good idea to leave any stray cuttings on the grass rather than raking them up. This provides another layer of protection and moisture for your lawn, plus they will break down quickly, providing more nutrients.
At CMA Garden Design we want you to be able to enjoy your garden all year round, but especially during these warmer months when sitting outside for hours is not only desirable but possible! Understanding how to care for your garden means it will always look its best and minimise the work you need to do to keep it that way. If you’d like to know more about summer garden care, or our services, just get in touch with the team today.
