Summer is a very busy period for most gardeners, lots to do, including maintenance, planting and watering. The growing months of May, June, July and August is a very challenging period, if left unchecked, a garden can rapidly deteriorate. Weeds can quickly become established and spoil the lawn and planted areas, plants especially potted and container plants can wilt and die if not adequately watered and shrubs, trees and climbers can become very untidy if not pruned / clipped.
The following tips for each month provide useful checks to ensure that your garden remains in good condition and leaving you more time to enjoy the fruits of your labour:
May
- All spring flowering shrubs can now be pruned
- Trim lawn edges along planted borders, paving and pathways
- May is when lawn growth is most vigorous and ideal time for feeding & weeding
- As the risk of frost recedes, May is a good time for planting up summer bedding in window boxes, hanging baskets and containers
June
- Check hanging baskets and containers daily and water as necessary
- June is a great month for the vegetable garden (lettuce, cabbage etc), herbs planted now quickly establish
- Clip hedges especially fast growing type
- Apply a feed rich in nitrogen to your green vegetable area and a general fertiliser to ornamental planted beds
July
- Apply a mulch to planted areas to help conserve moisture in soil
- Continue with garden weeding, feeding and dead head faded blooms
- July can be a dry period, potted plants will require regular watering and feeding
- A good time to take cuttings from soft shoots
August
- Check any new shrubs and trees recently planted for dryness
- Prune any summer flowering shrubs which have finished flowering
- Trim hedging now to allow new growth to harden up in time ahead of winter
- Apply a nitrogen rich feed to restore a lush green look to lawns which appear pale and off colour
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