Summer Gardening Tips and Tricks
The summer months are a busy time for gardeners, as gardening offers a great opportunity to enjoy those long, warm days and evenings. Despite most of the planting of flowers and vegetables being done earlier in the spring, there is plenty to be done over the summer.
May and June are ideal times for bedding plants to be planted out, raising foliage plants, and sowing several outdoor seed varieties, including Alstroemeria, Achillea, Arabis, Canterbury Bells, Coreopsis, Erigeron, Myosotis and Sweet William.
Weather can be unpredictable during these months, so during May, you want to protect more vulnerable plants with a horticultural fleece, which you can remove in June. As the threat of frost should have passed by June, it is the ideal time to plant bedding plants grown under cover either into borders or into hanging baskets and containers.
Late-flowering Annuals
Throughout May, you should sow late-flowering annuals such as Nasturtiums under glass. You can expect them to flower from August onwards if you sow them in early May.
You may also want to sow fast-maturing annuals, like Clarkias and Calendulas. You will be able to enjoy them blooming throughout the summer, which will add an extra splash of colour to your garden. Don't forget to add some water gel crystals and slow-release fertiliser to your compost when planting.
Who doesn't love a Dahlia? Use your time in May to plant Dahlia bulbs, but protect them from slugs. This will also work with your regular gardening jobs of watering, mowing and weeding.
Don't forget to spruce up your window boxes too.
Check that you have enough topsoil before doing this to ensure a smooth and easy process.
Tidy Up
June is usually a time for you to dedicate a few minutes to tidying up parts of your garden.
Dead foliage should be removed from spring flowering bulbs, excluding daffodils and tulips, which should be left a little longer to die back naturally.
Trim or throw away any faded plants and keep on top of your weeding, with a particular focus on your borders and beds.
Install Protection
Fruits bushes and trees should be inspected carefully to check for pests and diseases and treated if necessary. Soft fruit bushes, such as currants and strawberries, should be protected by a fruit cage or netting to prevent birds from eating the fruit.
Carrots should be protected from carrot fly, and cabbages from caterpillar damage by covering them with protective materials.
If you are keeping some plants in a greenhouse to keep them safe, they need to be kept well-ventilated during the day as extreme variations in temperature could adversely affect the fruiting of tomato plants. In addition, tapping the flowers of greenhouse tomatoes will improve pollination.
Uncover Fruit and Vegetable
Strawberry bushes that have been kept under glass should now be uncovered so that pollinating insects can gain access to them.
Vegetables such as brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, marrows, runner and French beans that have been grown in a greenhouse should also now be planted out.
Don't forget to keep them hydrated and keep the soil as moist as possible. If you have vegetables like marrows, peppers, tomatoes and courgettes, ensure that these are hardened off before you look to plant them outside.
Mow Grass Regularly
May is the start of the mowing season, and you will need to mow your grass more regularly and ensure that your mower blades are kept sharp.
Water Regularly
May through September can be hot and dry, so remember to water plants regularly to avoid wilting.
To aid drainage, a layer of gravel or shingle is a great solution that also offers a touch of style and texture to your garden area!
Renovate Your Garden
Summer is also a great time to landscape your garden by adding some raised plant beds using sleepers or even fitting a paved section to create the perfect space for garden furniture.
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