CLIMATE change

KEEP YOUR GARDEN COOL AND YOUR WATER BILL UNDER CONTROL DURING THE HOT MONTHS

- carol bluc

Instead of working in their gardens during summer, many people prefer to relax in them. Others go away for a lovely long holiday, leaving their gardens unattended for weeks. If this sounds like you and you’re wanting your plants to look good over the warmer months, here’s what you need to know.

1 MULCH IT

Mulching is beneficial in so many ways. It helps keep moisture in the soil, reducing the amount of watering you’ll need to do. It keeps the roots of trees and shrubs cool, imperative for survival in hot weather. It also reduces weeds by not allowing light through to germinate seeds and any that do germinate in the mulch are much easier to pull out. Organic mulches such as garden clippings, bark, untreated sawdust and pea straw are great multitaskers as they eventually break down, improving soil texture as well as doing all of the above. Use them for areas such as vegetable gardens and beds where there is a lot of leaf drop.

2 FEED IT

A good feed in early summer will help keep plants thriving all through the hot months. If you haven’t already done so, it’s not too late! Feeding your garden well will help keep it healthy during its peak growing period so that it can resist pests and diseases.

3 WATER LESS