An ideal summer gardening plan is essential if you want your garden to survive the scorching heat. As with any hobby, gardeners have their own unique ways of celebrating summer.
For instance, while many parts of the south and centre bake dry, the humidity is revitalized by soaking storms. However, the rest of us face typical summertime difficulties, such as prioritizing garden maintenance over holiday celebrations.
The summer months are one of the best time of the year for many of us. Theta te ideal for spending time in your green outdoors, tending to your garden. Get ready to put on your summer gardening gloves. It’s time to work this summer with some insider secrets from the gardening tips world that you probably haven’t heard before.
Let’s get into this!
Plant Sunflowers
Sunflowers are a fantastic choice for summer gardening since they thrive in high temperatures, are resistant to pests, and attract both pollinators and birds with their colourful blooms that last throughout the season. They are both aesthetically pleasing and useful since their seeds (and oil) can be used to feed birds and humans.
You can find a sunflower variety that works for your garden from the many now available. Pick from varieties that stay small in the garden or grow into towering specimens, ones that generate abundant pollen for pollinators or are pollen-free (ideal for bouquets). Also, those that produce edible seeds.
Avoid Overwatering Your Garden
The proximity of your new garden to a water source is one of the most important gardening tips to consider while designing your garden. To save yourself the trouble of carrying water to your garden every time it gets dry, prepare ahead and have a hose connected to the location.
By pushing a finger one inch into the earth (about one knuckle deep), you may determine if your plants are thirsty. If you feel the soil is all dry down there, it is time to make it wet.
Alter Your Hanging Baskets
Plants should be moved out of direct sunlight. Plants in containers can be saved from sunburn by moving them. It should be done first thing in the morning or right before bed so as to minimize disruptions to the rest of the plant’s daily routine.
Do not fall in love with a hanging basket if it is not suited to your environment. Also, never try to adapt your basket to “morning sun” or “shade” conditions if it will be displayed in full sun, especially in the full afternoon sun. Moreover, never put a plant in a spot where it won’t get any sun.
Never try to do this at any cost. If you and your plants aren’t happy, nobody wins.
Keep Up with Weeding Your Garden
Instead of putting off weeding, you should deal with them as soon as they appear. The longer you wait, the more effort and time will be required to get rid of them during your summer gardening.
It’s crucial to get rid of weeds and dead plants as soon as possible because they cause problems in your yard.
Weeds spread rapidly, colonize new sections of your garden, and outcompete your desirable plants for water and nutrients. Weeds are simpler to pull out of damp soil, and it’s ideal to have a head start on the season so you can return for short bursts throughout the season to keep them at bay.
Prevent Pests Naturally
Many types of wildlife rarely bother structures or gardens made of wood. But you should be on the lookout for invasive species, and you should raise garden tools with wooden handles, hardwood stakes, and other tempting pieces of timber off the ground.
Keep the soil dry within a 1-meter radius of your home or timber shed to deter them from foraging there. Prevent the degradation of untreated wood in garden features like benches and bed edging. Some materials can be found that are non-hazardous and can be used to construct kid-friendly playsets and even elevated planters.
Deadhead & Prune Flowers
It is still relatively cool in the spring and early summer when many perennials display their full floral splendour. Consequently, as the season advances, you should prune your flowers as much as possible and remove any dead blossoms, leaves, or other trash from the yard.
This gardening tip will help the plants stay healthy all season long, which may reduce the need for pesticides.
Plant New Vegetables
Veggie gardens thrive in the warm weather of summer. The warm summer months are ideal for growing vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and the list goes on.
Plants should be chosen carefully to ensure they thrive in the intended environment, which is sunny. Sun-loving plants should be placed in sunny areas, heat-tolerant plants should be selected in hot climes, and space should be given to vines that spread out and cover a lot of ground when they mature (think pumpkins and melons) (or a trellis to climb)
Succulents, orchids, ferns, geraniums (keep an eye out for the new arrivals Big Red and Big Pink), and summer annuals like petunias and phlox are all great options if you’re a plant and flower enthusiast when the weather warms up.
Stay Safe on Sun
For both your body and mind, summer gardening is a fantastic outdoor activity. The most important thing about gardening this summer is that you do it safely. Keeping to these guidelines will ensure your safety and the health of your garden.
Avoid spending time in your summer garden between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s UV rays are at their peak intensity. Make sure to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays by donning protective clothing. You can also use a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, a water bottle, and broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Always make sure to use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher before heading outside to tend to your garden. The products with lower SPF will be useless under this scorching sun and you might burn your skin without even knowing.