Garden Maintenance Tips that Every Gardener Should Follow
Maintaining a garden takes a great deal of time and effort, but unfortunately, we don’t all have the necessary time to spare. While some gardeners have the ability to spend hours in their yards each day, others are lucky to give their outdoor space just 2-3 hours of TLC per week.
The good news is that you don’t have to live in your garden to keep it well-maintained. By following these garden maintenance tips, you can save a considerable amount of time while also keeping your neighbors envious of your beautiful yard.
Lawn Care Tips
Keeping your lawn green and pristine is more challenging than you might think, especially with hot summer temperatures over 30°C and dry climates. Luckily, you can avoid lawn woes by following these lawn care tips for garden maintenance:
Leave Grass Long When Temperatures Rise
The best way to protect your lawn from temperatures over 30°C is to avoid cutting grass too short. When grass is cut short, the sun penetrates the soil more powerfully, which dries out the soil.
For that reason, leave grass standing at about 5 centimeters when temperatures rise to 30°C or more. If you’re serious about your lawn, you can even use a soil survey instrument to monitor the underground temperature.
Timing Is Essential for Lawn Watering
Many gardeners aren’t aware that watering should be done within a specific timeframe. For lawn care, it’s best to water your grass between the hours of 4 am and 8 am.
This may seem early, especially if you like to sleep in, but it’s worth it. If you really don’t want to water your lawn before work, you can invest in a sprinkler system that makes it easy to control everything from timing to duration to water quantity.
Use the Right Amount of Water
Underwatering your lawn can lead to dried-out soil, poor root formation, and discolored grass. Overwatering is just as bad, as this can cause irreversible mould damage.
For water quantity, the best rule of thumb is to use 10 to 15 liters of water per square foot of lawn. An automated sprinkler system can help any gardener deliver the proper amount of water within the ideal timeframe.
Weeding & Pruning Tips
Weeds can have many negative effects on a garden, like competing with your plants for essential resources, including sunlight, nutrients, and water. That’s why regularly weeding your garden is essential.
In addition to weed removal, every gardener should practice proper pruning and trimming techniques. This promotes healthy plant growth, removes disease, and encourages better root formation. To save time, follow these garden maintenance tips for weeding and pruning:
Minimise Available Space for Weed Growth
One of the best ways to prevent weed growth is to densely plant your flower beds. By planting lots of flowers and plants, you’re not only enhancing the beauty of your garden but also making it harder for weeds to take over by minimising available space for them to grow.
Mulch Is Your New Best Friend
There are many benefits to mulching your garden, like temperature regulation, moisture retention, pest repellence, and even weed suppression.
That’s right…the use of mulch can help to prevent weed growth. A 5-centimeter layer of mulch is ideal for preventing weed growth because it keeps common weeds from accessing essential sunlight, nutrients, and water, therefore hindering growth.
Focus on Timing for Pruning Shrubs
Many gardeners are unsure about when to prune their plants and shrubs. A good rule to follow is to prune flowering shrubs immediately after the blooms have faded.
For perennials and annuals, try the deadheading method of pruning. To deadhead your plants, just remove old seed and bud heads to promote reflowering the following season. Simply pinch away the old flower stems that are located directly above the first set of healthy leaves.
Watering Tips
There’s a very fine line between underwatering and overwatering, so many gardeners struggle with this important aspect of cultivating a healthy garden environment. Here are a few helpful garden maintenance tips for watering your garden:
Flowering Beds Should Maintain Even Moisture
Any beds of plants or flowers that are in the budding phase should be kept evenly moist. This means distributing water evenly throughout the bed, and in most climates, this can be accomplished by watering 2 to 3 times per week.
Practice Gentle Watering Techniques
Watering aggressively can lead to irreversible plant damage, so do your best to be gentle when handling the hose or watering can. If you’re using an automated sprinkler system, ensure proper distance between the sprinkler and plant beds to avoid damage.
When watering young plants and seedlings by hand, consider using a bottle top sprinkler system to control water flow without risking damage.
Be Smart When Hot Weather Hits
As temperatures rise, many gardeners struggle to keep their plants from drying out. The good news is that this can be easily avoided with an automated self-watering system.
Another smart technique is to add an extra layer of mulch throughout your flower beds. Mulch is great for moisture retention, or you can utilise dry clippings from your lawn to lock moisture in.
Tips for Gardening Fruits & Vegetables
Cultivating a garden of fresh fruits and veggies isn’t for everyone; it requires a great deal of work and regular garden maintenance. To make the process easier, follow these tips to grow healthy (and delicious) fruits and vegetables:
Proper Ripening Requires Optimal Temperatures
Certain vegetables can only ripen within a specific temperature range. Tomatoes are the perfect example, ripening best between 20°C and 25°C. That’s because lycopene and carotene production stop above 29°C, so before you harvest your produce, pay close attention to the outdoor temperature.
Find the Ideal Planting Location
Most vegetables require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight, so it’s important to plant or transplant in a location that makes sense. You also might want to consider planting your fruit/vegetable garden close to the kitchen for easy access to your freshly-grown produce.
