Summer Tips

 

Fertilizing

By keeping your garden healthy, there is less stress for your plants, enabling them to cope better with the summer heat. You and I need to eat to survive and so do plants. Use All Purpose Fertilizer, or a liquid variety, depending on your situation, remembering that liquid fertilizers do not last as long in the soil, hence you can use them every 2 weeks or so. Fertilize your lawn, a little and often, rather than once or twice a year. Use a lawn fertilizer high in nitrogen (the greening element) for established lawns, and a lower one for new lawns, this will prevent the new fresh roots from “burning”.

Soil-wetter

Check there are no puddles on your garden beds or lawn area when watering. Apply a soil-wetter if this occurs. This will take your water down to the root system where it is needed.

Mulch or else ...

It is of the utmost importance that mulching is done now. Failing to mulch is planning to kill plants in summer! Long hot summer days require a minimum mulch of 50cm (2”) depth. Keep adding mulch to your garden beds, this protects the roots of plants and helps you conserve water by keeping the soil underneath cooler.

Short Lawns need more Water

Raise the cutting blade on your lawn mower so you are not cutting so close, keep the grass a little longer over summer, to help the root system retain it’s moisture when water restrictions are in place as in areas like Perth.
The grass blades being longer actually shade the root system, thus keeping them cooler.

Roses

Roses always need “deadheading”, as the old flowers fade and fall, keep them cut back, to promote new growth and new flower buds. Fertilize with rose food or all-purpose fertilizer, keeping the developing root ball happy and healthy.

Check for "Powdery Mildew", control with fungicide.

Pests to check for

(see "Pests" in the Fact Sheet section)