It’s
finally summer — what better time to focus on your garden! A good garden can
enhance the enjoyment of any delightful weather, so why not take some time to
give it a bit of tender love and care. If you’re looking to spruce up your
spruces, remember the words of Rudyard Kipling: “gardens are not made by
singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.
Test Your Soil
Many
people don’t know that they can actually send samples of their soil to be
tested, but it’s a great idea if you’re looking to populate your garden with
some new arrivals. It’s recommended that you test your soil every 3-5 years as
the nutrients will require specific fertilizer use and guide which plants are
suitable for planting — e.g. if your soil is naturally acidic, it might be time
for a hydrangea. Check out the Extension Service website of your state for
instructions about how to send your soil sample for testing.
Pruning
Pruning doesn’t need to be done
to every plant, but some woody plants and trees really benefit from it. You
should start by pruning broken and damaged parts of plants throughout your
garden. If you have evergreens, try to cut back any growth you see fit, as long
as it isn’t the initial growth associated with a new evergreen. Don’t prune
back any shrubs that bloom in summer, but if you have early flowering shrubs
like lilac or quince, summer is a far preferable time to prune compared to
spring, when you might cut off flower buds you don’t see. Make sure your
pruners are nice and sharp.
Trim Your Trees
Tree trimming is specialized pruning for trees
and you might want to get some professional help if you want to tackle bigger
branches, as they may increase your risk of injury. If you have a tree with
branches that are starting to decay, perhaps from moss or insect infestations,
removing a branch is essential to revitalize the tree, like amputating a limb
to stop a disease from spreading up the body.
Choose perennials or plants with lots of roots
Annuals
tend to have short or shallow root systems, which can lead to them drying out
easily if the summer heat is particularly intense. If you choose plants like
perennials or biennials, you can protect against those sorts of desiccations.
If you buy heat resistant plants you will also have the
added benefit of having to work less in the heat as you will only need to water
them from time to time.
Protect your seedlings
Use
a shade cloth to protect young and fragile seedlings from the heat in their
all-important early days. Shade cloth is an easily available piece of equipment
that you can get from many different garden or home stores, but be sure to come
prepared with information about the type of seedling or starter plant that you
want to protect so you can be recommended the right grade of shade, as many different
grades are available.