It has been a tough summer for gardens and gardeners. A hot, sunny spell is fine if you are at the beach but if you have plants to look after it can be a challenge. And then torrential rain overnight can flatten plants! My own garden is looking tired. Even established shrubs have wilted and I have had to water areas that usually manage without help. Newly planted shrubs and plants have had to take priority. If you are able to water, remember to water in the early morning or the evening and give a good soak, directing water at the roots and never spray water over plants during the day – it just wastes water. Giving an occasional deep water gets water into the soil where plants need it. Sprinkling a little every day makes the plants send roots to the surface, which only makes them more vulnerable to drought.
Our patio pots and baskets always suffer the most and I have had to water some of mine, that are packed with foliage and flowers, twice a day. If the plants wilt they do not always recover and flower buds will be killed. It is one reason I use lots of pelargoniums in my pots – they are more forgiving of drying out than most bedding plants.
You also need to deadhead your plants and feed them. As the plants get larger they need more feeding and I use a liquid fertiliser twice a week at this stage in summer. Remember that you should never put even liquid fertiliser on dry soil or dry compost so always water the pot first to avoid any risk of scorching the roots.
Going on holiday in summer is always fraught with worry for a gardener – which is why I only have holidays in January! If you are away for more than a few days it is best to ask a neighbour to water your plants. In theory you can move pots to a shady spot or take down baskets and put them on trays of water but that advertises the fact that that you are away if they are in the front garden. But make things as easy for your ‘waterer’ as possible. In the back garden move pots together so they are easier to water. Make sure they are well watered before you go. Fill your cans and put buckets of water near the plants to make watering easy and quick and make sure the water butt is full.
And mow the lawn just before you go away so it looks neat. Many lawns will be looking brown and not growing much but the weeds still grow and there will be green patches of clover and yarrow. You need to mow less often and raise the height of cut to remove the long stems of rye grass without putting stress on the lawn.
What to do this week
Onions and garlic should be ripening now. Lift the plants with a fork to break the roots and help them to dry.
Pick courgettes and beans regularly to ensure they keep producing.
Remove lower leaves on tomatoes if they start to turn yellow
Sow autumn crops like pak choi and fennel, endives and chicory