5 Summer Gardening Jobs
As the weather begins to offer more prolonged sunshine and warmth, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to getting your garden looking kept for the summer. If you want to optimise the amount of time available for deckchair sleeping and barbeques, then we suggest you get these 5 tasks out of the way at the start of summer!
- Water - Your potted plants, lawn, flower beds, they will all need watering regularly to help them cope with the dry heat of summer. Always be aware of the rules for hosepipe usage in your area, however, aim to water your lawn every 7 to 10 days, and your potted plants and flower beds every 1 to 2 days.
- Trim your tomatoes - As soon as the tomatoes have four flowering trusses (clusters of small stems that eventually yield fruit), snip off the tops of the plants to prevent any more. By the end of July, start to remove leaves, especially those emerging from between the vertical stem and the main branches of the plant, leaving tomatoes and nothing else. All of this pruning will reduce the amount of water your plant needs to help them remain free of fungal infections too.
- Deadhead - deadheading will encourage new flowers to grow and will ensure your garden is always looking at its best. this also encourages new flowers to grow, giving your plants a second lease of life.
- Grow salad plants - You can sow salad seeds up until August, so you needn't purchase a lettuce all summer! This is a great way to eat healthily during the warmer months, as well as making the most of easy to grow veg.
- Divide Lilies - When it comes to the end of summer, you can still carry some of your plants through to next year. If you pull up your lilies, you should see that they have developed little bulblets, otherwise known as scales. These can be planted in compost and kept in a frost free environment, and they should come up the next spring. Keep them well fed for the next year and expect flowers the following year. After this, you can divide them every three years.