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We will start with lawns; the first and best thing you can do is to cut the lawn a little higher. This has a two fold effect in that it keeps your grass a bit greener for longer and with more grass on top you shade the ground below which keeps the moisture in the soil that little bit longer. Keeping your regular lawn treatment programme going will also pay you back in kind as the stronger the roots the stronger the plant.
Bedding plants are next on the list. Most people massively over plant their pots and baskets, so sometimes you don’t get the best out of your bedding as the roots are all competing for a relatively small amount of space. A few less plants will save you money and will save you watering quite so much. In addition, you can add some of the wetting agents available or which are quite often are in the better quality composts already. They suck up any water they do get and store it better than compost alone.
For shrubs and trees, the mulching I often preach about will reap the benefits now!
When it does come to watering, there are a couple of very simple practices that are so often not followed. Firstly, water (with a can!) early in the morning or later in the evening so the water has the max amount of time to get to the roots without evaporation. Next, it’s far better to water with a good soaking once or twice a week to really soak the ground/compost. Often if you’re doing a little bit every day, you are actually doing your plants no favours. By watering a bit less you are encouraging the roots to actively search out water deeper in the ground, whereas the ‘little and often’ system makes plants live the easy life and never go looking for it; they become shallow rooted and thus dry out far quicker.
Down on the allotment, things are happening at a daily rate now. Any potatoes you have planted will be making their way to the surface or pushing their way up to the sun. All the salads should be close to
making it to your plate too. And don’t forget to plant a few seeds every couple of weeks for salads, carrots and the like, so you have a regular crop throughout the year and not big gluts all at once.
So it’s fingers crossed that we get some rain but if not, don’t worry. Most plants that have had a season in the ground, have great powers of survival and for any newly planted shrubs, the can has not been banned. Check with your water board but bleeder hoses fitted to a timer with a low pressure valve should still be able to be used but check first!
If you can keep the bird bath full as well, our feathered friends will greatly appreciate it. Be careful, many birds are nesting this time of year so if you can leave any major cutting backs or removals in their nesting area until later it will allow them to nest back for a little bit!
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