5 tips for gardening in the summer

Have you been concerned about your garden during the last few weeks? You wouldn’t be the only person. If it’s not entertaining the kids with a paddling pool or cooling the dog down on a cooling mat, the next thing that’s demanding your attention outside is the garden itself. There’s always a lot going on during the summer months. We understand it can be difficult to focus your attention on saving water. But it’s the most important time of year to do so. So, let’s talk about quick methods for saving water and keeping the garden in good condition. 

Summer garden tip 1: Keep on top of weeds 

During the summer months, weeds thrive. You may have already noticed a fair few popping up in your patio or driveway. Even in the best well-kept gardens, weeds can be a problem. Why are they a problem? Often because they grow faster than other plants and take all the nutrients from the soil that your garden needs. Some can be invasive and even harmful to your plants while others simply overshadow them and hide them from pollinators.  

Getting rid of weeds sounds like a simple summer garden tip. But when it comes to keeping on top of them, you want to make sure you cut out any regrowth. Using sprinklers or hosepipes that spray water everywhere can encourage weeds to grow back by enriching the soil. So be precise with any watering you do. We believe the best method for this is using a watering can. You can control the volume of water and it’s placement. Avoiding weeds. 

Summer garden tip 2: It’s time to use your compost! 

If you started a compost with Greenredeem a few months ago, you will have really benefitted from the warmer weather. Heat speeds up the process of composting and mid-summer is a great time to spread a new layer of nutrients into the soil. If you haven’t started a compost, it’s not too late. Check out our blog which will give you tips for creating a compost no matter how much space you have. 

During the summer it’s no surprise that your garden will struggle to get essential nutrients. That’s why it’s the perfect time to add an extra layer of compost. It means you don’t need to rely on water as much to get nutrients into your soil. You can use a combination of both – reducing your need to water the garden as often when the days reach scorching temperatures. 

Tip #3: Timing your water schedules 

You may be tempted on a sunny afternoon to start watering your garden. But that won’t help. Think of it this way, you want water to soak into the soil so that the greenery stays hydrated for longer. If you create a puddle of water in the height of the day, it’s dried up within the hour. However, if you there’s a puddle late at night, there’s every likelihood that it will be there in the morning. So, when it comes to watering your garden leave it until the evening to give plants as long as possible to soak up the hydration. 

Due to this type of timing, we suggest when the sun starts going down, you collect water in your home. It might be water used to boil vegetables and cook dinner, a few litres from the paddling pool or it could be leftover drinks from the day. Recycle as much water as you can from your home into your garden before filling up the watering can. 

What to do if you’re going on holiday 

Most of us will be heading off on holiday throughout the summer. But before you start investing in a timed irrigation system, there are far more innovative ways to ensure your garden gets the hydration it needs while you’re away. The problem with a timer and a sprinkler, is that it will come on every single day – no matter what. Potentially wasting water. You want your plants to be watered as much as they need, but not excessively. 

There are plenty of ways to do this but setting up self-watering systems is the best way. There are plenty of tutorials online to choose from, but our favourite way is to reuse old plastic bottles of water. It’s a great way to reduce your waste and they can be easily hidden throughout the flower beds. Just pop some water in them, drill a few holes in the lid and reattach, tip it upside down and bury the top, then let the water slowly drain into the soil. 

Summer garden tip #5: Make the most of mulch 

Keeping moisture in the soil is the top priority. Not only is it the best way to care for a summer garden, but by keeping moisture in the soil for as long as possible – it means you won’t need to water it as much, saving you every single drop possible during the summer. 

Mulch is an incredibly useful tool to help keep moisture in your soil. Mulch is a loose covering and often appears like pieces of bark and chunky soil. It allows water to flow down into the soil below but then provides a covering, preventing it from evaporating. You can imagine how during summer, it’s perfect for keeping your plant beds moist. 

If you’re trying to keep your summer garden looking vibrant and colourful, don’t flee to your hosepipe and sprinkler. These tips are the perfect balance between looking after your summer garden and keeping your water usage from skyrocketing. Combine these gardening tips with our ideas on how to have summer fun with water in last week’s blog and you’ve got yourself a water-efficient summer – enjoy!