Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Growers given tips on summer gardening

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts have been given a number of tips to keep them from sweating too much this summer.

A number of tasks can be done differently or put off to cooler times, according to the Examiner.

One hint is to leave spent blooms on perennials as they are generally not unattractive and can encourage birds to the garden.

Another time-saving suggestion is to procure a soaker hose for long borders, which should hydrate the plants more effectively and save moving a sprinkler around.

Horticulturalists who wish to encourage their plants‘ roots systems to strengthen should also opt to water them less often, but with more fluid, the article states.

Mulching – although an arduous task – will save time in the long run by keeping weeds at bay.

This last piece of advice is also included in another Examiner article looking at how best to tackle weeding in a vegetable patch.

It explained not only will mulch keep weeds away, it should also retain moisture in the soil to help avoid the need for repeated watering.