Get on top of these Top jobs in the garden this summer!

The garden is a never-ending cycle of growth, dormancy, and regeneration. As soon as one season ends, another begins. And so, even though we are just emerging from the cool, damp slumber of Spring, there are already jobs to be done in the garden.

Give your attention to:

• Watering – Summer heat means gardens need more frequent watering to keep plants healthy. Prioritize watering in the morning and focus on the roots.
• Mulching – Apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch like wood chips or bark around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Replenish existing mulch that has decomposed.
• Weeding – Summer weeds like crabgrass and nutsedge emerge quickly, so stay on top of weeding. Pull weeds before they go to seed.
• Deadheading – Remove spent flower blooms by pinching or cutting above a leaf node to encourage reblooming. Deadhead roses, annuals, perennials.
• Fertilizing – Fertilize at the beginning of the summer with slow-release fertilizer to provide nutrients all season. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas that push growth.
• Planting summer crops – Plant warm-weather vegetables and annuals that thrive in summer like tomatoes, peppers, zinnias, and marigolds.
• Pruning – Trim back leggy growth and shape overgrown perennials and shrubs. Don’t heavily prune stressed plants.
• Pest monitoring – Check for common pests like Japanese beetles, aphids, mites. Remove by hand or use organic sprays as needed.
• Harvesting – Pick vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers at their peak. Stay on top of harvests to encourage production.
• Garden maintenance – Tidy beds, sweep paths, repair structures, and maintain garden features. Do general garden upkeep.
• Planning – Assess what’s worked and make plans for autumn gardening and rotations. Order seeds or plants for fall.

Soil Care

Throughout the summer, constant hoeing is performed to provide what is known as dust mulch — a loose surface of dusty soil that prevents the evaporation of soil moisture below. If the soil is firm up to the surface, the sun can draw up moisture and, along with the wind, cause it to evaporate.

Hoeing keeps weeds at bay while also benefiting plants through soil aeration and warmth.

Both the Dutch hoe and the draw hoe are useful. The Dutch hoe is a popular tool because it allows for quick work and hides the operator’s footmarks because it is used while walking backwards. Hoeing should always be done before weeds appear, not after they appear. Weeds do not need to be present if done frequently enough.

In addition to dust mulching, many crops benefit from organic mulching. Peas and runner beans, for example, prefer their roots to be kept cool, so another type of mulching is used if lawn mowings or spent hops are placed along the rows to a depth of an inch or so, and for 6 in. to 9 in. on either side of the rows. Other mulching materials include straw, granulated peat, strawy manure, and rotted leaves.

The Flower Garden

Your flower garden should now be a sight to gladden the heart: flowers galore will be blooming and I’ll give you a tip for having more flowers later on. Most flowers as you know, produce seeds, and the producing of these seeds weakens the plants; therefore, do not be afraid to gather as many flowers as possible. Snip them off with long stalks, and this will encourage the plants to produce more flowers, and will also make the buds which are left on the plant stronger, so that they will produce larger flowers. This especially applies to Sweet Peas.

There is quite a lot to be done this month. If the weather is hot, as is usual in this month, you will want to do a lot of watering, and the hoe, too, should do its task in breaking up the surface of the ground. 

A Summer Garden

The early spring flowers may have disappeared, but other brightly-colored flowers take their places, and your past work should now be well rewarded. There is still work to be done, however. Well-rooted Geranium plants can be put into beds, where they will make a fine splash of color.

Summer is the season of roses and lovely flowers!

Your flower garden should be at its very best. Lots of flowers should be in full bloom, and your little plot should be a riot of color.

First on the list is to sow some summer flowering plants such as marigolds, cosmos, and zinnias. These will brighten the garden up no end and will provide nectar for bees and butterflies throughout the summer months. If you can get a few cuttings or roots of Gold-Dust, which is a kind of Alyssum, they will do very well for your rockery, if planted this month. Lobelia plants can be set out in Summer. This flower makes a very attractive border plant.

The gladioli which you put in your plot some months ago should now be staked; possibly some of the earlier blooming ones are now in flower.

I wonder if there is an old Lavender bush in your garden, or if you know of one from which you can take a few cuttings. Though I call them cuttings, they are really pulled off with the hand, with a little heel. These sprigs of Lavender are possibly the easiest of all plants to strike, and twenty little sprigs planted now in sandy soil will soon make roots, and a little later on you can transplant them to make a sweet-smelling hedge.

Cuttings that can be saved and planted in sandy soil

There is no better time than this for taking cuttings of Pinks; also, Thyme and Lavender.
Both the Pinks and the Lavender should be taken off with a heel, it is best to break them off. These should be planted in sandy soil, and you will find that they will soon produce roots, or strike, as we call it.

Another job to do about this time is to take up the bulbs of Daffodils, Tulips and such-like plants. Let them lie in the sun for a few days, and then store them away in a paper bag.
Michaelmas Daisies usually grow in clumps, and you should take up some of the outside portions and replant them, so as to produce new roots.

Iris bulbs, too, can be planted in Summer, now is the time to divide them so as to make new plants. You can cut the potato-like roots almost anywhere, and plant them, and they will soon start growing.. Also, cuttings of Pansies can be taken and struck in the open ground, or placed in a box of sandy soil and taken into the house for a week or so.

Chrysanthemums should now be dug up and transferred to the place where they are to bloom.

How pretty the hedges now look, with the blossoms of the pink and white wild rose, while the scent of the sweet honeysuckle, bean-flower, clover, fills the air with perfume. The busy hum of the bee and chirp of the grasshopper are heard from morning till night, and the songs of birds everywhere.

Stay on top of Weeding

If you have any annual weeds such as groundsel or Speedwell, now is the time to dig them out before they have a chance to set seed. Weeds are best dealt with when they are small and easily removed, so don’t let them get away from you!

Summer Garden Pests

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for pests such as aphids and greenfly. These little critters can do a lot of damage in the garden if left unchecked. Luckily, there are plenty of natural predators such as ladybirds that will help keep these pests under control. However, if you do find yourself with an infestation, there are many organic methods of dealing with it. You could try squishing them by hand (this works quite well with aphids), spraying them with water, or using an organic insecticide such as neem oil.

Do not forget to spray rose-trees to keep greenfly at bay. Place inverted terracotta flower-pots with a wisp of hay inside, on the top of the stakes of Dahlias, so as to trap earwigs or by putting a small heap of grass cuttings at the bottom of a stem. This will serve as a trap and you will find quite a lot of earwigs every time you take it up. These you should destroy or relocate to the chicken pen.

It would be a good plan during this month to tie all tall plants to stakes, especially tall Dahlias. You will then be sure that strong winds or thunderstorms will not damage them. The annuals you have sown where they are to bloom should be thinned out so as to leave plenty of room for each plant to develop.

Some plants, are going out of bloom, and do not forget to clip off the blossoms directly they start to form seeds. Doing this will give you more flowers in many cases – especially is this the case with Sweet Peas. Deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage more flowers, and tie in any climbing plants or rambling roses that are getting too big for their boots! By doing this you’ll keep your plants tidy and under control, whilst still letting them put on a spectacular show throughout the summer months.

The hoe is a useful garden tool in Summer for loosening the soil about roots. The hoe should take the place of the wateringcan to a large extent. This allows air, sunshine and rain to feed the plants freely. If the soil is hoed over once a week to check the evaporation of moisture, you will be surprised how moist the soil will be about two inches down. The gardener’s motto should be : “The Hoe is the Best Watering Pot.”

Watering and hoeing are the chief jobs in the flower garden this month.

How Often Should You Water Your Garden in Summer?

One question I get asked a lot is how often to water the garden in summer. The answer, of course, depends on many factors – the type of plants you have, the weather, and the soil type to name but a few. Here are some general guidelines to help you water your garden effectively in summer.

Most gardens will need watering at least once a week during summer. However, if you have sandy soil, your garden will need watering more frequently as water drains through sand quickly. If you have clay soil, your garden will need watering less frequently as water drains more slowly through clay.

If we have a hot spell or prolonged period of dry weather, then you will need to water your garden more frequently. The best time to water your garden is early in the morning or in the evening when evaporation is at a minimum. If you water during the middle of the day, much of the water will be lost to evaporation before it has a chance to reach the roots of your plants.

There are many different ways to water your garden. You can use a hosepipe, watering can, or automatic irrigation system. If you have a large garden, an automated system will save you time and effort. I always recommend using drip irrigation where possible as this delivers water directly to the roots of plants with minimal wastage. soaker hoses are also very effective and can be used on smaller gardens or flower beds.

Water is essential for plant growth so it is important to give your garden enough water during summer. Most gardens will need watering at least once a week but this may need to be increased if we have hot weather or prolonged periods of dry weather. The best time to water your garden is early in the morning or evening when evaporation is at a minimum. There are many different ways to water your garden so choose the method that suits you best and enjoy watching your plants grow!

The Summer Vegetable Garden

In your vegetable garden you can sow French Beans for a late crop. Root crops too, should be thinned out and do not be afraid to do this as well, becuse you can never produce fine crops if the plants are crowded. Of course, you will not plant the thinnings; these can be thrown away or added to the compost heap.

Some vegetable crops, such as celery, leeks, and potatoes, must be earthed up in the summer to bleach. This earthing-up prevents the production of green colouring matter in the stems, which in the case of these crops may cause bitterness and, in the case of potatoes and celery, may produce a poison. This type of earthing-up not only bleaches, but also aids in the production of more tender, succulent crops.

If the weather is dry, you should be sure that all plants are watered well, not forgetting, of course, the vegetable garden. In your vegetable plot you can sow seeds of Turnips, Lettuce and Shorthorn Carrots for late crops.

Most crops will benefit now from the application of liquid manure. Make this by mixing half a spadeful of manure in a large bucket of soft water.

Enjoy The Good Life…

On long hot Summer days, enjoy wild swimming – look out for frogs having been just changed from tadpoles swimming about in the ponds. The wild flowers of Spring have entirely disappeared. Climbing plants festoon the hedges. The wild hop, the bryony, the large white convolvulus, and others, deck the bushes with varied beauty, and breathe the Summer’s sweetness. In the fields, the scarlet poppy, the blue-bottle, the marigold, and the dog-daisy, may be seen in abundance. On the roadsides and ditches, among beautiful ferns, may be seen the tall foxglove, the musk-thistle, the wild thyme, and hosts of others, which brighten the day.

So there you have it: a few garden jobs to keep you busy during these long summer days. By sowing some annuals, weeding out any unwanted visitors, and keeping an eye on pests and diseases, you’ll ensure that your garden is looking its best all Summer long! Happy gardening!