Your guide to summer gardening
Hyderabad: Summer is a challenging season for most gardening enthusiasts. From watering to pruning, many gardeners are at a loss about the best way to care for their garden during the long days of summer.
One of the most imperative things to do during the summer is to ensure your plants are watered timely. The best way to water is to apply water slowly for a long enough duration to moisten soil to a depth of 12 inches. Applying the water slowly allows it to permeate into the soil rather than running off across the soil surface. Deep watering encourages deep rooting, while shallow watering promotes shallow roots that grow in hot, dry surface soils.
Also, early morning is the best time to water the plants. Adding nutrients to the plants is also very necessary to keep them healthy.
Many people do not have the luxury of a garden, and thus maintain terrace or balcony gardens of potted plants. The pots need cooling too. Potted plants, especially those in terracotta pots, are vulnerable to overheating. Lightly mulch and, where possible, position them out of hot sun.
Potted plants in saucers of water encourages root rot and mosquito breeding. Instead, stand them in saucers filled with sand, and keep the sand moist. This ensures roots stay cool and plants remain healthy.
Lawns are the most difficult to maintain during summer. Brown, bare, weed-infested lawns are symptoms of scalping, which means cutting lawns too low. It’s a misconception that cutting lawns low reduces the cutting frequency. Instead, mow lawns as high as your mower permits. Longer turf wears better and the thick sward suppresses pernicious weeds.
Freshly-planted vegetable and flower seedlings are likely to need a bit of sun hardening. Shelter them with 50 per cent shadecloth, old net curtains, dead palm fronds, or leafy branches for a week or two. This helps them establish without harm.
Happy ganderning!
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