As the mercury soars, and everything grows, it might seem that there’s not much doing in the garden. Here are some handy hints to help your garden stay lush and healthy through the hottest weather of the year.
Water Smart
- Two to three deep drinks a week, early in the morning, is what your plants really need, this time of year – avoid watering in the evenings to prevent leaf mildew.
- Using a rake, aerate the soil before watering, being careful to avoid roots! This helps moisture penetrate deeper, and also encourages plants to put down deeper roots.
- Mind you give your potted plants more frequent, shallow drinks, though – over-watering will just leach the soil.
Tea, Tea, More Tea
- Use a variety of teas — seaweed tea, compost tea, worm tea and even manure tea to nourish those growing plants.
- Be mindful, though, of the difference between teas and extracts: Teas have been allowed to brew, long and deep, whereas extracts are decanted after allowing the ingredients to steep for a day or two. This makes teas more nourishing, in general, than mere extracts.
Hardy Beauties
- It may seem far too hot for delicate blooms, but despair not – there are some hardy ones that can brave the sun and still dazzle the eye!
- Sunny gardens with afternoon shade will support hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), the heady-scented gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), showy wax begonia (Semperflorens cultorum) and the brave cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus).
- For patches that bear the full brunt of the harsh Australian sun, native varieties like grevillea (Grevillea robusta), banksia (Banksia spinulosa) and the delightfully feathery mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus) are gorgeous choices.
If you’re heading out for the holidays, let us know if you’d like Top Cut to maintain your garden during your absence!
Don't forget, we at Top Cut are always here to assist with your gardening needs