Having your own garden is rather exciting and fulfilling, but you can’t enjoy it much if you don’t take care of it properly. What’s the point of spending a lot of time and money on decorating and making it perfect if you don’t nurture it? The whole point of having a beautiful garden is being able to enjoy that beauty. Whether it’s sipping tea with friends, hanging out with the kids, or simply enjoying some solitude, your garden is bound to be your little piece of relaxing heaven. It’s time to embrace your new Gardener title and get down to improving your garden day by day with the simple watering and cleaning trick provided below.
1. Change when you water your garden
Watering is the essential part of having a garden. Most beginner gardeners think it’s okay to water whenever, though. The plants still get their share, so what’s the big deal, right? Well, the big deal is the outside factors. If you don’t have a set watering schedule your plants can end up too dry at the hottest parts of the day, or too wet at the coldest parts. This hinders their health and doesn’t aid growing.
This is why it’s advised to always water your plants in the morning. You’ll get some light morning exercise and wake up quicker, while your plants will have enough power to live through the day soundly. They’ll be able to sustain the sun in the middle of the day, but will be dry enough not to decay when nighttime falls and the temperature decreases.
2. Stay away from too much fertilizer
If you do use fertilizer, make sure it’s the homemade kind. Composting is a great way to recycle everything you don’t need from your garden while keeping the premises clean. Of course, no matter how beneficial compost is, you shouldn’t use too much of it. Manure may help your plants grow and will certainly make them greener and more beautiful, but these effects will cost your garden its health.
This is because plants become thirstier and rely on your and water to keep them fresh and growing. They can’t handle too much fertilizer and will start to decay as soon as you don’t give them more water. This leads to water wastage and a dependent garden, which is the opposite of what you want to achieve. Your living ecosystem should be able to thrive on its own, with just a little help from the side.
3. Get rid of pests
To truly keep your garden clean, it’s important not to have any pests in it. Bugs are the most common problem you’re encounter in any garden. Plants are their home, and as much as some of them help keep them fresh and make them grow healthier, others destroy them completely. You should check the leaves and stems of your plants regularly to make sure there are no parasites living off them.
If prevention didn’t help, you should add a birdbath or a toad house to your garden. This way you’re inviting nature to take care of your problem for you. Plus, you’ll get the addition of cute little frogs and beautiful birds in your garden. Another method you can try is to use natural bug repellents. They keep your plants safe and intact but get rid of your problem entirely.
4. Make sure to prune
Pruning is an essential part of taking care of your bushes and trees. It involves cutting away damaged and diseased branches, as well as those overgrown, allowing you to maintain a healthy appearance and life of any shrub or tree. You should get a pair of sharp pruning shears to get the job done more easily, but more importantly, you should pick the right time to do it.
The best time is probably winter or the beginning of spring. Your trees will be bare in these months so it will be much easier to shape them and retain the appearance you were hoping for. What’s more, it will allow them to grow in the warmer months without the risk of becoming overgrown or the risk of disease spreading to other plants.
5. Hose it down
If you want a quick but thorough clean, you should definitely hose down your entire garden. The type of hose pipe you choose depends solely on your preference. Whether it’s elastic, really long or somewhat short, and what kind of extension it has is your business. Whatever you decide, it’s bound to do an amazing job.
Start with the plants. Water isn’t only nutrition for them, it also helps them stay clean and is a good way of getting rid of potential pests. Next, you can move on to your gardening furniture. If you’re a practical person, you’ve chosen waterproof outdoor furniture which can easily be hosed down to get rid of any imperfections and dirt which has inevitably accumulated.
6. Check your drip irrigation system
If you use a drip irrigation system, it’s important to keep it up to date. This involves seasonal maintenance as well as adjusting the settings. At the beginning and end of each gardening season, check if the system has any irregularities. This can entail bumps and malfunctions which slow down the water supply and other mishaps which can end up damaging your system entirely.
As far as the settings are concerned, your plants should have less water during colder periods of the year and more during the hotter months. This will allow them to grow steadily and keep them strong. Your plants are sensitive to the temperature changes so it’s important to accommodate their needs.
Conclusion
As you can see, cleaning your garden and keeping it fresh isn’t as hard as it seems to be. You can achieve almost anything with a little guidance and a lot of patience. Remember that you’re a tip away from becoming the gardener you’ve always wanted to be. Soon, with your devotion, your garden will be the talk of the neighbourhood.
