5 Ways To Improve Your Garden This Summer

Jun 29

Take advantage of long days and warm weather and work on the outside of your home in summer. It’s a good time to reset your garden, work on your lawn and take on outdoor cleaning projects.

Here’s a list of outdoor home maintenance projects to make your outside home space more enjoyable.

Lawn Maintenance

A rich green and healthy lawn sets off a home beautifully and can be a source of great pride. Grass like other plants needs care and maintenance to thrive. Follow our handy guide to help you achieve the perfect lawn.

Lawn care and maintenance simplified is the provision of the essential elements grass needs; namely air, sunlight, nutrients and water. Our helpful tips are centred on these essentials, with some added expertise to help you easily achieve a professional looking lawn. For example, keeping your grass clear of weeds, dead growth and moss plays an important part in allowing sufficient air and sunlight to your grass.

Lawn feed, also known as fertiliser, is absolutely key to a beautifully green lawn. Without this supply of nutrients, your grass will quickly use up the nutrients in the soil and its growth will become thin and pale. There are many varieties available.

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Lawn Mowing Tips

Always use sharp mower blades and don’t cut a lawn when the grass is wet. Using a sharp mower blade will cut grass cleanly and evenly. A poorly maintained blade will leave grass shredded, more susceptible to disease and in need of more nutrients to repair the damage.

It’s best to cut off no more than a third of the grass blades with each mowing. If you cut too much of the grass blade it will take longer for the grass to recover.

Mowing will encourage the grass to expand. When grass is cut, it grows new leaves to absorb sunlight. This helps to build a thicker lawn, which is more resistant to weeds and disease. It is best to mow frequently during the growing seasons (spring, summer and autumn).

Get a Handle on Weeds

With the summer weather, it’s the perfect time to get weeds under control by taking steps now so they don’t gain ground. Weeds can crowd flowers and foliage and steal nutrients from them.

One of the best organic ways to rid your garden of weeds is to pull them either with weeder tools or by hand. A thick blanket of mulch also suppresses weed growth.

Weeds thrive in the heat of summer. Stay ahead of the problem by pulling weeds early and often before they set seed. Use a hand weeding tool or a scuffle hoe that will cut the weed at the ground surface, or, even better, pull the root out of the ground.

Tip: The best, most effective, time to weed is just after a rain, when you can gently pull weeds up by the roots. Discard weeds in a compost pile or trash.

Pressure Wash Patios and Decks

Summer is a great time to spruce up decks and patios using a pressure washer.

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Around The House

Around the house, inspect the exterior for damage to siding, trim, windows and doors. This is the time to note problems and start a schedule to repair, wash and repaint.

Even if you’re not planning to sell your home, a house inspection checklist is a thorough method for understanding the condition of your house. Include exterior structures like pergolas and fences in your inspection. They may need a coat of stain or repairs.

Layer Mulch

When the garden starts to look run down by the heat, add a fresh layer of mulch. It helps plants remain healthy and retain water with the added benefit of helping to keep down weeds.

When you do a quick cleaning in your garden beds, rake away debris, pull up dead or unhealthy plants and fill up any holes in your garden beds with compost around plants.

Then spread a 2-inch layer of fresh mulch between plants. Increase to 3 inches around the edge of the bed. Read more about mulch and remember to use organic mulch options around edibles.