Gardening is a hobby that many people enjoy. It can be a great way to take some time for yourself and get some fresh air. There are many ways to garden, but there are also many essential tasks that you need to do while gardening. In this article we look at some Summer essentials when gardening in Ireland.

One of the most important tasks is weeding. Weeds will grow quickly in your garden and can make it look unkempt very quickly, so it is important to keep them in check by pulling them out by hand or with a hoe. It is also important to water your plants regularly to keep them healthy and happy. This is most important for any newly planted shrubs and flowers. You should also fertilise your plants every few weeks with a fertiliser high in nitrogen and potassium for best results. Another task that needs done often is pruning the plant’s roots, stems, or trimming where appropriate.

We have highlighted some of the most useful tasks for keen gardeners this summer. Have a read of our essential tasks for both June and July.

June Gardening Tips

At the end of May and into June, it’s all about managing growth in the garden, cutting back where you need to and supporting new growth as it emerges. This will ensure that the garden stays healthy and able to grow. There should be lots more colour and life emerging.

• As growth continues, cut back, prune and trim your bushes, and hedges
• This includes a scheduled lawn mowing session too! We think every fortnight would be just right. You may even want to use this growing season to fix patches of lawn with fast-growing Lawn Care seed. A good lawnmower will make this task much more manageable.
• Early spring flowering plants will be calling out for a trim too. Deadhead flowers where it is necessary to make way for the 2nd round of growth – like roses, peonies and other seasonal plants.
• Start potting where necessary as your potted plants start to outgrow their containers. You can also move indoor potted plants outside for lashings of sunshine.
• Additional staking may be necessary at this stage in your vegetable patch. Allow for quick bursts of growth.
• Remove crops as they overreach or prune back the bottom growth of crops like tomatoes to facilitate the growth of fruit.
• And it is also time to replenish plant feed, especially in the vegetable beds as the new round of growth spurts continues – you may also want to feed garden shrubs, trees and hedging.
• The weeds will be growing too, so build a good weeding practice into your weekly gardening routine. Dealing with moss may also be essential at this time.
• With temperatures soaring (hopefully they’ll soar!) in summer, keep your plants watered.
• Continue watering regularly as a rule unless there is an extra wet summer in Ireland. Nevertheless, make sure those plants in your glasshouse are taken care of.
• Try to use a water harvesting system where possible.

July Gardening Tips

July is a good time to focus on the next round of late-season crops and facilitate late summer displays.

• Remove spent annuals and spring crops. It is also the right time to cut back on early perennials as they start to drop over
• Re-pot containers with late flowering summer shrubs and plants like Dahlias and some Lilies
• Dead-head your plants regularly to keep them producing over the entire summer
• Don’t forget to keep on top of those weeds too especially as they mature from wildflower to seeding. You should weed every 2 weeks at this stage – make sure the seedheads don’t embed
• As the plants continue to grow and climb, revisit areas around them to make sure that there is enough support and that things are properly staked.
• As flowers start to go to seed, they can be structurally beautiful. Why not collect and store attractive seed heads for winter decorations?
• As the temperatures continue to stay high – keep watering in glasshouses and into pots that may not have access to rainwater
• Pay attention to your vegetable patch as fruit and vegetables will need a steady supply of water as they mature. Don’t forget to water your tomatoes about 3 times a week. You may also add feed where appropriate.
• You can even start planting out biennials if there’s space in the garden
• Time to even think about early harvest especially if you’ve got some excellent courgettes or even courgette flowers or cucumbers

Pesky pests will be even more prolific now as there are lots to feast on

• Keep an eye on slugs and snails as they’ll eat up your veggies, and new leaves that emerge.

Start thinking about the next year. Yes, you heard right!

• Actually, at the end of July you should start planning your bulbs for autumn. Put some in now like nerines, cyclamen and lilies to then be ready for next year.
• As we continue to plan for winter, we recommend you start sowing cabbage seeds yourself so that you have time to grow your own supply in the near future.

Drop by our Portlaoise hardware and garden store

We have a wide range of gardening tools and accessories to help you manage your garden this summer. From lawn care to basic tools, we have everything you need. We even have some summer bedding plants to introduce some colour to your garden.

We also stock a large range of garden machinery online

At Millers, we know garden equipment better than most. We know that it helps gardeners keep everything in order. The benefits of using summer gardening machinery are many. With the right tools, gardeners can make their gardening experience a lot simpler and more enjoyable. The following are some of the benefits that one can get from using summer gardening machinery:

– The use of these machines will help you to save time, energy and effort. This is because they make it possible for you to do your work with less effort than if you were doing it manually.

– You will also be able to get better results when working with these machines because they have been designed in such a way that they can meet your needs and requirements. This is not the case when you are working manually.

– The common garden machines such as hedge trimmers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and multi tool sets also make it easier for gardeners to maintain their gardens without having to spend too much time on them.

We also provide an equipment Hire service within Laois to ensure that it is not too costly to access quality machinery.

STIGA 500 HEDGETRIMMER 48V HT500E

STIGA COMBI 955V

STIGA BL530V PETROL BLOWER/VAC

STIGA CS540 16″ SAW