The month of June was punctuated with a peculiar stretch of cooler, rainy weather. Some of our plants are certainly loving it, though it’s safe to say many of us were left longing for a little more sunshine.
With June behind us, our focus shifts to care and upkeep of gardens and lawns, but the cooler weather has also afforded us some extra time for planting.
Here are 7 tips on how to care for your garden over the next month:
- Extended periods of humidity and rain can cause powdery mildew. Check often for the telltale greyish-blue film of mildew and apply garden sulphur or Bordo to the foliage to remedy the problem.
- Some shrubs do not tolerate “wet feet”. Pay close attention to plants such as Sandcherries and Yews, which often suffer when the soil is saturated with water. Root rot caused by excess water has similar symptoms to insufficient watering (i.e. drooping leaves), so always double-check that the soil is actually dry before bringing out the hose!
- Regular deadheading (removing faded or dead flowers) is critical to healthier plants and continued bloom.
- July is an ideal time to prune back plants that have finished flowering as well as evergreens whose size or shape you wish to control.
- When a bloom on your rose finishes, prune the associated stem back to just above the first set of five leaflets to encourage it to re-flower.
- Any evergreens that look a little off-colour this time of year can benefit from evergreen fertilizer (30-10-10) which will help them push out some new, vibrant growth.
- If you still have landscaping projects to complete, we maintain a wide selection of annuals, perennial, trees, shrubs and all the garden essentials to make your garden a success.
Our experienced staff are happy to answer your gardening questions. Or, check out our gardening advice page for further information.