Five Golden Rules For Summer Gardening

Considering it’s the hottest months of the year to be outside, green thumbs keen on summer gardening should first take note of a few of the golden rules. 

Summer usually means different things to gardeners in Australia, as it’s effects differ dramatically depending on where you live. While the Top End faces the annual wet season drenching, in comparison the central and southern parts of the country usually get scorched by the summer heat waves.

However, it’s not just us humans who are exposed to these big seasonal changes. Whether you’re expecting more than a few boiling hot days or the occasional downpour, it’s important to start thinking about summer gardening techniques long before December 1 arrives – so what are considered to be a few of the essentials?

Your Guide To Summer Gardening In Australia

If you want your garden to not just survive summer and actually thrive, then preparation is key, and knowledge is power. While it’s not necessarily the time to prune your roses or plant winter vegetables, summer gardening is all about enjoying the green spaces of your home or property whilst still keeping them in tip top shape. 

Watering Schedules – Above all, summer gardening is all about ensuring your plants make it through the hottest of days. Parched plants will be sure to tell you if they need a drink, particularly if they wilt or turn yellow. Avoid over drenching, and instead stick to a watering schedule of either early morning or late afternoon out of the midday sun. Install watering devices like timed sprinklers if this makes things easier for you. 

Rearrange Pots – Potted plants commonly found on balconies and verandahs are particularly vulnerable to overheating, especially those made from terracotta or concrete. Instead of trying to resuscitate plants that have been boiled, take the proactive approach and rearrange any potential disasters before the peak of summer hits. If potted plants dry out to the point where standard watering doesn’t cut it, soak them in a bucket of water for half an hour and drain.

Plant Strategically – While it can feel tempting to add some new flowers to your garden in the hopes that they bloom in time for you to enjoy the colours, most of the time you’ll only be setting yourself up for disappointment. To keep your garden at it’s best, make sure you do some research as to what is best suited to your climate during summer. As such, heat loving varieties to add to your veggie patch include eggplant, capsicum, tomato, cucumber and pumpkin. 

Top Up Nutrients – Healthy soil equals healthy plants. If there’s any form of deficiency present prior to the hottest months of the year, you’re all but inviting pests, weeds, fungus and mildew to take advantage of your beloved leafy friends. Microbes and bacteria help to keep plants strong, so consider adding a natural plant probiotic to the soil as a means to keep them in tip top shape, and help them to fight off any heat stress or nasty invaders. 

Focus On Retention – Summer gardening should be about working smarter, not harder. Both rookie gardeners and seasoned green thumbs generally worry if their plants are getting enough water, but not enough about ensuring they retain it. As such, mulch stops the top of the soil drying out, keeps it moist, and can reduce watering by up to 60%. It also prevents weeds and weed seed germination, which compete with plants for moisture and nutrients. 

It’s also important to remember that the summer months are not just harsher conditions for your plants, but the same applies to gardeners too. Be sure to slip, slop, slap with sunscreen, wear a hat, apply insect repellent and avoid working in your backyard in the heat of the day. While this may sound like common sense, be sure to take care of yourself while you’re taking care of your plants too.

Give Your Plants A Boost For Summer Gardening 

Do your plants – and yourself – a favour, and give them a head start by optimising your soil prior to planting. By adding a natural plant food like Biotic Booster, this will help your garden to: 

• Provide essential nutrients and microbes 
• Act as a liquid fertiliser to unlock your soil’s potential 
• Drought proof your plants and lower water consumption
• Increase and speed up the germination process
• Assist in protecting your plants from pests and diseases 
• Provide a natural solution that’s safe to use around your herbs, fruit and veggies

If you’re ready to take the leap into improving the health of your plants while minimising the use of chemical based fertilisers this Spring, then it may be time to try plant food and plant probiotics. Our Ultimate Garden Health Pack includes our Biotic Booster, FP-60 Probiotic Spray, and RE-250 Soil Energiser. In each concentrated bottle, millions of natural bacterias are waiting to find a new home in your garden.

Here at Bioweed, we specialise in environmentally friendly gardening products, including herbicides, plant food and garden probiotics, and natural alternatives to traditional gardening solutions. Should you have any questions about how to improve the sustainability of your garden, get in touch with us today.