In summer, long days and mild nights invite you to make the most of the garden, which faces extra challenges at this time of year. Besides extra watering, there are a number of tasks you shouldn’t forget if you want your plants to grow beautiful and healthy.
Make the most of the cooler hours to take care of garden tasks.
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Early summer is the right time to plant colourful, pleasantly scented flowers that you’ll then enjoy throughout winter. It’s time to plant petunias, salvias and marigolds (Tagetes), as well as asters, stock, baby’s breath, primroses and forget-me-nots, which you can find online or at one of Horto do Campo Grande’s garden centres. Here, experienced professionals can help you choose the most suitable plant for your space and give you recommendations for healthy growth.
An important tip to always keep in mind when planting is to dig a hole that’s large and deep enough, and add a layer of the right substrate for the plant you’re transplanting. This ensures proper rooting and easier water retention, helping it adapt to its new habitat and survive the hottest periods. But besides planting, it’s important to care for it…
To keep your garden a pleasant space and maintain its beauty and vibrancy, there are tasks you can’t forget—otherwise you may compromise autumn and spring planting.
Check the essential tasks for caring for your garden in summer:
Water frequently
With temperatures rising during the summer months, frequent watering is essential for garden care. Water your lawn and plants every day, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, to prevent water loss through evaporation and reduce the risk of pests and diseases. Choose efficient, computerised irrigation systems that allow you to manage water effectively and make the job easier.
On the hottest days, or if you live in drier areas of the country, it’s best to water twice a day—especially if your plants are in terracotta pots. If you’re unsure about the right irrigation system for your garden, Horto do Campo Grande can help you plan and choose the system that best suits your garden.
Protect your plants from excessive heat
To minimise water loss and protect the base of plants from excessive heat, you can mulch your beds by covering the soil with organic materials such as cereal straw or wild grasses, crop residues, tree leaves, tree bark, etc. Also remember that some plants and vegetables are more sensitive to extreme temperatures, so to prevent damage it’s important to protect the soil with mulch (pine bark is a great option) to keep the soil cool and reduce evaporation.
Another suggestion is to place flower pots in cool spots to prevent the roots from drying out.
Harvest fruit and aromatic herbs
Cut off dried flowers to encourage new blooms, and pick fruit from trees before it rots, preventing the spread of diseases and pests. If you want to use the seeds for your next sowings, dry the flowers well in the sun and only then collect the seeds.
Take advantage of this season of abundance to harvest some aromatic herbs and store them for the months when they’re scarcer.
Feed and fertilise to care for your garden in summer
Heat and regular watering deplete the substrate, so during this hotter season, fertilise your plants—especially those in pots and beds. Remove the top layer and replace it with fresh substrate mixed with fertiliser. You can fertilise plants that are still growing, or if you notice there are no new flowers, for example.
Prune hedges and trees
Pruning helps plants and flowers grow as planned, prevents them from becoming invasive, and improves next year’s flowering. Trim green hedges so they don’t lose their original shape, but for flowering hedges, wait until flowering has finished before pruning. Until then, only do maintenance pruning, removing dried or damaged flowers and branches.
Keep weeds away from the garden
Another summer garden-care task is controlling weeds with regular hoeing and weeding. To prevent them from appearing, you can add mulch to your beds.
Watch out for pests
Last but not least: watch out for pests at this time of year! You can deter insects by planting natural repellents, such as aromatic herbs (parsley, lavender and basil), or by spraying with garlic water, chamomile or basil.
Horto do Campo Grande’s team, made up of experienced and qualified professionals, provides a range of green-space maintenance services such as pruning, hedge trimming, garden tidying and cleaning, irrigation system repair and upgrades, among others—get in touch!
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