September 06, 2016

Common Gardening Hacks

As any keen gardener knows, looking after your outside space is no easy feat. Both your plants and vegetables can easily fall victim to creepy-crawlies, weather. Plus, sometimes it's just difficult to keep on top of things. But something every keen gardener does know is the great feeling you get when your garden is looking and tasting good. Don’t let common garden ailments wreak havoc with your hard work – follow these easy hacks so you can run your garden like a pro!

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Soil problems

If there’s one thing that can set your garden off on a bad foot, it’s bad soil. Soil can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. Climate, terrain, and the parent material can all affect the consistency of your soil. If your soil is too wet or too dry, you will struggle to grow anything in it. A great option if you suffer with both scenarios in different seasons is buying some mulches. Mulches are sheets of material you can place over your soil for a variety of reasons.  Their primary functions are to help the soil retain moisture in the summer and to protect from the elements during the winter. Mulches can also come in the form of loose chippings, such as the bark chips you frequently see in gardens. Leaf mould is also excellent at conditioning poor quality soil.

Lawn issues

Maintaining a healthy lawn can take quite a lot of time and effort – which is probably why so many people use lawn care companies to do the job for them! However, there are ways to treat the most common lawn problems from the comfort of your own home. If your lawn has bare patches, try re-seeding these areas and looking after them as if new. The large patches of brown grass that often appear on your lawn late in summer are usually caused by underground grubs. Dig up a section of the offending area and apply a pesticide such as diazinon. Once your lawn is looking healthy, it’s time to preen it. Invest in some good quality gardening equipment and keep an eye out for Gretch discount codes to ensure you get a polished result.

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Snails and slugs

Arguably the most common garden pests are snails and slugs. Slugs in particular aren’t that fussy about what they’ll persistently eat holes in – pretty much anything goes! However, lettuce, celery and potatoes are often favourites, and plant-wise they seem to like dahlias and delphiniums. It is virtually impossible to eradicate slugs and snails from our gardens, so for the most part you will just have to learn to live with them. But, there are ways to minimise their damage. If you’re feeling particularly dedicated, go out on an evening with a ‘slug bucket’ and hand pick slugs off your garden. If the thought of that doesn’t sit too well with you, place copper tapes around pots to act as a barrier against gastropods. Also, slugs have an affinity for beer. If you place a cup of beer in your garden overnight, the slugs will be attracted to it and you can collect them from there the next day.

HAPPY GARDENING