Good preparation is critical for your garden to survive the wilting effects of a Goulburn Valley summer.
Here are three tips to keep your garden thriving and enjoyable through the hotter months.
- Keep the lawn long and lush
Caring for your lawn during summer and drought conditions while using minimal water is possible. Brown, bare, weed-infested lawns are symptoms of scalping, which means cutting lawns too low. It’s a misconception that cutting lawns low reduces the cutting frequency. Instead, mow lawns as high as your mower permits. Longer turf wears better. Fresh lawn clippings are great for activating compost heaps and mulching shrubberies, but only when applied in a thin layer, up to 5cm deep, as thicker layers can burn leaves and encourage collar rot on trees and shrubs.
- Help pots to stay cool
Potted plants, especially those in terracotta pots, are vulnerable to overheating. Lightly mulch and, where possible, position them out of hot western sunshine. Remember standing potted plants in saucers of water encourages root rot and mosquito breeding. Instead, stand them in saucers filled with sand, and keep the sand moist. This ensures roots stay cool and plants remain healthy. If potted plants dry out to the point where re-wetting is hard, soak them in a bucket of water for half an hour, then drain.
- Water early to avert mildew
Water in the cool of the day. The best time to water your garden is morning but, if you water in the afternoon, allow enough time for foliage to dry out before sunset. This reduces the risk of mildew and other fungi attacking leaves, and there’s less chance you’ll get caught by the evening shift of mosquitoes or sandflies. Mildew frequently attacks roses, pumpkin, melon, zucchini and cucumber.
Also, do hard work when it’s cool
It’s safer, and you’re more likely to do a better job, if you complete energetic work such as mowing in the cool of the day – such as before 10am. A good drink of water and a smear of sunblock are prerequisites, because that one five-minute job often leads to another, and another.
