How to Repair Your Garden After Heavy Rains

Heavy rains have pounded home gardens again this week and the rain gauges are overflowing.

Once surface water has disperse what should you do?

Tip: As you do these garden jobs, just be careful where you tread. If you step into soft, wet soil in flower beds, you can snap roots that lie in the first few inches below the surface.

As soon as possible:

Replenish nutrients

Water leaches nutrients from the soil. Treat garden soil with fish emulsion or seaweed extract to top up nutrient levels. Add a slow-release fertilizer to containers.

Cover exposed roots

Cover exposed roots with compost-enriched soil and mulch if heavy rainfall has washed soil and mulch from garden beds.

Empty containers of water

Overturn wheelbarrows, buckets, pot saucers or any container holding rainwater. These pools of still water easily become mosquito breeding grounds.

Reassess fire ant nest locations

Fire ants may have relocated if it has been particularly wet. Follow the instructions carefully and apply a fire-ant bait in infested areas, if necessary.

Eliminate snail and slug hiding places

Cool, moist, dark places such as under bricks, wooden boards or overturned pots are where these garden pests prefer to hide

Weed

Make the most of the soft soil and do some weeding. You'll find the whole root comes out more easily. Discourage others from sprouting by mulching when you've finished.

Aerate lawns

Do this when the soil is no longer soggy. You might find pale or yellowish areas that have developed due to prolonged wet conditions. Wet weather means a decreased oxygen supply in the soil and slow nutrient and mineral uptake. Apply an organic-based fertilizer and some liquid iron to reduce the damage.

Watch for bacterial diseases and fungal

Some are encouraged by wet conditions. Check for any diseased growth and prune accordingly. Wilted tomatoes that do not revive may be infected and need to be removed, for example.

Water garden cleanup

Water gardens contaminated by floodwaters should be drained and cleaned. After cleaning, replace water and plants.

Look for any drainage problems

Beds raised 6 or more inches help prevent prolonged wet conditions that suffocate plant roots. Consider a swale (rocky creek) that will channel and carry water away, or a system that will carry heavy rain toward the nearest city drain.

So - next time it rains hard, you know what to do.

Check out more of my gardening tips at helpful gardening advice online.

What Should You Prune In Your Garden at Springtime?

Knowing when to prune is an essential skill as it helps you maintain healthy, good-looking, and long-lasting plants, which will thrive in your beautiful garden:

March/April - Early Spring

Variety: Semi-woody perennials
Activity: Help produce strong new stems and best flower display by cutting back to about 4 inches
Hint: Anytime during the winter is also OK to cut back these plants.

Variety: Ornamental grasses
Activity: Cut as close to the ground as possible.
Hint: Make the the job fast and easy by tying the top of the grasses together first.

Variety: Summer-flowering trees, shrubs, vines, hydrangea, and roses
Action: Reduce in size if required, also prune out damaged, dead or crowded stems. Now is a good time to prune the plant into the required shape.
Hint: Spring fertilization and adequate moisture in the summer will maximize number and size of summer blooms as summer flower buds develop on new growth. .

Variety: Broad-leaved evergreens (bay, laurel)
Activity: Winter-injured foliage should be pruned out by removing the affected stems.
Hint: New growth will quickly cover cut tips if you choose to use shears later in the spring

Check back in a few weeks for my late spring/early summer pruning tips

Advice If You're Planning a Vegetable Garden

There's nothing more enjoyable than eating your own vegetables, freshly picked from your garden, bursting with flavour and goodness.

With a bit of planning, you can really increase your chances of success and look forward to bumper crops.

Here's some ideas you might find helpful.

Track Sunlight Levels

See which parts of the garden get the most sun. A successful vegetable garden needs around 6 hours of sunlight a day. Put the plants that need the most light in the sunniest spots.

Plan Before You Dig!

It's much easier to get things right first time if you plan on paper. Make a sketch of the area you want to use the check out factors like water, sunlight, soil conditions, then plan which plants you want to put next to each other. This way you can ensure you get better resuults.

Don't Fight The Seaons

Having to protect plants planted out too early is a lot of work, and requires some investment in protective cloches and so on. You can grow vegetables all year round, just pick the plant to suit the prevailing conditions so you work with nature, not against it.

TIP: Don't plant out your seedlings when there is still a danger of frosts.

Don't Buy Unnecessary Equipment

Vegetable gardening can be very cheap. The essential equipment is a shovel or spade, fork, hoe, rake, trowel and some effort on your part. It's easy to get sucked into buying specialized equipment, special fertilizers and more. Try not to spend much on these things, otherwise the cost-savings you get from growing lots of food from a small investment in seeds is undermined.

Improve Your Soil

It is worth investing some money on a good seedling compost, since putting in strong, heathly seedlings helps you to grow a better crop.

You may choose to improve the soil by adding some commercial fertilizer, organic matter and lime.

Keep Watering Regularly

If you don't water your plants sufficiently, they dehydrate, wilt and become damaged. Whilst you can water them again and they look healthy again, a small amount of damage still remains.

You might want to consider and automated watering system, based on a timer and a mechanism to deliver the water such as a soaker hose or micro-sprinklers, if you are worried you might overwater or underwater your plants, or perhaps not water at all when you go on vacation.

Harvesting

Pick the right time to harvest, not too soon or your crop will be too small, or might need time to ripen. Also, don't let things remain on the plan too long, or they will deteriorate in quality as the plants go to seed.

Unwelcome Guests

There are many biological, chemical and physical protection products that can help you keep your plants safe. It's important to keep an eye on any pests that might pray on your plants.

If you've found this useful, why not check out some more of my gardening articles.

Why Opt for Plastic Greenhouses?

Trying to make up your mind as to which type of greenhouse is going to be best for you? It can be a tough choice since there are so many different varieties available when it comes to size, shape, and of course the construction materials. While wooden frames are often chosen because they look so visually appealing, there are many reasons to consider plastic greenhouses instead. Most of these reasons have to do with the structure's integrity and longevity. These are important considerations because of course you want a greenhouse that looks very nice but you also want it to last more than a few years! So let's look at why so many recommend plastic greenhouses over other frame materials so that you can make the best decision for your greenhouse.

Wood Doesn't Last Forever

Keep in mind that while wood looks very nice, it is prone to eventual rotting and this means wood that has been pressure treated and coated. While this might not be a problem for most, in very humid areas plastic greenhouses may be a better bet. That humidity is going to eventually affect the wood, either from the outside or from what it absorbs from the ground.

Plastic Greenhouses

It's also true that plastic greenhouses are usually much lighter in weight than wooden greenhouses and other materials so they can be transported that much easier. You might not think much of this option but ask yourself what will happen to your greenhouse if you were to ever move. Do you plan on keeping it as a permanent part of your home like the garage or would you want to take it with you? Most agree that plastic greenhouses are the easiest to transport since they're not only lightweight but also hold up well against such a move. Wooden greenhouses are more prone to nicks and cuts when they're relocated.

Gavanized Steel

Galvanized steel is the material typically used for commercial greenhouses and while it's usually the best for longevity there are some considerations with this material versus plastic greenhouses. For one thing the steel is very difficult to work with when you're assembling your greenhouse. For another it's very heavy and should definitely be considered a permanent structure of the home. You also may not be able to get the size you prefer in galvanized steel since this material is typically used for commercial-sized greenhouses. And they're usually much more expensive than any other option in greenhouse frames! On the other hand, plastic greenhouses are usually the most affordable options available.

Benefits of Plastic Greenhouses

You will of course need to make your own decision when it comes to the material you choose, but hopefully you'll carefully consider the many benefits of plastic greenhouses. They hold up well against moisture and humidity and are easy to assemble. They're also lightweight if they need to be moved, and typically come in a wide variety of sizes. So when shopping for a greenhouse, make sure you seriously consider your options when it comes to plastic greenhouses