Summer gardens need special love. Searing heat takes its toll on plants just like it does on us, so if you feel like you are wilting, chances are your garden is too! Whether you rely on tank water, natural rainfall or live where there’s a good source of water, keep your garden as well hydrated as possible for best results.
Deep soaking is recommended for trees, shrubs and hedges in the summer – this encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil where it’s cooler. It’s better to use your available water to soak the root zone less frequently, rather than a regular light sprinkling which may encourage surface roots which can dry out quickly.
If you have very dry soil or will be away over the extremely hot period, you may like to add a soil wetting agent to keep the moisture in for longer. Adding mulch will further reduce moisture loss.
When you know extremely hot weather is forecast for the following day, your plants will appreciate it if you are able to water the garden the night before, otherwise give them a good drink in the early morning.
Potted fruit trees and plants require extra care over summer. Plants in pots dry out a lot quicker than in-ground plants and can also rapidly exhaust their supply of nutrients. Check the moisture levels in the potting mix by digging your finger into the top few centimetres. If it sticks to your finger, leave watering for a day or so. If it feels dry and dusty, it’s time to water! Plants need food over the summer to promote healthy leaf growth as well as lots of flowers and fruit.
Deep water citrus trees each week to maintain adequate soil moisture as the fruit is setting for next year’s winter crop and give passionfruit a good deep drink each week as lack of moisture can result in early fruit drop.
Once your summer and stone fruit trees such as apples, peaches, nectarines and apricots have finished fruiting, prune them back to reduce their water requirements over the heat of summer. Trim back this season’s growth by 30 to 40%. The bonus will be that pruning maintains a good height for picking next seasons fruit.