How to water garden plants
Hit us with those questions – we’re in this together!
I’m sure you will be pleased to know that I have continued with interrogating, I mean, questioning, James and here is what I have discovered this week.
Other than a little feed and regular watering, most of our summer flowering plants just tend to do their thing and may just need a little dead-heading now and again but I thought that I’d check with James about the wonderful world of Sweetpeas as I’ve always found them a little more daunting.
How do I care for sweet pea plants? How do I get more sweet pea flowers?
Picking the faded blooms daily can be a chilled, novelty task that can gradually lose its appeal, but this is truly the best way to encourage more blooms and extend the flowering season. By removing the spent flowers, you will not allow them to form pea shaped seed pods meaning the plant will put its energy back into producing more blooms rather than seeds. If your plants do produce any seed pods, do not be fooled by their peapod appearance, they are not edible so please, do not eat them! Make sure that you water the plants regularly at the base and tie them into a support to stop them flopping over. Once they hit the top of the support you can begin tying them in back down the support again. Water regularly with a feed such as tomato food as this will also really help to promote flowering.
A common subject when chatting to our lovely customers at this time of year is watering so here’s a little info/reminder for us all.
How to water garden plants?
The most common way to water garden plants is with either a watering can or a hose. Make sure that you water the base of the plant and avoid getting water on the foliage. Another great idea is using a saucer especially for plants such as Hydrangeas in a container but just be careful that the plants are not sitting in water for too long as many are not keen on being over watered and enjoy free draining pots and compost. Larger shrubs will really benefit from a good soak at this time of year to enable the water to reach right down to their roots.
When should I water the garden and plants? How to tell when to water?
Plants in containers will need more regular watering than those in the garden beds and borders. There isn’t a set rule for how often to water the plants so we would suggest giving them a drink when the top of the soil feels dry to touch. The best time for watering during the summer months is first thing in the morning, making sure that no moisture hits the foliage and flowers and this can then be scorched by the sun. Watering your plants during the day means that the water will evaporate much quicker.
As I’ve said many times before, we absolutely love receiving photos from you all so why not finish off this weeks blog with a couple of fantastic photos sent in by Lorraine. How stunning does her Clematis Taiga look, great job Lorraine and thank you so much for sharing.
Take care everyone,
Lins x