Essential Garden Maintenance Tips

If you want your garden to keep looking as majestic and as exotic as the day it was finished, then you will have to tend to it regularly to keep it in tip-top shape. Here are a few essential garden maintenance tips that will make your garden the envy of the neighborhood:

IRRIGATION AND WATERING

 

The plants in your garden will need to be watered regularly if you want them to survive. Unless, it’s a garden of cacti of course, then you can skip to the next tip. While rainfall should be able to provide your garden with all the moisture it needs, you should remember that the weather is unpredictable and different species of plants may have different moisture requirement.

 

To supplement rainfall, an irrigation system should be installed for dry periods to provide additional water. While a sprinkler or spray irrigation is a great option for flowers and lawns, drip irrigation and flood irrigation should also be taken into consideration depending on the type of garden you have.

FEEDING YOUR SOIL

Healthy soil usually contains all the nutrients needed for plant life to grow. However, it may become unbalanced sometimes, be washed away or leached, or may simply need a boost in nutrients.

 

Feeding your soil keeps your garden looking healthy all year round and increases the lifespan of your plants. To find the best formula for the soil in your garden, have a sample tested so that the garden store will be able to come up with the right mix to revitalize your soil.

REMOVING WEEDS AND DEAD PLANTS

Weeds and dead plants are a no-no if you are interested in maintaining a healthy garden all year round. Weeds are extremely unsightly and by removing them properly, you can prevent them from growing back.

 

Dead plants attract insects and pests into the garden when they start to decay. These same insects and pests may attack your other plants and bring your garden to ruin.

 

To prevent this from happening, simply pick up dead plants as soon as you spot them and bring them to a separate area for disposal or for composting.

 

If you have large or medium-sized trees in your garden, then you will need to use a battery powered leaf blower to keep your garden looking sightly and reducing the amount of effort it takes to accomplish that task.

 

ADDING MULCH

If you have plants that require nutrient-rich soils, you should definitely consider adding mulch to your garden. Adding mulch, especially organic mulch, reduces the amount of soil moisture lost through evaporation and reduces the probability of weeds springing up in your garden.

 

Usually, three or four inches thick, organic mulches are usually comprised of dried leaves, compost, grass clippings, and straw.

 

Organic mulches are much better than artificial mulches because when they decompose, they add nutrients to the soil.

PRUNING

Pruning your plants is a key part of maintaining a beautiful garden as untamed plants tend to look untidy, unattractive and are harder to tend to.

 

By pruning your plants, you are ensuring that they grow stronger and healthier. However, over pruning or shearing will weaken them so ensure you are privy to the right techniques for your plants before you do anything!

 

ADDING NEW PLANTS

 

Adding new plants to your garden is very important. First of all, they fill in spaces where other plants may have died and will keep your garden looking lush. After a while, you may even get tired of the same plants and wish to tend to whole new ones.

 

These were six garden maintenance tips that will keep your garden looking full of life! Which tip worked best for you?