Gardens take time and attention. Fortunately, caring for one means keeping up with the little things as opposed to tackling the big things. Dealing with weeds and pests quickly keeps small problems from becoming much larger and more time consuming obstacles. While the weeding, watering, and pest control are all tedious and time consuming, the larger problems that occur take a much bigger toll.
Of all the plants in a garden, grass requires the most consistent care. While lawn clippings can be done as often as needed, grass growing too tall and needing to be cut too short sees the grass growing uneven and yellow. While there are variations based on the season, generally grass should have one third of its height removed after each trim. Spring and summer see the most weekly trimming while dry spells can see it slow to a longer interval.
Too much watering is a common problem. People think that watering should be done by a light sprinkle every night. This wets the surface of the soil and encourages the roots of the plant to come to the surface. The plant ends up with shallow roots when watering is stopped. On the other hand, watering should be done by a heavy soak that penetrates deep to encourage roots to follow the water deeper. This should be done early in the morning or in the evening. Avoid watering in the middle of the day. A deep soak in the middle of the day becomes a waste, as most water evaporates.
Weeds and Soil Underneath Them
Weeds are easiest to pull up when they are small. So, the best time to pull them up is after a rain when the soil is damp. Once the top of the weed is gone, some still need the root in order to prevent reinfestation. A lot of weeds can regrow when their root is left in the soil. It is best to remove annual weeds that spread by seeds to prevent them from flowering and creating more seeds.
A mulch over the beds saves a great deal of weeding and watering both. A layer of mulch made from bark, compost, or well-rotted manure keeps the soil moist and prevents weeds from germinating. Also, it gets incorporated into the soil over time, which also helps soil fertility. Spring is the time for efficient gardeners to apply mulch to damp soil, making sure to leave space around plant stems so they do not become rotten from sitting in too much moisture.
You would be surprised how much can be done for a soil that you can’t actually see. Tired or compacted soil yields tired plants. For the most part, the remedy is organic matter sifted or laid in, be it compost, leaf mold, or manure. Mulching on its own may be reason enough to start a compost heap. The prunings and clippings from the garden may be all that is needed to keep the compost heap going.
The tasks that move through the year
Compost is the one that carries a calendar. Spring is the busiest time for a gardener. Spring demands cutting back, sowing seeds, perennial division, and, of course, downright mulching. It is the month that directly demands the most.
Summer is a busy time with lots of maintenance. It involves keeping everything watered, deadheading (removing dead flowers) to promote continuous blooming, and dealing with weeds and grass. Deadheading is a great small task that yields excellent results. Removing the dead blooms prevents the plant from wasting energy on seed production, and it stimulates the plant to produce other blooms. This task takes only a few minutes and extends the life of a flower border by weeks.
The autumn is when the garden is winding down and, surprisingly, a planting season. During this time all the leaves must be cleared from the lawn, the grass must be cut, and the bulbs for flowering must be planted. In fact, most bulbs do better if they are planted in the autumn because the soil is warmer compared to spring and the roots have more of a head start for spring than if they were planted in spring.
Winter is the most relaxing season of gardening maintenance. It is time for a few small tasks. It is time to prune shrubs, fix fences and other structures, and have a watchful eye to make sure nothing is waterlogged. Aside from these, it is a time to leave the garden quiet and plan for the upcoming year.
There is no need to strive for perfection in the garden. A garden with year around maintenance that is done for short periods, and low time investment, is superior than a garden that receives a huge time investment for maintenance during two seasons with a lot of in between neglect.