Flowers and plants in your garden require regular maintenance

A garden requires regular maintenance after the initial planning, designing and planting of the seeds or plants. The change of seasons can have a major impact on your garden, and for this reason it needs to be maintained and prepared for these changes.
Sustaining a flourishing garden requires several maintenance activities, like watering, pruning, trimming, weeding, applying fertilisers and checking the plants for diseases on a regular basis. This issue will focus on pruning and weeding your garden.

Weeding your Plants
Weeding is an important aspect of maintaining your garden. Weeds compete with your plants for water, nutrients and sunlight. In addition, their roots or vines can wrap around your other plants and cause them damage. Weeds also invite pests and diseases and left unchecked, they will thrive and multiply until they have the space designed for your plants and vegetables. Any plant that grows where you don’t want it can be considered a weed. Here are some useful weeding tips:
1. Try to pull out the whole weed, including the root
2. Pull up weeds before they seed and self-spread
3. Use drip irrigation. This method of watering prevents water from getting to all of the soil where weed seeds may be
4. Mulch between plants to help prevent weeds from establishing
5. Use weeding tools
6. Space plants closely together

Getting rid of weeds can be hard but it is also very important so that you can enjoy the repercussions of a thriving garden.
Little but careful attention to weeds and the weeding method will go a long way towards making your garden weed-free and more productive.

Pruning your plants
The two most important reasons for pruning plants are health and balance. The plant’s health is increased by removing damaged and old stems, which in turn promotes healthy new growth. Pruning will also stimulate flowering/fruit production of older plants. How to prune depends on the plant type. Most plants can be divided into three categories: broadleaf evergreens, narrowleaf evergreens, or deciduous plants. Each type has specific responses to pruning. It is important that you know your plant type before you begin pruning and use the appropriate pruning method:
1. Shearing
2. Tip pruning
3. Thinning
4. Topiary
5. Rejuvenation
6. Espalier
The time of year that you prune your plants is also important. Every shrub has its own optimum time for pruning, and its best to check this out beforehand. It is important that you prune your plants with proper equipment, ensuring instruments are sharp and clean.

Garden care doesn’t have to take up all your free time; the key is to identify the problem in time to do something about it before it gets out of control and turns into major chores. Whether it’s weeding or pruning your plants, it’s important to maintain and understand your garden.

Jonathan Mark Garden design service London 0845 4651555