Holiday-proofing your garden can help ensure that your plants thrive, and your garden remains in good shape while you are away for a week or two.
You can install an automatic watering system or set up drip irrigation to ensure your plants receive adequate water while you are away. Timers and soaker hoses are also useful options but there are lots of easy and inexpensive things you can do to prepare your garden for your summer holiday with these quick tips.
Deadhead spent flowers before you leave on holiday on plants like roses, cosmos, sweet peas, petunias, and pelargoniums. This will encourage new growth while you are away. Even if the growth looks good, it is worth trimming off the flowers so you arrive home to a gorgeous, fresh display, instead of flowers needing deadheaded.
Similarly, harvest ripe fruits, vegetables, and herbs from the garden before leaving. Not only will this prevent them from going to waste, but it will also encourage the production of new growth upon your return.
Remove any existing weeds before your holiday. Weeds compete with plants for water and nutrients, so eliminating them beforehand will give the garden a better chance to thrive.
Apply a slow-release fertiliser to garden beds before leaving to provide plants with nutrients over an extended period, ensuring they stay healthy during your absence.
Douse flower beds with a hose until the soil is soaking before you go away.
Apply a layer of mulch around your plants to help reduce moisture evaporation in the soil, prevent weed growth, and keep the soil cool in hotter summer temperatures. Mulch after plants have had a good watering.
They will dry out quickly so move them into the shade and sit in a trug or big bucket with a reservoir of water.