Don't make these 6 gardening mistakes when you go on vacation
You're eagerly closing the door behind you to head off on vacation. But not... before you've gotten your garden holiday-ready! Avoid these 6 mistakes and ensure a carefree getaway.
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Before you go on holiday, check out these common gardening mistakes and avoid unnecessary stress for your plants, or worse: they will die.
Potted plants only have access to the nutrients you give them. If the soil becomes too nutrient-poor, they can't search for nutrients any further – something plants in open ground are less prone to. Peat-free potting soil usually contains nutrients for a few weeks, but after that, your plant will need more.
Make sure your plants are ready for a few weeks by giving them a dose of liquid plant food before you go on vacation. Or better yet, mulch with comfrey leaves (see comfrey in the photo above). These leaves decompose slowly and nourish your plant with potassium. This substance promotes flower production and, consequently, fruit.
Plants in pots and tubs can overheat in the summer, especially when it's very warm and sunny. Examples include various types of shrubs , clematis , lilies , and perennial fuchsias . It's therefore important to keep their roots cool. Do this even if plants are spending the summer in other sunny spots in the garden, such as against a sunny wall.
A simple trick is to cover the soil with pebbles. This helps the soil retain more moisture and therefore heats up less quickly. As a bonus, condensation also forms on the underside of the pebbles at night, providing extra cooling!
Harvesting vegetables like beans and zucchini on time encourages the plant to produce new fruit. If you let these varieties grow, you'll end up with a few enormous fruits or pods that set seed instead of an abundant harvest. Therefore, make sure you harvest on time and check before you go on vacation if anything can be harvested.
If you have a large harvest left over before you go on vacation, you can still take it to the food bank. This way, you'll make someone else happy with your harvested fruits and vegetables and prevent waste.
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Is your lawn also getting a good trim before the holidays? That's not a good idea when a heat wave is approaching. It's important not to cut the grass too short, otherwise it will turn brown and weeds will have more opportunity to take over your lawn. The solution? Raise the blades on your lawn mower. Longer grass provides its own protection against the weather and retains more moisture.
Leaving your potted plants to fend for themselves is perhaps the most common mistake made in summer. It's better to place hanging baskets , pots, and containers in the shade. If you can manage this, place them in moist soil and water them thoroughly before you leave.
Also, cut off flowers and well-developed buds. This encourages annual flowers to produce new buds, and you'll enjoy beautiful new blooms when you return.
