Almost everything is in full bloom in the summer. The crowns of your trees are fully leafed out, your garden is robust, and your lawn is healthy. At least, we hope so. As the summer goes on, you’ll need to address some elements of your landscaping, and this list of summer landscaping dos and don’ts can help you along the way.
Don’t Handle Tree Care Yourself
First, let’s talk trees. They’re hardy and don’t require significant day-to-day intervention, but they do need attention when facing certain issues. While general summer tree care tips include attending to your trees yourself, you should also know when to defer to tree care professionals. The reason: tree care can be dangerous and requires specific knowledge about what each tree species needs. You’d best stay off the ladder when you have a unique pruning need, and you certainly shouldn’t try to remove a tree yourself.
Do Water Early or Late in the Day
Meanwhile, you should avoid watering your plants in the harsh midday sunshine. Watering in the early morning and around dusk ensures water can successfully reach plants’ roots to nourish them. If you do water around noon, a large percentage of water will evaporate before it reaches the roots. Also, watering early or late in the day is simply more comfortable for you as you skirt the uncomfortable sun and spend time outside in cooler temperatures. And if your watering system is automatic, conserve water and plant health by not overwatering.
Don’t Shirk Your Landscaping Routine
Another item on the summer landscaping dos and don’tslistis to retain a rhythmic yard-care routine. One secret to making weeding in your garden easier is to weed a bit every weekend so they don’t spread everywhere. Likewise, mowing your lawn every week or so keeps it healthy and is a much better option than scalping your lawn infrequently, which leads to brown spotting.
Do Plan Next Year’s Garden
Our final note—have some fun looking forward as you observe your garden in full bloom. See where your operation can “grow” and incorporate some novel plants or change up your gardening space. Learn from this season—perhaps even journal about a couple of issues you’ve had as you deal with them—and plan to make smart improvements for next year. For those looking to try something new, consider buying a seed bomb with a mix of interesting flowers to brighten up your backyard next year.