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Gardening Plant Care

FEEDING YOUR PLANTS
Well-established garden plants should be fed every spring with slow-release or controlled-release fertilizer.

PLANT-SPECIFIC FERTILIZERS
Fertilizers that encourage specific plants to achieve their best performance can also be used for other plants.

• Tomato fertilizer is good for all fruiting plants.
  
• Lime-hating or ericaceous plants benefit from an ericaceous fertilizer.
  
• Rose fertilizer can be used for all flowering plants.
  

SMOTHER YOUR WEEDS
Cardboard is one of several materials that can be laid on weedy ground to block out light and smother plant growth.

DON'T ALLOW WEEDS TO SEED
Rake over the soil before planting to make sure there are no bits of weed root left behind.

KNOW YOUR PLANTS
Overgrown shrubs require drastic pruning, and tools like toppers are great for cutting branches.

DON'T ALLOW WEEDS TO SEED
Never let weeds grow big enough to seed. One plant can be the parent of hundreds of new ones. The old saying "one year/s seeding is seven year's weeding" holds perfectly true. Although many people think of petting rid of weeds as a summer job, bear in mind that a new generation of annuals will appear in autumn, overwinter as seedlings and mature to set seed by mid-spring.

REPEL INVADERS
Sink a permanent barrier into the soil to prevent your garden becoming infested with perennial weeds from outside. Dig a trench at least 30cm (12in) deep next to your fence and line it with a strong material such as stout black polythene or paving slabs, making sure the lining butts up to the base of your fence. Replace the soil, and you'll have a permanent and invisible barrier to repel invaders.

WHERE AND WHEN TO WATER
During dry weather, use water wisely by concentrating on those plants that will really benefit from it. Prime candidates are any recently planted ones, all plants in containers, thirsty annuals like sweet peas, leafy vegetables and plants that produce fruits. Unless your lawn is the bowling-green type, don't worry about it going brown as it will soon recover.

Timing is important, too. Water in the evening or early morning when less water will be lost by evaporation than in the heat of the day-you'll have the added bonus of enjoying a few quiet moments in the garden, too. Give plants a thorough soaking. A sprinkling of water can actually do more harm to plants than none at all because their toots will grow towards the surface in search of what little moisture there is. For younger plants, use a watering can rather than a hose as a powerful jet of water can damage more fragile plants.

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