Helping your garden survive a wet summer

Helping your garden survive a wet summer

In the UK, we just love to moan about the weather, and 2012 sees the wettest summer on record for 100 years. It's also the second wettest summer since national records began in 1910. Summer 2012 is also likely to be confirmed as one of the dullest summers on record, giving us just 399 hours of sunshine up to 28 August.

This of course, is not great news for gardeners. Although our metal garden furniture is fortunately pretty weather-proof, and in particular Fermob's furntiure comes with a High Protection Guarantee, you're not exactly going to be able to enjoy it when it's tipping it down.

Apart from anything else it encourages us to skulk indoors (or at least the potting shed) and threatens the wellbeing of borders, baskets, pots, not to mention carefully coiffured lawns and topiary. When soil is waterlogged, quite simply, plants drown. Plant roots stagnate as they are not properly oxygenated and this prevents root growth, which in turn stunts plant growth. In addition, wet soil turns to mud very easily resulting in boggy lawns, and in terms of plant health, the wet conditions provide fertile breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria to create disease and fungal attacks.

Many keen gardeners will be disappointed by the inclement weather as it puts paid to so many usually enjoyable garden activities. Perhaps consider setting up some kind of covered area, so that at least you can be active in pruning, potting and tending to garden containers.

We have put together some basic tips for ensuring your garden thrives as best it can in our current British climate, so grab your wellies and a brolly, and brace yourself for implementing some important rescue remedies.

Survival Tips for Wet Summer Gardens:

Do not walk on wet soil, this includes avoiding your lawn unless absolutely necessary.
Support plants to prevent them becoming dislodged in wet soil
Remove damaged plant parts and roots
Put crocks in the bottom of pots and place them on raised feet
Apply mulch and feed in the growing season to encourage root growth
Clay soil will benefit from organic matter and horticultural grit before planting
Provide shelter for potted plants because they are always more vulnerable to rain.
In more extreme cases, consider digging a ditch filled with gravel to assist drainage
Choose shrubs and perennials that thrive in wet soil!

Posted by Iconography Ltd
14th September 2012
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