:: Fiona Stephenson Design ::

maintenance

Composting

Mixture of various natural fertilizing ingredients, compound manure.

Plants are made from the soil - they can recycle themselves and become soil again. What makes some compost heaps a smelly mess is an oversupply of grass cuttings and dearth of other matter. Grass cuttings squash down too easily making compost airless and "bad". Add other prunings and kitchen waste to bulk it up, let it heat up and rot - ready to feed your garden in the future. Unfortunately most of us are not time rich enough to allow this luxury. But, if we can do it, recycling spent organic growth of the garden and kitchen is a way to help our bit of the environment. Rotted plant matter holds water well so when it's dug back into the garden it helps keep the soil moist - plus, the nutrients are being kept in your garden instead of being taken away. Improve plant growth with a renewable supply of nutrients each year. whether you recycle your own garden waste or buy in nutritious material from a supplier.

Leave the leaves. Rhododendrons, for example, are better if the shed leaves are left under the plants from season to season. They protect the soil and the roots - which are near the surface with these woodland plants. If leaves are not causing a problem, leave them where they fall to feed the soil as they rot down.

Fertilising

Generally, apply a fertiliser in spring and early summer. There are many different types of fertiliser available. Different nutrients are used by different plants. The most important thing to avoid is giving a chalk or lime based soil conditioner or fertiliser (eg. mushroom compost) to lime-hating plants (eg. rhododendrons, acers etc.) Also, be careful not to apply too much strong fertiliser direct to lawn, plant roots or leaves as they can burn as a result. Other than that, a light application of a general fertiliser at least twice a year will improve the health and vigour of garden plants hugely.
back to top

Irrigation

Plants need water. Two things to remember:

A regular supply of water will improve growth dramatically. New plants will have been watered daily whilst in pots, being grown for sale. Help them transfer to their new environment by watering them regularly and thoroughly for the first one to three seasons after planting. This will help them develop a healthy root system which they need to grow successfully.
When water is applied make sure the water soaks right through the soil, that it doesn't remain near the surface. Encourage plants roots to find their own supply of moisure deep in the soil. It water is applied every day but only on the surface, a plant will develop it's roots only just under the surface of the soil. If the water supply then stops, it is highly susceptible to damage through drought. If, however, the soil has been watered deeply once or twice a week in hot weather, plant roots will delve downwards into the soil where - when they have developed sufficient root system they are more likely to find moisture without the help of irrigation. There are some exceptions to the rule - plants which have evolved to need a lot of water, which are grown in a dry garden - will never develop a large enough root system to grow healthily without outside help. If this is the case, a permanent irrigation system is recommended.