Summer garden maintenance tips

Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·6 min read

Jun. 12—The summer season is approaching, and as all of us garden lovers know, this could mean stress for your plants. Some heat-resistant plants enjoy the heat, though. Regardless, it's good to know what will ultimately help your garden flourish during the hottest part of the year. Read on for a list of summer garden maintenance tips:

1. Deadhead and Prune: First, there's a difference between deadheading and pruning. When you deadhead a plant, you're removing dead leaves or blossoms. Pruning, on the other hand, means you're removing any part of the plant to make it smaller in some way.

kAms6259625:?8 367@C6 DF>>6CE:>6 2==@HD J@FC A=2?ED E@ @C6]k^Am

kAm!CF?:?8 6DE23=:D965 A=2?ED 2E E9:D E:>6[ =:A=6[ 2==@HD E96> E@ 2=D@ AC@5F46 >@C6] p55:E:@?2==J[ ACF?:?8 C65F46D D9256 2?5 :?4C62D6D 2:C 4:C4F=2E:@? E@ 96=A J@FC A=2?ED 8C@H]k^Am

kAm!CF?:?8 96=AD H:E9 D=@H 8C@HE9[ 5:D62D6 @C :?D64E C6D:DE2?46[ 2?5 :E C6DE@C6D E96 D92A6 2?5 DECF4EFC6 @7 EC66D 2?5 D9CF3D]k^Am

kAma] z66A $@:= |@:DE 3FE s@?'E ~G6CH2E6Ci %96 DF>>6C D62D@? :D AC@323=J @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E:>6D E@ :DE22?J 82C56?6CD >2[ >@:DE 2C62D D@ :7 J@F'G6 @G6CH2E6C65 J@FC 82C56?[ J@F >2J 92G6 ;FDE 8:G6? 7F?8: 2 9@>6]k^Am

kAmp 8@@5 D@26G6CJ b — c 52JD :? E96 >@C?:?8 H:== 96=A A=2?E C@@ED 5:8 566A6C :?E@ E96 D@:= H96C6 E96J H:== 36 4@@=6C] tG6? :7 J@F D66 52>286 @? E96 A=2?E 23@G6 8C@F?5[ E96 C@@ED 36=@H 8C@F?5 >2J 92G6 2 36EE6C 492?46 @7 DFCG:G:?8 E96 962E @7 DF>>6C]k^Am

kAm|@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ A @C 5CJ] x7 :E'D 5CJ[ 8@ 29625 2?5 H2E6C E9@D6 DA64:7:4 A=2?ED 282:?]k^Am

kAmb] u6CE:=:K6i u6CE:=:K2E:@? :D 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 DF>>6C 82C56? 42C6] xE AC@G:56D J@FC 82C56? H:E9 ?FEC:6?ED E@ H:E9DE2?5 E96 DF>>6C 962E 2?5 4@?E:?F6 7=@FC:D9:?8] (6 C64@>>6?5 2 32=2?465 g\g\g @C '_\'_\'_ EJA6 @7 76CE:=:K6C =:2I:>F> FAE2 2?5 42C3@?] vC@H 36?67:ED C@@E:?8[ A=2?E DEC6?8E9 2?5 D@:= BF2=:EJ] pAA=J vC@H E@ D@:= 2?5 A=2?ED 2E E96 E:>6 @7 :?DE2==2E:@? H:E9 2 7@==@H\FA 2AA=:42E:@? EH@ H66A6C2EFC6D 4=:>3[ >@C6 2?5 >@C6 :?D64ED DE2CE 4@>:?8 @FE] s6A6?5:?8 @? H96C6 J@F =:G6[ J@F >2J 6IA6C:6?46 2 C62==J "3F88J" DF>>6C] q6=:6G6 :E @C ?@E[ E96C6 2C6 >2?J :?D64ED 2?5 3F8D E92E 42? 92C> J@FC 82C56?] *@F >2J 36 72>:=:2C H:E9 D@>6 @7 E96 @?6D =:DE65 36=@Hik^Am

kAm—pA9:5Dk^Am

kAm—r2E6CA:==2CDk^Am

kAm—y2A2?6D6 366E=6Dk^Am

kAm—$A:EE=63F8Dk^Am

kAm—u:C6 2?EDk^Am

kAm—rFEH@C>Dk^Am

kAm—$42=6Dk^Am

kAm—$A:56C >:E6Dk^Am

kAm—$BF2D9 3F8k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 E96 =@?8 =:DE @7 92C>7F= 82C56? :?D64ED[ E96C6 2C6 8@@5 @?6D E@ 6 @7 E96D6 :?4=F56 9@?6J366D[ 62CH:8D @C A2A6C H2DAD]k^Am

kAmd] !C6G6?E (665Di xE'D EJA:42==J ?@E 2 8@@5 :562 E@ 2AA=J 2?J H665 4@?EC@= AC@5F4ED 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C] sF6 E@ 9:89 E6>A6C2EFC6D[ H665 4@?EC@= 42? D@>6E:>6D 3FC? @C 52>286 56D:C65 A=2?ED H96? 2AA=:65] x7 J@F'G6 ?@E:465 H665D DAC@FE:?8[ >26?E2= ?@E6 E@ 2AA=J 2 AC6\6>6C86?E 96C3:4:56 :? E96 DAC:?8 ?6IE J62C E@ AC6G6?E H665D 7C@> A@AA:?8 FA]k^Am

kAm}6IE[ 2 D@=FE:@? 4@F=5 36 E@ 92?5 AF== E96 H665D @C DA@E\EC62E E96>] x7 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 4@?D:DE6?E=J 36=@H gd 568C66D u29C6?96:E[ :E'D 86?6C2==J D276 E@ 2AA=J A@DE\6>6C86?E 96C3:4:56D 7@C 2?J DF>>6C 2??F2= 2?5 A6C6??:2= H665D]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ H6 DF886DE H2:E:?8 F?E:= :E 86ED 4=@D6C E@ E96 72== D62D@?] x7 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 =@H @?6 52J 2?5 6I4665 gd 568C66D :? E96 7@==@H:?8 52JD[ E96 8C2DD :D DE:== GF=?6C23=6 E@ 52>286 7C@> E96 96C3:4:56]k^Am

kAmp =2DE[ 67764E:G6 D@=FE:@? :D E@ AC6G6?E 2?J 7FEFC6 H665D 7C@> DFC724:?8 3J 255:?8 >F=49 E@ 82C56?D] %9:D >2F=49]k^Am

kAme] p55 %6>A@C2CJ $9256i rC62E:?8 D925J 2C62D E@ A=246 A@EE65 A=2?ED :? @C E@ 4@G6C J@FC 82C56? :D 6IEC6>6=J 36?67:4:2= 2D :E 86EE:?8 E@@ 962E DEC6DD65] w6C6 2C6 2 76H :562Dik^Am

kAm—!=2?E @E96C A=2?ED =:6?E]k^Am

kAm—&D6 2 D9256 4=@E9 E@ 4@G6C E96 2C62 @7 A=2?ED E92E ?665 D9256]k^Am

kAm—&D6 F>3C6==2D E@ 4C62E6 D9256]k^Am

kAmf] %C2?DA=2?E }@Hi q67@C6 E96 @?D6E @7 DF>>6C 962E[ :E'D 9:89=J C64@>>6?565 E@ 5@ 2?J ?646DD2CJ EC2?DA=2?E:?8 ?@H] %C2?DA=2?E:?8 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C :D 24EF2==J >@C6 DEC6DD7F= 7@C A=2?ED] %96 DF>>6C 962E 42? 36 :?E6?D6] !=2?ED 2C6 2=C625J EC2?DA:C:?8 >@:DEFC6 2E E9:D E:>6[ D@ EC2?DA=2?E:?8 :D DEC6DD7F=]k^Am

kAm%C2?DA=2?E ?@H 367@C6 E6>A6C2EFC6D 86E E@@ H2C> D@ E92E E96 A=2?ED 92G6 E:>6 E@ 6DE23=:D9 C@@ED :? E96:C ?6H 6?G:C@?>6?ED]k^Am

kAmg] p55 $F>>6C 2?5 u2== !=2?EDi r6CE2:? G686E23=6D 8C@H H6== :? E96 DAC:?8 3FE ?@E 2=H2JD 2D H6== 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C 2?5 72==] #6>@G6 2?J DAC:?8 4C@AD 2?5 DE2CE 255:?8 72== 4C@AD :? E96 =2E6 DF>>6C] %96 D2>6 42? 36 D2:5 7@C DAC:?8 2?5 72== @C?2>6?E2=D] +:??:2D 2?5 >2C:8@=5D 2C6 2 76H 7=@H6CD E92E A6C7@C> H6== :? E96 DF>>6C 2?5 72== >@?E9D[ H9:=6 G686E23=6D =:2E@6D 2?5 A6AA6CD H:== 2=D@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 8C@H]k^Am

kAm}@H E92E J@F 92G6 2? :562 @7 D@>6 E9:?8D J@F 42? 5@ E@ 96=A J@FC 82C56? 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C D62D@?[ :E'== 36 >@C6 E92? C625J E@ E24A6C2EFC6D @7 E96 J62C] w2AAJ 82C56?:?8]k^Am