Aren’t we are having a beautiful summer? And if you remember I did notice the trees were predicting this back in April (see 29 April blog), but how are your plants doing?
Let me share a not very well kept secret to keep your plants, be they hedges, trees, shrubs, vegetables or flowers growing well. The secret is mulch!
What is mulch?
It is an extra layer you put on soil or the top of pots which is porous, allowing the water in, but like a layer of sun screen keeping the sun off and helping to reduce evaporation. If you have plants in pots, you may like to put a layer of gravel on top of the compost, not only does it look nice, it is a mulch; a layer above the compost that absorbs the heat of the sun and allows water through. In the garden it is more common to use compost or bark as mulch. At the garden centre you can buy bags of coco shells or coir to mulch.
Many people don’t realise that you can use grass cuttings as mulch. They are not as pretty as a layer of chipped bark, but have more nutrients, so particularly for hedges and trees that will be in your garden long term, grass cuttings can be ideal. Water the ground by the roots then spread the grass cuttings thickly, up to 10cm deep and leave. Over time the grass cuttings will rot down, releasing their nutrients to feed your tree or hedge. If you want the base of your tree or hedge to look pretty, try using a thinner layer of grass cuttings then cover with a layer of chipped bark or coco shell.
For tips and hints for your trees and shrubs contact Chopwell Trees; encouraging beautiful trees and hedges in Kenilworth, Leamington, Harbury and all of Warwickshire.
