With the chill of winter in retreat and the promises of lengthier days and pitchers of Pimms in gardens, we begin to create ways to have memorable summers. Whether it’s by booking a vacation at an exotic resort abroad or have a holiday in Blighty, having a summer to remember is at the top of everyone’s agenda. In our haste to pack up and go, we tend to forget about our trees and plants, not realizing that there are changes we can incorporate to ensure they continue to thrive during the warmer months.
As a rule thumb, summers in Britain fail to differ widely from other seasons. Instead of bitterly cold winters and sweltering summers, we tend to have an even keeled climate, with temperatures fluctuating between a handful of degrees or so.
With a reputation for having somewhat mild summers, it is easy for us to forget to pay especially close attention to our trees and plants, yet in climates permeated with balmy nights, remembering to care for plants in the summer is second nature. Although we often don’t have the sticky, searing weather typically associated with summer, our summers can still be stressful times for trees and plants and special care should be taken to give our trees a summer to remember.
As drought tends to occur most frequently in summer, to ensure that your trees and plants remain well-nourished and watered, make sure that your trees have enough moisture stored in their leaves, branches, trunks and roots and incorporate deep watering.
Longer days and mild evenings are the perfect recipes for proper tree pruning, making summer the best time of year to get out the shears. In the summertime, the energy stored by trees is constantly on the rise and the foliage has matured, making the tree respond positively to the removal of branches. As growth rates are higher in summer, trees pruned during this season heal quicker and undergo less stress.
Trees that have been cooped up in conservatories all year, tend to appreciate the fresh air and direct sunlight of a warm summer day. Moving your conservatory trees (like citrus trees) out into the open is a great way to take advantage of the warmer days and give your trees a summer to remember. If you plan to do this, make sure that your trees are still getting enough water, but not too much!
Speaking of water, we have some excellent environmentally-friendly tips on how to keep your trees and plants moist this summer by recycling water used in your home. For more info, check out our drought fears post.
