It's the time of year when gardeners across America are prepping their yards for spring. I recently stumbled upon a neglected part of my yard. It's so full of weeds, that I'm not sure if I should completely redo the space, sick my gardener on the case, or don my iPod and tackle it myself.
There is actually groundcover in this photo. It's totally been invaded by weeds. Those little clovers are extremely difficult to eradicate. The best way to prevent them from returning is to pull out the main root. The root is difficult to find using tools, in my opinion, so I weed them by hand. It's a lot of work and your best bet is to catch the clovers quickly, if you have the time and patience.
I'm curious. How often do you weed?
Vacation plant care, whether inside your home our outside in your garden, is a necessity. By preparing your houseplants for your absence, you can reduce the amount of dead leaves you'll need to clean up when you return home and ensure your plants survive your absence. By preparing your garden, you'll ensure that your home looks lived-in and that your garden continues to bear fruit.
Many houseplants are incredibly picky. They enjoy a certain temperature range and will drop leaves, wilt away or burn at temperatures that fall outside of this range. While you may be tempted to turn the air conditioning off while you're away, this is likely to be catastrophic for your plants, as the high heat and stagnant air may cause them to wilt and die in the summertime. Similarly, turning off the heat while on winter vacations can cause your plants to move into dormant stages and drop their leaves. Instead, turn the thermostat to just a few degrees higher or lower than your standard settings. Temperature regulation is key--this is the most important houseplant care tip to follow while you're on vacation.
While you may be tempted to drown your plants with water and leave very full saucers of water beneath their pots, this isn't advisable. Waterlogged plants can't process oxygen properly, and the roots can rot away. Instead, fill the plant saucers with pebbles and water the plants normally. The excess water will drain into the pebbles and keep the air around the plants moist.
If you're planning to be gone for longer than one week, consider asking a neighbor with a green thumb to provide vacation plant care for you. Take your plants out of direct sunlight and group them according to how much water they need. Provide detailed houseplant care instructions for your sitter, and leave the watering cans close by.
If you're heading out for a summer vacation, you're likely leaving your garden at the peak of production. Allowing ripened fruits and vegetables to stay in your garden can draw predators to your yard. It can also encourage your plants to stop producing long before they should. If you have a fully functional garden, you must hire someone to provide vacation plant care. Place your sprinklers in the proper location and ask a neighbor to turn the water on and off for you. Ask your neighbor to harvest ripened fruits and vegetables, and as thanks, allow the neighbor to keep and eat them. You'll do your neighbor a favor and make sure your garden watering and harvesting schedule is adhered to.
An overgrown lawn is a red flag that you're away from home. In addition to dealing with gardening watering, you'll likely need to schedule lawn care help for long vacations. Consider hiring a professional company to mow your yard once per week while you're away. If you have a sprinkler system on timers, you won't need to schedule lawn watering. If you don't, ask the maintenance company if they can provide this service as well.