Keys to keeping your garden up to date in summer

Summer is coming, the days are getting longer and the temperatures are rising. These are times to enjoy outdoors in the garden and it has to be perfect. Remember that this is the driest season of the year and if you want your plants to look their best for the rest of the season, you need to follow some basic routines. Take note, here are our PoolFunStore tips to keep your garden looking its best during the summer season. Ready?

Plant care

With the arrival of July and August there are a number of fundamental tasks that you should not neglect to keep the plants, trees and shrubs in your garden in good shape. 

This is the time to prune ornamental plants and fruit trees. These are perfect days to remove dry stems and suckers from trees and shrubs that slow down plant growth. Also to remove dry flowers and pinch the longest branches to stimulate flowering. Discover our sections and the most suitable accessories for these tasks.

The summer months are ideal for sowing plants that bloom in winter and spring. To do this, you can divide up the oldest and strongest clumps of plants that have bloomed in May and June. You can also use this time to graft rosebushes, azaleas or fruit shrubs and cuttings from deciduous plants. In the case of cuttings we recommend placing them in pots of about 8 cm in diameter, in places protected from drafts and with some shade throughout the day.

During the summer season, pests and diseases are the order of the day, and you must be prepared to avoid irreversible damage. The more control you have over them and the quicker you tackle them with pesticides, the better. We recommend you to be extremely vigilant against caterpillars and grey worms, black doughnuts, aphids and powdery mildew. Also to red spider attacks, typical of very hot areas, and very difficult to control. The white fly and the cochineal are also frequent in summer, as well as the appearance of fungi by the humidity that is generated when we water. In these cases a suitable fungicide is the solution.

Already towards the end of the summer reserve some time for fertilization. This will strengthen your plants for the coming autumn-winter.

Watering and Lawn

Watering every day is one of the basic tasks you must perform in summer. But be careful, in moderation, because it's not about quantity. You must avoid puddles, otherwise you will achieve the opposite effect to your objective and an excess of water will rot your plants. The first hour of the morning and the last hour of the day are the best, because it is not so hot and you can make better use of the water.

If you use an automatic watering system, be careful and check daily that it is working properly to avoid scares. Remember, the lawn needs to be watered every day, either by a sprinkler system or manually with a hose.

In addition, you should mow it frequently and, as with all other plants in the garden, watch for pests and diseases. Once again, the best time to mow is at sunset, when the stifling heat of the central hours of the day has subsided. We advise you to cut it more than usual so that it can better resist the high temperatures.

Swimming pools and ponds

Swimming pools require special maintenance to be able to enjoy them when they are needed most, in summer. Therefore, it is key that at the beginning of the season you make an exhaustive revision. Check the watertightness of the pool and that there is no leakage, as well as the rest of the elements such as stairs, showers or the pavement to avoid accidents. On a daily basis, our PoolFunStore tips are: clean the bottom and walls frequently to prevent dirt from building up; and check the PH levels (7-7.8) and chlorine to keep the water clean.

With regard to ponds, you should bear in mind that in summer the water evaporates more quickly so they need to be refilled more often. In addition, algae may appear and some problems with the aquatic plants you have in them due to lack of oxygen. Regularly check and clean the filters and water recirculation systems to avoid deterioration.

As you can see, summer brings with it a series of basic tasks that are key if you want to keep your garden in perfect condition throughout the season and the rest of the year. Discover our sections to take care of it with the arrival of heat.