Lighten The Load Top tips for working smarter in the garden.

A gardener’s work is never done, but there are many ways to make the most tedious tasks less so. Gardening expert Helen Young shares her top tips.

MAKE MULCH YOUR FRIEND

Mulch prevents most weed seeds sprouting in bare soil and makes everything look tidy and loved. It also holds moisture in the soil, meaning less watering, and maintains a more even soil temperature, meaning happier plants. Use a soft, feeding mulch such as sugar cane mulch or lucerne for beds with vegies, herbs, fruiting plants, flowers or roses. For larger garden beds, a woody mulch such as pine bark will last longer. To prevent persistent bulbous weeds (think onion weed and oxalis) from emerging, lay 6-8 sheets of newspaper or a biodegradable weed mat such as EcoCover over the soil and under the mulch.

GOOD TOOLS

The right tools always make the job easier, so invest in good-quality basics: secateurs, a hand trowel, weeding tool and hedging shears. For larger gardens, add long-handled loppers for cutting larger branches and an extension pole pruner to reach high branches safely. Make hedging fast and fun with a battery-powered hedge trimmer.

New models are lightweight, powerful and quiet – you might find they appeal to family members who could help you in the garden.

MINIMISE WEEDING

Did your gran say “One year’s seeds means seven years’ weeds”? She was right. If you let weeds grow until they flower and release thousands of seeds, you’ll be dealing with that enormous weed load for years. Pull them out when they’re little, before they’re entrenched. The best time is just after rain as roots slip out of moist soil more readily.

AUTOMATED WATERING

Hand watering is a great way to slow down and observe what’s happening in your garden, but few of us have the time. Irrigation systems do the watering for you. Professionally installed systems will have fully automated controllers but DIYers can easily add a battery-operated, programmable timer to taps. Most irrigation systems are modular, so you can arrange them in whatever configuration you want, adding and adjusting as you go.

RAISED BEDS

If you’re growing your own vegies, prefab raised beds will solve all sorts of problems. They’re easier to access and many come with covers to keep hungry critters away, or to protect from fierce sun or hail. Crops grow much better in raised beds because the soil drains well, stays warmer and is free of rocks, competitive roots and persistent weeds. Plus, raised beds tend to get more sunshine and are mostly out of the way of dogs and stray footballs.