Give your plot a shot of lockdown love
Stuck at home by the coronavirus? What a time to get outdoors and revive those beds and borders after our soggy winter
OUR gardens have taken one heck of a pounding over the past few months – and with many of us now forced to stay at home by the coronavirus outbreak, and the weather finally drying out a little, now is the ideal opportunity to do get out into the fresh air and do something about it.
Heavy rainfall from autumn to the start of spring has left many plots looking as if they could do with a good wringing out, while some bear physical wounds caused by the strong winds delivered by storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge.
Fortunately, things aren’t as bad as they look. Waterlogged beds and borders can be revived, and even lawns that have been completely submerged for days on end will often bounce back with some attention. Wind damage to garden structures can be repaired and injured plants put right with some deft pruning. One consequence of unrelenting, heavy rainfall is ‘capping’, where the surface of soil is compacted and then turns solid during sunny or windy spells – measuring up to ½in thick, this layer hinders emerging shoots and prevents air and water reaching the roots of plants, resulting in a check to growth.
The problem is more common on large areas of bare soil, such as allotments and vegetable beds, but it can affect beds and borders. Luckily it’s easy to fix by loosening the surface with a hoe. A clever way of avoiding capping in the future is to apply a mulch across the surface in autumn.
Over the past few months, frequent rain will have flushed nutrients out of the soil, resulting in the poor growth of plants as they wake up in spring. In order to replenish goodness, scatter bonemeal, hoof and horn, Growmore or another slow-release fertiliser over the surface. Work it into the top layer of soil with a garden fork.
Sadly, excessive rainfall or flooding can have a devastating effect on some plants. If the soil is saturated, water fills all of the available gaps, driving out air and depriving roots of oxygen. As a result, plants may start to wilt or bark peel away from stems, while leaves turn yellow or develop brown patches.
Some plants are natural survivors and will make a full recovery. However,
others will turn up their toes for good. It’s not always obvious that plants have succumbed to prolonged waterlogging, so give them a chance to recover during better conditions this spring before consigning them to the compost heap.
Among the most vulnerable plants are bulbs and Mediterranean species that need well-drained soil, such as lavender and rosemary. Fortunately, there are plenty that can cope with wet soil, such as ornamental dogwoods, hydrangeas and bamboos, along with perennials like day lilies, astilbes and hostas.
As a precaution, consider improving border soil to prevent problems in the future. Sandy, stony and chalky soils tend to be free-draining, but heavy clay soils hold on to moisture – dig in plenty of organic matter to make it easier to work with, and then open it up with plenty of grit or gravel.
Lawns usually take wet weather in their stride, even if they have spent a week underwater. On the downside, the weight of surface water is likely to cause compaction, so wait until it has dried out and then use a hollow-tine tool to aerate the lawn. Replace lost nutrients by applying spring lawn fertiliser.
Expect a different outcome with lawns that have been flooded for longer than a week. Over this time, water will have driven out air from the soil and the grass will turn a sickly yellow as roots are starved of oxygen. In this scenario, lift the dying turf, and then reseed or lay fresh turf from scratch.
A good solution for those with naturally waterlogged lawns is to install a French drain, an underground drainage system that consists of perforated plastic pipes that transport excess water to a soakaway. Simple systems are easy to set up, while extensive ones are best left to landscape contractors.
Apart from wet-weather problems, gardens were hit by strong gusts. Check branches of trees and shrubs for damage, and prune if necessary. Newly planted specimens are susceptible to wind rock, where relentless buffeting leads to a space opening around the stem. Close gaps by refirming into the ground.
Lawns can be brought back to their full glory after up to a week under water