Blog | Designs 4 Gardens

Things to get done in your garden this winter

December 17, 2020/in Blog /by admin

In winter, garden plants doze under a snow blanket – they are at rest. Accordingly, there is little work in the garden. However, from time to time we should check how the plants winter, improve their covers and scoop up excess snow from them.

Remove excess snow

Systematically shovel excess snow from columnar conifers. The abundant snow cover can turn into ice – it can break off branches and deform shrubs. An additional protection against permanent plant damage is tying their branches. It will be more difficult for them to bend under heavy, wet snow. In addition, regularly check the condition of winter protection of plants sensitive to frost, whether they have slipped due to strong wind or snow.

In the event of very severe frosts, it is worth covering the plants with an additional layer of straw, tunic or agrotextile for this time. In severe winters, hungry hares and even deer can visit the gardens located in the vicinity of the forest or fields and gnaw the plants. If our fence is not a tight barrier against these animals, it is worth protecting the trunks of young trees.

When clearing snow from garden surfaces, limit to mechanical methods. It is best to do it with a special snow shovel or shovel, for larger number of paths you can use a mechanical snow thrower. Avoid using chemicals for this purpose, such as de-icing salt for roads, because this, along with melting snow, penetrates the soil, destroying its structure and disrupting biodiversity. Plants in saline soil have difficulties with uptake of water, grow less, have less growth and bloom less profusely, are also more susceptible to diseases and pathogens, and in extreme cases even dry up. In addition, salt may cause discoloration or other damage to the material from which the pavement is made.

The lawn in winter: what to do and what not to do?

During frosts, try not to trample it, not to compact the ground and snow, and not to crush the frozen stalks, because after the thaw they will rot and die, creating empty spots on the grassland. If snow falls, it does not have to be removed from the lawn, because the blades winter well under the duvet cover, which protects them from the cold. On the other hand, snow cannot be stored on the turf, because the hard and heavy ice crust (just like trampling) causes disease.

The condition in which the lawn survives this period depends primarily on the prior maintenance in season and before winter. A healthy turf, properly fertilized, shortly trimmed, growing on a fertile and, above all, permeable ground, will withstand the hardships of the winter months. The first care treatments (rolling and scarifying – i.e. renovation) will be possible only in early spring.

Take care of potted plants – wintering houseplants

A short day for most plants (garden and potted) is a signal to go into dormancy. Nobody is surprised by the garden snoozing under a blanket of snow. Few people know that most potted plants go into a dormant period during the winter. The winter dormancy of plants begins at the end of October and lasts until March. During this time, the life processes of plants are slowed down, they usually do not grow or grow very slowly, so they do not need as much water and nutrients as in the period of intensive growth. Nevertheless, they cannot be forgotten!

The conditions in which houseplants in the apartment overwinter are far from those in nature. Insufficient amount of light, low air humidity, high temperature and improper watering – all this means that overwintering houseplants often die during the winter.

Remember about birds

In winter, and especially in cold and snowy seasons, it is difficult for birds to find enough food. Let’s help them survive the winter. However, in order not to do more harm than good, let’s get acquainted with the basic principles of proper and responsible feeding of birds. Always pour out the food in the same place, because the birds quickly get used to the places where they find food. It is best to feed the birds in a feeder positioned so that it is difficult to access by predators (mainly cats). The covered feeder will also protect food and feasting birds from snow or rain. Do you feed the birds consistently and regularly? If you started doing it in autumn, you should definitely continue feeding until the birds can easily find food on their own (usually until the end of April or the beginning of May).

A garden greenhouse – it always pays off!

November 19, 2020/in Blog /by admin

Every year winter appears and disappears outside the windows, playing tricks on us. Despite the sunny weather, we have to wait until spring for beautiful flowers and green lawns. If we want to enjoy gardening next year also during the winter months, it is worth considering building or purchasing a greenhouse. It also has the potential to become the defining element of our garden! Although we associate greenhouses with rural areas and the large-scale cultivation of vegetables and flowers, there is no reason not to put up an elegant greenhouse in the corner of our suburban garden. It all depends on our goal!

A greenhouse in a home garden will work especially well because it provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of edible plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, strawberries, but also basil and arugula. Its warmth extends the growing season. It is also extremely important here that the conditions for plant development in the greenhouse are much more stable than in the field. Although growing ourselves on a small scale, we will certainly not meet the full demand of our family for vegetables and herbs, the occasional consumption of plants cultivated by our own hands can bring us great satisfaction. In addition, in the greenhouse we can also grow many varieties of exotic plants, for example our cacti will feel great in it. Working in the garden has a relaxing effect on many people, it is worth extending this relaxation!

Greenhouse decision – what to consider?

First of all, we need to determine how much we are willing to spend on building a greenhouse. The choice is really huge now, so you need to think carefully about the answer! For example, greenhouses covered with glass or polycarbonate sheets will be much more expensive than those covered with plastic film. What is our goal? Do we just want to try our hand at gardening, or are we really going to spend a lot of time and effort doing it? Or maybe we care more about diversifying the space in our garden? In the latter case, plastic foil will certainly not work! If, however, we are just starting our adventure with cultivation, we can consider the popular mini greenhouses.

Right location

The functioning of the greenhouse will require a perfectly sunny place. Therefore, it should be built in the southern zone of our plot, preferably on the east-west line. When designing the roof, we should take into account the different sun angle in summer and winter. Therefore, the roof slope angle between 25-35 degrees will be the best in the year-round perspective. Of course, the location should be adjusted to the specifics of our plot. The place for the greenhouse must not be wet, puddles are not desirable here! The temperature inside will also be influenced by the wind. Naturally, we will not choose a shaded place or a place which may become so in the future due to the development of trees. There are also factors other than natural ones. If our young children or grandchildren often play in the garden, the glass greenhouse should not necessarily be within the reach of their or their balls.

Proven methods for controlling weeds in your garden

November 12, 2020/in Blog /by admin

Weeds are a challenge for any garden owner. They take away water, light, nutrients and space from plants. Garden weeds, removing them is laborious and sometimes unsuccessful. How to get rid of weeds in the garden. Learn about weed treatments that will reduce their amount in the garden. Weeds in the garden and weeding – a gardener’s guide. Weeding the garden.

Weeds in the garden are the bane of most of us. Are there any effective remedies for garden weeds? How can I get rid of them? Or maybe some weeds should be left in the garden?

Weeds in your garden

Why is the garden so easily taken over by weeds, while the plants we grow often grow poorly and get sick? Because weeds are local plants that are well adapted to the habitat in which they live. The weeds in the garden are expansive – they create strong roots, strong stolons or spread with thousands of seeds. Delicate garden varieties usually do not stand a chance against garden weeds. Weeds are wild plants that are perfectly adapted to the local environment. That is why weeds grow well, although no one sows or cares for them.

Weeds removal

Hence the need to systematically remove weeds. For ecological reasons, however, it is better not to use herbicides on garden weeds, because they poison the soil and reduce the biodiversity of the environment. Besides, their use in the garden should be limited as they also affect the cultivated plants.

Limiting the amount of weeds

To reduce the occurrence of weeds on our plot, it is worth starting from the beginning, i.e. reducing the possibility of these undesirable plants. While it is not so easy on the lawn, it is possible in a bed or a corner with shrubs. A good way is to mulch the soil. We can use organic bedding, e.g. bark or wood chips. This will reduce the occurrence of weeds in large numbers and improve the soil conditions of other plants. We also have the option of using synthetic bedding, e.g. foil or agrotextile. It is an effective way to reduce weed infestation with little effort. Synthetic mulches last for many years and do not require regular control, as in the case of organic soil cover. It is also important not to introduce weed seeds into our garden yourself. When we buy gardening soil, always choose one from a good producer, preferably one in bags with a ready substrate. Sowing material for a lawn or a bed should also be free of weed seeds. It is worth choosing closed packaging available in garden stores, then we can be sure that it is a selected, high-quality product.

Manual weed removal

It is best to get rid of the weeds early in the season when they have not yet developed seeds. It is particularly important for annual species, as these easily reproduce by falling seeds. The cheapest and easiest way to get rid of weeds is manual removal. We can choose a hoe, shovel or just our own hands. She weaves fairly quickly with a hoe when she has a properly sharpened blade. However, some weeds, especially perennial ones, do not respond well to this treatment. On the contrary, it stimulates them to reproduce and grow, e.g. by rhizomes. Therefore, when removing them, we also dig out what is underground, but so as not to damage the roots and get rid of the entire lump, not just part of it. To undermine the weed, we can help ourselves with a pointed spatula.

Manual removal is effective if we perform it regularly, even every week, or every two. Otherwise, after some time, we will not deal with a large number of unwanted guests and the return to the original state of the garden will be more difficult.

Chemical weed control

In a situation where other, less invasive methods fail and the number of weeds continues to increase, it is worth considering the use of chemical agents, i.e. herbicides. They are effective and fairly easy to use. They will also not be dangerous if we follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. There are several herbicides that can come in handy in fighting weeds. The most commonly used is a selective herbicide, we use it topically. It removes weeds in the place where it was applied without affecting the previously planted plants. Non-selective herbicides are also available, but these destroy anything they encounter on their way, so only use them before setting up a garden.

When it comes to the way herbicides work, we can choose between contact and systemic. The former destroy plants in direct contact with them. The weed looks burned and eventually dies. They are mainly used to remove annual weeds. On the other hand, systemic agents penetrate deep into the plant, also destroying the roots. It causes their growth inhibition, deformation and dieback.

Why should we fight weeds?

Weeds make crops malnourished and dry – as a result, they grow less, produce less flowers and produce less fruit, which is so important when they have spread around the bushes of tomatoes, cucumbers, currants and raspberries. Although orchard plants are less susceptible to weed infestation, foreign species also slow down the growth of young apple or plum trees. On the other hand, when weeds entangle columnar types of conifers, their twigs turn brown under the cover of leaves and gradually “go bald”.

Weeds – an important prevention

When preparing a place for a lawn or a bed, dig it and pull out all the perennial weeds that grow thanks to the rhizomes, such as couch grass or ground elder. This is very important, because leaving at least a fragment of the rhizome in the ground will make the weed grow again. It is worth leaving the excavated area for some time so that other weeds germinate from the seeds remaining in the soil. When that happens, we remove them as early as possible.