Summer garden care is essential for keeping your plants thriving through heat, humidity and fast seasonal growth. These three must do tasks will boost plant health, improve productivity and help prevent common summer problems.
Give your tomatoes some routine care
If you planted tomatoes in spring, here is your mid season checklist to keep your tomato plants healthy and fruiting vigorously.
Training: For vine tomatoes, pinch out side shoots once or twice a week and loosely tie the stems to their frame. Bush types need no pruning, just a simple support or space to sprawl over mulch.
Disease management: Weekly, remove any diseased leaves and bin or burn them. Never compost sick material and wash hands between plants to prevent spread.
Watering: Tomatoes are thirsty fruit. Deep water every second day or daily in hot spells to avoid fruit cracking and blossom end rot.
Mulching: Maintain a 5 to 7 cm layer of The Garden Family Sugar Cane Mulch to conserve moisture, protect the soil and suppress weeds.
Feeding: Every 4 to 6 weeks apply a blood and bone fertiliser plus a fistful of sulphate of potash. Add a fortnightly drench of diluted seaweed extract for an extra boost.
Fruit protection: Bag developing trusses to prevent bird and fruit fly damage and to shield fruit from sunscald.
Fun fact: Tomatoes are fruit. More specifically, they are berries, because they develop from the flower’s ovary and contain seeds.
Summer garden care: check roses for black spot
Black spot is a common summer headache for rose growers, causing black marks on leaves that soon yellow and drop off. It spreads quickly in warm, humid weather and weakens plants. Check your roses every few days and remove any infected leaves or stems, disposing of them in the bin, not the compost. Rake up fallen foliage and spray the remaining leaves with a registered organic fungicide. To reduce reinfection, water at the base of the plant and avoid wetting the foliage. Keep plants mulched to reduce water splash, which can spread fungal spores. The Garden Family Tea Tree Mulch is a favourite for rose growers.
Summer garden care: propagate climbers
Summer’s lush vine growth makes it an ideal time to try layering, a simple and reliable way to propagate climbers while the cutting remains attached to the parent plant. Select a healthy, flexible shoot and bend it gently to ground level. Make a small nick just below a leaf joint, then bury that section of stem, keeping the growing tip above the soil. Firm the soil by patting it down lightly, keep it moist and stake the tip if needed. By autumn, the buried section should have rooted, ready to be cut free and transplanted.
Consistent summer garden care makes a big difference when it comes to keeping plants healthy through extreme heat. Early morning is the best time to water, giving roots time to absorb moisture before the day warms up. Always water deeply rather than frequently to encourage strong, resilient root systems. It’s also worth checking garden beds weekly for signs of stress or pests, such as wilting leaves, chewed foliage or powdery mildew. A quick trim of damaged growth and a fresh layer of mulch can help plants recover quickly. Remember to deadhead spent flowers to encourage new blooms and pick vegetables regularly to maintain productivity.
Finally, keep an eye on the weather forecast so you can prepare for heatwaves with shade cloth, extra watering or moving potted plants into cooler spots. These small habits will keep your garden thriving all summer long.
Shop our range
Keep your garden looking its best with the right tools and supplies. From The Garden Family Sugar Cane Mulch to Tea Tree Mulch and quality organic fertilisers, we have everything you need for healthy, thriving plants all summer long. Visit our store or browse online to shop our full range and make your summer garden care routine easier, greener and more rewarding.
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