IF you are struggling with weeds on your lawn, one expert has three steps you can take to fight back and get a healthier yard.
For a "perfect lawn," a gardening expert did a video for Homebase UK explaining that you should give your lawn a "feed, weed, and moss treatment."
"A lawn which is low in nutrients will always struggle against weeds and moss," the expert explained.
The Homebase gardening expert recommended Qualcast Lawn Feed, Weed and Mosskiller, Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 4 in 1 Lawn Food, and Homebase Lawn Feed, Weed and Mosskiller.
You should see a “visibly thicker, greener, and healthier lawn” after following those three simple steps.
If you're still dealing with weeds, you can try using lime or corn gluten meal to keep them from growing or to kill them off.
Read our Gardening Tips live blog for the latest news and updates...
- Amanda Castro
Water your plants with ‘magic’ water bottle trick
Gardening experts have said that a cheap, plastic water bottle can be an eco-friendly watering tool for gardeners.
“Using a plastic water bottle to create a simple, yet effective, watering system is a great solution to repurpose an item that could otherwise end up in a landfill,” expert Sara Dixon said.
To make the irrigation system, simply poke holes in the water bottle and cover it with a sock or another piece of fabric before burying it inside of the planter – with the opening visible at the top of the soil.
The small holes mean the bottle will act as a slow-release watering system.
- Amanda Castro
Best plants for a first garden
A plant expert at Insider reported the six best plants for new gardeners to grow in their garden.
- Ferns
- Carrots
- Pansies
- Succulents
- Tomatoes
- Hydrangeas
Leave space between beds
When creating your garden, remember to leave about two feet between raised beds so that you can tend the plants comfortably.
“People don’t think about the fact that they have to come through and work on these gardens and then they get annoyed and then they stop working on the beds,” gardening expert Kevin Espiritu explained.
- Amanda Castro
Mulching makes a healthy garden
Mulch is an organic covering for the top of your soil and it helps keep it moist by protecting the surface of the soil.
Mulching reduces the amount that you should water your plants, so it’s important to get it right.
When you make a raised bed or any type of bed, you should always add mulch.
You can use a shredded straw or composted wood chips.
- Amanda Castro
Investing in good products matters
Espiritu also noted that having good soil is key to maintaining a successful garden.
“If you’re going to invest in something, you should invest in your soil,” the expert noted.
“You don’t go buy a nice quality raised bed and try to grow plants in that system with crappy soil. It doesn’t make any sense at all.”
- Amanda Castro
Mistakes to avoid when starting a raised garden
Starting a raised garden can be overwhelming, but Youtuber Kevin Espiritu shared a video to hopefully help prevent common mistakes.
First of all, the position of the garden matters. Gardeners should make sure that their plants face the sun to get the proper amount of sunlight.
Gardeners should also be sure that their gardens are getting the proper amount of water – and an irrigation system is important.
- Amanda Castro
Flattening a bumpy lawn, conclusion
Fill the uneven patches using a hard-bristled brush to create a level surface, and water them well to encourage new grass to grow.
Finally, sow some fresh grass seeds on any areas that are bare and need re-covering.
Make sure to distribute more on scarce patches or on lumps that have born torn up.
Always lay grass seeds on a mild, spring day and make sure to water them well once the seeds have been sown.
- Amanda Castro
How to flatten a bumpy lawn, continued
Make sure to water the areas well to encourage new grass to grow to create a seamless finish.
For larger lumps and bumps, you’ll need a few extra tools.
Start by mowing the lawn and then use a rake to uplift thatch (clumps of dead grass) and other organic matter.
Once you’ve removed uneven patches, top-dress them with sand and soil using a 40:60 ratio.
- Amanda Castro
How to flatten out a bumpy lawn
Flattening out bumpy ground can be done at any time of the year, but the gardening experts at The Daily Express reported it is best to get started in spring.
Start with smaller bumps (less than one inch) and simply use your foot to press them firmly down.
If you have holes made by animals, fill them with topsoil, compressing the earth with your foot to create a solid surface.
- Amanda Castro
How to stop cats from going on your lawn
A gardening expert outlined their top tips for preventing neighborhood cats from defecating in your garden, including using odor repellent, a motion-activated sprinkler, or an outdoor litter tray.
Cats also don’t like the smell of bananas or citrus peels, which could be an option to leave on your lawn.
- Amanda Castro
Be aware of fungus gnats
Fungus gnat infestations are common for gardeners in the summer, but there are plenty of DIY solutions to get them out of the house or garden.
Fungus gnats will infest soil, potting mix, other container media, and other sources of organic decomposition.
Their larvae primarily feed on fungi and organic matter in the soil, but also chew roots and can be a problem in greenhouses, nurseries, potted plants, and interior plantscapes.
- Amanda Castro
How to get gnats out of your house
You can get pesky bugs out of your house this summer by making a simple solution with four ingredients that you probably already have lying around the house.
A plant expert named Amyrah shared on social media that she got rid of her fungus gnat infestation with the simple concoction of honey, vinegar, sugar, and dish soap.
Amyrah left a plate of the mixture out near her plants and found a dish full of dead gnats the next day.
The honey, vinegar, and sugar will attract the insects but the dish soap kills them on the spot.
- Amanda Castro
Laundry detergent can kill moss
You can also use remove moss by sprinkling laundry detergent powder over the moss.
Gardening experts advise that it’s best to do this on a day where it will rain as this will kill the moss.
However, you can make your own solution by mixing together the detergent and water and pouring it over the moss.
Once the moss has turned brown (an indicator it is dead) you can sweep it away with a hard-bristled brush.
- Amanda Castro
Vinegar can remove driveway moss
The rough surface of tarmac, typically used in driveways, gathers and retains water more than other materials – making it the ideal breeding spot for moss.
Luckily, a simple solution of distilled vinegar and water can kill moss.
Gardening experts recommend filling a spray bottle with the mixture and spraying daily until the moss dies.
- Amanda Castro
Pots can be too big or small
The experts at Lifehacker shared life-saving tips for any plants that just can’t seem to make it in the long run and revealed that one of the key factors is the size of the pot your plant is in.
“If the pot is too small, your plant’s roots will be constricted, and less soil means less nutrients for it to absorb,” the experts explained.
On the other hand, if your plants die off despite having “plenty of room,” you may accidentally be drowning or starving your plant.
“A pot that’s too big can result in soil that’s too moist, and can make it difficult for the soil to be firmly packed around the roots,” the pros added.
- Amanda Castro
Perennials can last decades
Speaking to Real Simple, Blythe Yost said the secret to garden longevity is picking perennials.
“Plants like peonies and iris will easily live on for 50 years if left undisturbed,” said Yost, who is a landscape architect and CEO and co-founder of landscape design company Tilly.
Meanwhile, other plants, like coreopsis and nepeta, don’t live quite as long, but their lifespans can be lengthened with regular division.
Often, gardeners will choose to plant “showy” annuals that need to be planted again after they’ve died off.
- Amanda Castro
DIY pesticide: plastic forks
As BBQ season approaches, the experts also advise using one everyday kitchen item to improve pest control in your garden.
They said: “If you’ve spotted stray cats, rabbits or mice in your yard, stick a few forks in the ground around their favorite hangout.”
“The sharp tines will deter most small animals, and keep young plants out of harm’s way.”
This comes as The Sun revealed the opinion of experts at Old World Garden Farms who warned of the danger of using harsh chemicals.
- Amanda Castro
DIY pesticide: insecticidal soap
Gardening experts at Bonvilla suggest the use of insecticidal soap as a “non-toxic solution” for spraying plants that are being bothered by bugs.
They advise to mix 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 tablespoon of pure liquid soap, like castile soap, per 1 quart of water, and to put it in a spray bottle.
However, avoid using dishwashing liquid, as the additives can harm plants, and be ineffective on insects.
They said: “Keep the bottle handy, and use it whenever you need to protect your garden from creepy-crawlers.”
- Amanda Castro
Companion plants that help each other
The experts at Old World Garden Farms suggested growing basil next to tomatoes and pepper plants.
Since basil is a deterrent against tomato hornworms, aphids, and beetles, planting it next to other plants will help protect them too.
The green-thumbed pros suggest planting it “close proximity to tomato and pepper plants,” since it protects them naturally.
“In fact, as an added benefit, basil supposedly even improves the flavor of tomatoes when grown nearby.”
They also suggested growing onions and garlic near cabbage.
“Both onions and garlic are known as an excellent repellent for cabbage moths, worms and loopers, and help keep cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower pest free.”
- Amanda Castro
Plant companions to get rid of pests
Experts at Old World Garden Farms gave one handy tip to avoid using harsh chemicals to remove pests.
Companion planting could be the key to ridding nasty pests from your crops.
“Companion planting has been our number one, go-to method for stopping pests naturally in the garden for the last 5+ years. And has it ever worked wonders!” the experts said.
All you have to do is plant certain plants next to each other to reap the benefits.
“There are some wonderful beneficial relationships when certain plants grow near one another.
- Amanda Castro
Types of plants to prune
The most common types of plants that need to be pruned are:
- Hedges
- Climbers
- Shrubs
- Amanda Castro
The importance of pruning
It’s easy to forget to prune your plants and bushes when your lawn looks dead, but once everything else is in order, it’s important to prune.
The pros at Gardeners’ World explained, “By pruning in summer, you can reap the rewards of better displays from ornamental plants, you’ll also encourage bigger crops from fruit trees and bushes.”
“Removing new summer growth before it turns woody reduces growth-promoting nitrogen, allowing potassium to build up – and more potassium means more flowers and fruit.”
“You’ll also keep plants, such as shrubs, climbers and rambling roses, within bounds and maintain an attractive shape.”
- Amanda Castro
Bad information leads to gardening mistakes
A considerable number of gardening mistakes can be attributed to bad information, according to Chloe Brooks, home gardening expert at Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Garden in Franklinville, New Jersey.
That doesn’t mean strictly incorrect knowledge – usually, gardeners will take the information they find online and apply it to their circumstances without accounting for their specific climate.
And with weather conditions varying from year to year, it’s risky to take any single regional guide as gospel truth.
- Amanda Castro
Call your local garden center
If you are unsure of how to care for your plants, hop on the phone or online and get in touch with your local garden center, rather than resorting to the internet.
Nursery employees will have an up-to-the-minute understanding of your area’s conditions, and any plant care tips that are unique to your climate and soil.
Calling them with a question or stopping in is totally fine – they want your plants to thrive, too.
- Amanda Castro
Gardening interests spiked during Covid-19
During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, spikes in interest in gardening were reported by many media outlets, according to The Ecological Society of America (ESA)
The exact reason for the spikes has not been determined, but the ESA reported that the spikes are being investigated further.
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