How to Keep Garden Tidy

Weeds can be annoying and harmful to plants in the garden, but that is not news.

They can easily take over and since weeding by hand is not fun, the garden might end up looking messy, cluttered and unattractive.

Aside from weeds, dead plants and debris compromise on the health of the patio hence the need to clean up.

“While weeds deny your plants essential nutrients, old leaves and debris are a hiding place for pests and insects. Cleaning out the garden is therefore an essential activity,” says Pius Mwambingu, a landscape architect in Nairobi.

He says the first step is to pick up the obvious stuff such as dog waste, litter and fallen branches in order to make the cleaning up of the garden easier.

You could invest in an electric leaf blower to collect unwanted leaves and garden debris, with a shredding option.

While at it, wear protective gloves and be mindful of bulbs and tender plants that could get damaged in the process.

Note that leaving debris on the lawn for longer than necessary can prevent new and healthy grass from growing.

As such, the second step in cleaning the garden is to rake the lawn to rid it of any remaining dead leaves, twigs, and pine-cones. Note that running over pineconnes and twigs might not necessarily damage your mower but it may mean that you have to sharpen the blades more often.

It thus makes sense to rake up before using the mower.

The whole idea behind raking is to expose the matted areas to the air so nutrients and water can penetrate and the existing turf can fill in the areas naturally.

Thirdly, clean up the garden beds using pair of scissors or small garden shears to remove dead leaves and stalks from plants.

Pull out any dead plants that you intend to replace and lay down compost around roots of those you want to fertilise.

This is also where you pull up non-diseased plant material and throw it in the compost bin. This way you will create nutrient rich compost for future use.

Four; consider the tools which among other may include the lawnmower, the hedge trimmer, and the whipper-snipper.

The shape and size of your garden is a key determinant of what tools work for weeding. For instance, small-hand sized hoes are the ideal for getting in between smaller rows.

The dandelion remover’ tool on the other hand can come in handy if you are trying to get rid of prickly weeds and want to keep a safe distance.

If importance is to make sure all blades are sharp and rust-free. Look out for cracks and other signs of wear in visible belts, and after this confirmation swap out used oil for new oil to improve efficiency.

The fifth step is to prune dead branches from shrubs and trees.

While it’s advisable to prune put unwanted growth periodically busy schedules can compromise these good intentions. Mae time however to cut off any wayward branches , take out thin growth and remove suckers and water sprouts.

Pruning is important because it can help increase the yield of blossoms and fruit in flowering plants and some fruit trees, hence improve their quality.

Consider the right pruning season as this could determine your success or failure in improving the plant’s well-being.

But whatever the season, keep your garden or patio, front and back, tidy to avoid problems that will mean spending more money. The front of your garden is the first impression guests get of your property and thus should be given the desired attention.

While at it, pop your rubbish bins somewhere unobtrusive so that they don't ruin the ambience.