Maintaining a garden is not easy, but with practice you can develop a green thumb, says award-winning Dubai-based landscape designer Kamelia Bin Zaal.
Here are her top tips to maintain your garden.
Check for the presence of insects. It is important to regularly check for pests as they may harm your plants. Early detection of insects such as aphids, thrips and mealy bugs, among others, can reduce the number of pests present and save you money.
Weeding, cultivation and fertiliser application. Regularly pull weeds and unnecessary plants in the garden to prevent further growth and competition to your plants.
Avoid compacted soils and aerate your lawns. Aeration is an extremely important step in maintaining a healthy lawn because it allows air and water to penetrate built-up grass or lawn thatch. You can aerate your lawn by perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients which will penetrate the grass roots. This will allow the roots grow deeply and produce a healthier, more vigorous lawn.
Add fertilisers and soil amendments as per schedule of application. A soil amendment is any material added to soil to improve its physical properties, such as water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure with the aim of creating the best environment possible for the roots. Make sure you check the fertiliser requirements of plants upon purchase.
Checking of irrigation lines. Irrigation is vital to plant health. Under dosing or overdosing plants with water can severely affect their growth. Garden owners can visually check any leakage in the pipelines. The use of an irrigation timer is beneficial for garden owners since they can easily adjust the irrigation timing as per suitable in the season.
