General Tips

• Water early or late: Water in the morning or evening to reduce evaporation.
• Mulch: Use bark, straw, or compost to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Check rain levels: Irish summers can be dry in spells; if there’s less than 1″ (25mm) of rain a week, water deeply.

Lawn Care

• Raise the mower: Keep grass slightly longer (5–7cm) to retain moisture and resist drought.
• Feed your lawn: Use a summer feed high in nitrogen (early summer) or a balanced feed.
• Spot treat weeds: Remove them before they flower and spread.

Flowers & Bedding Plants

• Deadhead regularly: Encourages new blooms in annuals like petunias, geraniums, and marigolds.
• Feed containers weekly: Use a high-potash feed like tomato food for planters and hanging baskets.
• Keep an eye on slugs: Especially after rain; use barriers or organic slug pellets.

Vegetable Garden

• Harvest frequently: Pick courgettes, beans, lettuce, etc., to encourage more growth.
• Sow succession crops: Salad leaves, radish, beetroot, and spring onions can still be sown.
• Support taller plants: Tie up tomatoes, peas, and beans to prevent wind damage.

Fruit & Shrubs

• Net soft fruits: Protect strawberries, raspberries, and currants from birds.
• Prune stone fruits: July is good for pruning cherries and plums (reduces risk of silver leaf disease).
• Keep an eye on aphids: Spray with soapy water or introduce ladybirds.

Greenhouse/Polytunnel

• Ventilate well: Open doors and vents daily to prevent mildew.
• Dampen floors: Helps control temperature and humidity.
• Watch for whitefly and red spider mites: Use yellow sticky traps or natural predators.

Wet Weather Adaptations

• Improve drainage: Raise beds or use gravel paths to prevent waterlogging.
• Space plants well: Improves airflow and reduces fungal diseases.