Americans urged to nurture their gardens for the rest of the summer

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Interest in gardens and outdoor spaces has grown significantly over the past year as we have potted, planted, weeded and seeded our way through the pandemic. The trend looks set to continue as many people enjoy entertaining at home with friends and family for the rest of the American summer.

Readly digital subscription service reports that its gardening category readership has increased in recent months by 81%. Hedge trimmer, flower box and garden shades are just some of the most searched items across its much-loved category.

Chris Couchman, Head of Content for the US says, "Reading in the gardening category has reached new heights this year as people look for inspiration for their outdoor spaces and take up or revisit gardening as a hobby. The magazines on our platform have been a great source of education, advice and inspiration for various gardening projects and continue to prove popular as many people open their gardens to welcome guests and show off the fruits of their labour over the last year."

Top gardening searches across the 5,000 titles on the Readly platform include:

• Hedge trimmer
• Flower box
• Garden shades
• Weed removal
• Wild garlic
• Pond ideas
• Small garden
• Peppermint
• Lavender
• Potato growing

To help your garden make it through the rest of the summer, Readly has partnered with gardening expert and self proclaimed 'Google Plant', Justin Hancock from Costa Farms. Justin reveals his top tips for nurturing your garden in the hotter months.

Keep Summer Flowers Blooming Longer

Want to keep your yard looking its best (and maybe make your neighbors a little jealous)? It may be easier than you think if you take them in small steps!

• Remove old flowers. Cutting faded blossoms from your plants will help many of them produce more new flowers faster than if you leave the spent blossoms. (The reason for this is that cutting plants back encourages growth, and your plants can put more energy into making more flowers rather than seeds.) One way to make this easy is to spend just a couple of minutes walking through your landscape every couple of days snipping off spent blooms. (I've found it's a great way to start my day with a morning cup of tea…it's not as hot outside and I get some steps in before I plant myself at my desk all day!)
• Make sure there's mulch over the soil. A good 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of mulch keeps the soil cooler, reduces moisture loss to evaporation, and suppresses weed growth. (Mulch can cut back on weeds sprouting up by 80 percent!) All of this is beneficial to your plants, giving them more energy to continue performing like champs. One of my favorite things about mulch? You only have to do it once at the beginning of the season.
• Pull weeds as they pop up. Mulch does most of the weed control for you, but it's not perfect. (To quote Jurassic Park, "life finds a way" whether it's weeds or dinosaurs.) Every kind of weed is easier to pull if you get it while it's small and there's less of a root system to contend with. Plus, pulling weeds before they flower means you can prevent them from going to seed—and that means you're stopping each plant from producing future generations.
• Automate your watering. Never worry about having to turn on the hose by getting a simple (and inexpensive!) timer for your hose and sprinkler. This underrated tool turns your water on and off based on a schedule you set. So if you have a place where you can roll out the hose and keep a sprinkler or two, you can enjoy the convenience without a complicated or expensive irrigation system.
• Get your inspiration from around the world from subscription services like Readly where you can access a wealth of gardening content.

Give Your Houseplants Some Love

While it's easy to focus on the great outdoors, don't forget about your indoor garden:

• Summer is a fantastic time to repot houseplants if they've outgrown their pots. Not sure how to tell? Slip the root ball out of the pot. If you see lots and lots of roots circling the outside perimeter of the rootball, it's probably time to repot. Get tips here.
• Longer days and greater light intensity also mean summer is a great time to fertilize your plants if you haven't done so since last year. Any general-purpose fertilizer will do, just follow the directions on the packaging. Tip: Make it easy by using a time-release fertilizer. Just add it once and it feeds your plant for the next few months!
• Keep them away from the air conditioner. Drafts of air that are noticeably different in temperature than the ambient air can damage some houseplants, so it's best to keep your home jungle a couple of feet away from any vents or other sources of drafts.
• Watch the watering as longer days, brighter light, and warmer temperatures can help your houseplants grow a little faster. The faster they grow, the more water they use. It's common for folks to find their plants need more water in the summer months than the winter months.

Readly digital subscription service has a magazine with gardening tips to suit every type of gardener, from the first-timer planting pots on a balcony, to the seasoned horticulturist.

SOURCE Readly