Hyams Garden Center and Accent Store

Serving Greater Charleston Area with Quality, Variety & Professionalism since 1981

What Does the Gardener Say?

By

Watering Reminder + Tips

With the spike in temperatures, your trees are feeling the stress just like you are. Help them beat the heat by increasing your watering. Here are some guidelines and tips for watering and caring for your investment.

Water issues are the number one cause of a failed planting.

Implement a thorough watering program that fits your site, drainage, reactions to weather conditions, and persist until the tree is established.

Initial Watering Schedule:

Water daily while above ground, 3 to 5 times a week after planting

Amount per Application:

10 to 20 gallons (1 US gallon equals 3.78 liters) of water every 1” of caliper each application.

Rate: Water should be applied slowly and in sufficient quantity to reach a zone 24” deep or more.

Constantly monitor trees in hot and dry weather.

Methods: Drip system, spot-spitters, or use of watering bags or water-rings.

Tree Establishment Period: 6 months per every 1” of caliper.

Rule of Thumb: Use this rule daily to monitor the tree’s water needs. The root ball should be moist enough that you can push your thumb into the ball. If you cannot press your thumb into the root ball, it is too dry.

By

Summer Watering For Your Landscape

Watering your plants in the sweltering summer heat can often times be a challenge! Many gardeners resort to watering for a shorter period of time and find they have to give their plants and lawn a refill more often. If you want to see your landscape flourish with beautiful grass and gorgeous flowers, now is the time to teach yourself, and your plants, good watering practices!

When watering your plants and lawn, the ideal result is for them to be as self-sufficient as possible. The aim of a savvy gardener is to water deeper and less often. This method will help roots grow deeper and thus access even more water farther down where it’s less likely to dry out.  Watering deeper sends the roots where you want them to go, and when you water less frequently, it makes the roots go searching for this “buried treasure.” In comparison, if you tend to water shallow and more often, you will end up with a shallow root system.

If you’ve been watering more frequently and for a shorter period of time, try retraining your plants and lawn by beginning to water half as often, but twice as long when you do water. It may take some time, but eventually you’ll find yourself watering less and less often with a picturesque landscape to show off your hard work!

By

Hummingbirds in your Garden

It is very easy to attract hummingbirds to your garden, window box or flower pots!

The most significant thing that you can do to attract hummingbirds is to plant flowering annuals, perennials, vines, shrubs and trees.

Hummingbirds are attracted to BRIGHT colors like red, yellow and orange tubular shaped flowers; other flower shapes and colors should not be overlooked. Plant your flowers in small clusters, plant vines on a trellis at the back of your garden with tall growing flowers in front of it and put shorter plants in the very front of your garden bed. A variety of flowers and blooming times of flowers will provide a well-rounded diet for hummingbirds as they reside in South Carolina.

Another major source of food for hummingbirds is small insects and spiders that are attracted to flowers as well. Hummingbirds appear in South Carolina from late March to early April and stay until September, early October and sometimes they even hang around into December.