THE weather we are now enjoying should give us comfort to plant up our summer bedding without the worry of frosts or cold winds causing any plant injury.

It is necessary to make sure plant and soils do not dry out and cause any growth problems.

A way of retaining moisture in the soil is to add water saving pellets or gel to hold on to moisture allowing water to be released to plants slowly.

There is also the option of a home made water reservoir by burying a 2L bottle upside down and cutting off the bottom of the bottle allowing it to be filled and by cutting a large hole in the lid or pushing firmly against the soil will slow down the water flow to the soil and plants.

Hanging baskets and pots will require additional attention as lack of soil in containers leads to drying out quicker.

As well as keeping an eye on the watering it is important to give your border plants and container plants adequate fertiliser to keep them growing strongly, retaining moisture and producing colourful displays to brighten up your garden display.

There are several options available for feeding your plants over the summer months.

If you are an attentive gardener then liquid feeding is a good option and can be done on a seven-14 day interval or if you don’t have the time to feed regularly then there are some good season long pellets that can be added at planting time that contains all the necessary nutrients for a full season.

The numbers you will see on a fertiliser bag or container in garden centres relate to the three major nutrients required for plants.

Nitrogen (N) which is the first number helps to strengthen plant leaves and encourage the plant to grow strongly.

The second number relates to phosphates (P) that encourage good root growth and flowering which is important in retaining water.

A good strong root system in plants helps to strengthen the plant retain water longer and prevent drying out.

The third number relates to potash (K) which can also assist flowering and also helps stop plants from drying out.

Other nutrients are listed however these are not required in the same quantity as the main nutrients.

A balanced feed of all nutrients gives a steady supply of all three nutrients.

It is worth looking in to what nutrients your particular plant thrives on.

There are also some other soil improvement products available to improve the condition of your soil or compost such as seaweed and other organic based products to condition your soil.

Your shrub border will also benefit from some balanced fertilising.

There are also some organic garlic products available now that will help stimulate plant growth as well as keeping fungal disease and insects away from your plants and are also harmless to bees and ladybirds. Important to remember healthy feeding means healthy plants.