AS we enjoy the start of spring, the country has seen a surge in warm temperatures.
And the sunny weather may inspire you to head outside to give the garden a much-needed revamp.
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Jack Stooks was a royal gardener for 21 years Credit: Jack Stooks
If it does, former senior royal gardener Jack Stooks has revealed there are certain jobs people should pay attention to, especially when temperatures are rising.
Speaking to Smooth Spins Casino, Jack – who worked for King Charles for more than two decades at Highgrove House – offered his expert tips on when you should cut your grass during mini-heatwaves.
He said: “In warm weather, the grass will literally just grow and grow. Get into a weekly routine and take off a bit each week. It’s good practice to get into that rhythm.
“Weeds are also starting to pop up everywhere and really fast now.
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“Hand weeding or hoeing if necessary, and keep off using pesticides, if possible.
“If we have really hard rain, we don’t want anything to wash off and cause a problem.”
Jack also noted the one common planting mistake people make when the weather is hot during the spring months.
He said: “When it comes to potted plants, like bear root shrubs or fruit trees, you ideally want to keep them in the shade. You want to keep their roots protected while you’re doing that.
“We’ve had a few days of nice weather, but people will forget and they think ‘We’ve got this amazing weather. All our plants are fine now, we can just leave them be.’
“But you might still get a massive frost. You don’t expect it because the weather is great.
“You need to remember to keep your plants protected. Keep an eye on the weather because the late frosts always catch people out.
“For instance, if you take seedlings out of the glasshouse and plant them straight into the ground without hardening them off, a sudden frost can damage them.”
Jack also revealed his top tips to get rid of pests in the garden – with slugs becoming “pretty rife”.
He said: “You can protect your plants by putting out yeast drink traps.
“People tend to use slug pellets, which are not great at all, as birds eat the slugs and could fall ill. You’re better off using something organic.”
He added: “You also get aphids coming out now. They can be in glass houses and you can use organic products to get rid of them.
“Put sachets around your glasshouses and they release little predators that then eat the bugs you don’t want. It’s a fantastic way of getting rid of things.
“We also used soap water type spray at Highgrove, which you can spray onto roses. It’s an organic mix and you’re not killing off bugs, bees and birds. You’re protecting the environment while enjoying your garden and having those pesticides done away with organically.”
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