Photos via: Houzz

In today’s technological world, it would be naive to think that technology hasn’t made its way to the more rustic activities in life such as gardening. Whilst gardening is one of the most relaxing things a person can do, it also comes with a few frustrations. Always ensuring that your garden is well fed and taken care of can take a fair bit of time, and frustrations are plenty when you’ve failed to make your plants grow. Thankfully, technology has stepped in to make the entire gardening process one that is more fruitful and easier to keep up with. In this article, we’ll look at some of the technologies and devices that every avid gardener can use to really bring your garden to the next level. Read on to find out more!

1. Mobile and Web Apps to Plan Your Garden 

Before we even talk about automated sprinklers and plant monitors, let’s look at the numerous mobile and web gardening apps that currently exist to help you plan and maintain your garden.

As any gardener would know, planting a garden takes some efficient planning. You need to know the size of your plot, the direction your garden faces and numerous other factors that contribute to a thriving garden. Thankfully, there are a number of applications available in the market today to help you with tasks such as recording metrics, how long your garden gets sunlight and determining which plants will fare well in your garden. Utilising these apps that are at your disposal is a fantastic way to maintain the health of your garden as well as give you answers to any of your gardening queries.

Automate The Nitty Gritty

Automation of the more mundane gardening tasks is a fantastic way for you to save time and also ensure that you’re always keeping on top of tending to your garden. Some fantastic tools that are available to gardeners today are automatic lawnmowers that move around a garden by following a border wire that is set up around the garden. Imagine how much time you could save with a robot doing the lawn mowing for you! Some other fantastic automation options are automatic sprinklers that turn on and off according to your preferred times/settings. Automated sprinklers are a fantastic way to make sure that your garden is always kept well hydrated even if you’re not home.

Invest In A Plant Monitor

One of the frustrations that come with gardening is the inability to know exactly what your plants need. Unfortunately, your plants can’t just voice out what they require, which is why a plant monitor or sensor is a highly beneficial tool for any avid gardener. A plant monitor is a wireless sensor that monitors your soil moisture, temperature, fertiliser and light levels of your plants. Information is then gathered and sent straight to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. With this information, you can closely monitor the vitals of your plants and thus determine exactly what your plants require to thrive. This is one bit of technology that any and every gardener stands to benefit from!

Universal Feeders Make Your Job That Much Easier

Another piece of technology that can truly make your gardening experience a lot less stressful is a universal feeder. We all know that giving your plants too much or too little fertiliser can have devastating consequences. You can avoid either of these circumstances by investing in a universal feeder. Your feeder is designed to make fertilisation as simple as possible. It is simply attached to a faucet and then dispenses the correct amount of fertiliser to your garden. Avoid any fertilising mishaps by investing in a feeder that does the job for you.

Say Cheese!

Last but not least, let’s look at garden cameras. Many gardeners love their plants as much as animal lovers love their pets. This is why gardeners always want to be kept updated on how their plants are doing. One of the best ways to do this is with a garden camera. If you’re worried about your plants and looking to monitor them at all times, a garden camera can snap photos of your garden every one minute to 24 hours. Aside from monitoring the condition of your garden, garden cameras can help you have a deeper look into factors such as insects and critters that may be attacking your plants. Knowing exactly what is going on in your garden by monitoring it is the best way for you to eliminate potential issues and maintain the overall health of your greens, flora and fauna!

We hope that this article has opened your world into the wonders of technology when it comes to gardening. With a few investments, you’ll watch as your garden thrives bigger and better than it ever did before!

Photo: Zeterre Landscape Archtiecture

Mature trees are a thing of beauty, and they provide us with essential shading and wind cover, yet, much like young trees, a large tree does require regular care and attention. When pruning a mature tree, it is important that you do not injure the tree, especially as older trees find it hard to recover from excessive pruning, and with that in mind, here are a few tips from the professionals on how best to care for mature trees.

Removing Dead Wood – The first thing to do with a mature tree is to remove any dead or decaying branches. While tree lopping in Perth seems to be popular, there are other options, which do not damage the tree, and by talking to an experienced tree surgeon, you can make an informed decision on the best way forward.

Prune in the Autumn – This is the best time to prune mature trees, as it gives the tree time to recover before the next growing season the following spring. One goal when pruning is to shape the tree, but one must be careful not to trim back too much, as this can hinder normal growth.

Never Prune Flush with the Trunk – When removing branches that are attached directly to the trunk, you should never cut the branch flush to the trunk, as this will harm the tree. Rather make a small cut to the underside of the branch about 6 inches from the trunk, then once the branch is removed, cut a further 2 inches from the stump, which still leaves a few inches protruding from the trunk.

Safety First – Unless you are experienced at pruning mature trees, you are advised to call in an arborist, who has both the know-how and equipment to safely carry out the pruning. If you have a few mature trees on your property, call in a tree surgeon at the end of the summer, and he can prune them all in a single visit. There are many accidents when homeowners decide to climb a tree to prune it, and if you are not an experienced climber, you could cause yourself a serious injury by doing so.

The Right Equipment – Pruning a mature tree is only possible if you have the right equipment, which would include a long pruning saw, and if you are going to work at height, you should have a sturdy ladder, as well as a head for heights. Prior to making any cuts, make sure that the branch you are going to remove will not damage anything on its way down.

One practice that is often recommended is tree lopping, yet in most cases, this will damage the tree, and lopping should only be considered if there are no other options. Any good arborist would avoid lopping a mature tree whenever possible, as very often, the tree cannot recover from such major treatment, and will subsequently die.