HEAVYWEIGHTS for dry shade

Do not let a lack of sunlight combined with dry soil get you down. There are solutions to create vibrant life in these 'problem' areas in a garden and flowering time for most are just around the corner.

- Anna Celliers

Evergreen trees or large shrubs with surface root systems bully smaller plants trying to survive beneath them by robbing them of nutrients, moisture and light. And so do the huge hedges and screening plants we have to plant for privacy. They cause the top layers of soil to become lifeless and bone dry.

Dry shade can also be caused by the overhang of a building preventing rain from reaching plant roots especially against southfacing walls - areas that we sometimes neglect to water, believing that a rainy spell would have sorted it out.

As always, there is a lesson to learn from Mother Nature. In dense thickets and forests, you will see underbrush consisting of small shrubs, bulbs, succulents and groundcovers growing quite happily in dry shade. This can be replicated in a garden with the right plant choices, proper soil preparation before planting and good aftercare.

Improve the soil

• Dig in generous amounts of quality compost to improve water holding capacity and to encourage healthy microorganism activity.
• Make use of the modern water retention products which keep the soil moist for longer and draws the water and added nutrients down to the roots where it is needed. Apply soil wetting agents regularly in these areas and use polymer planting gels when preparing planting holes for individual plants.

Extra feeding

Realising that the roots of small plants will always be in competition with the roots of big established plants, it makes sense to fertilise them regularly throughout the warm months with a balanced, slow-releasing fertiliser.

Watering