Fortunately, I was off the Island for much of the winter, which I understand weatherwise, left much to be desired.We seemed to bypass spring and moved into summer conditions, with the result we are now being especially hard hit by drought, even with the “mixed weather” earlier in May. Lawns and plants are literally “hanging on to survive” in such conditions, with stress being a major factor.In such conditions, numerous problems arise in the garden, e.g. plants attacked by insect damage are difficult to control when in stress unless root systems are thoroughly wetted and water uptake alleviates same. Fertiliser application must be restricted to liquid applications as granular fertiliser can have an adverse affect on root systems if active ingredients are released too quickly and in too strong a concentration to cause burn. Mowing is not advised as removal of too much leaf blade impacts growth, as well as creating dust storms on parched areas.And what happens when we eventually have the occasional shower or it actually rains for long periods of time and our soil moisture deficit is back to normal? At the time of writing we are nine inches below normal rainfall and moving into the growing season with a long hot summer ahead. Under present conditions, maintenance is basically being carried out in an ad hoc manner, but what happens next?The landscape is not a static entity, and Mother Nature does tend to act in unpredictable ways, so one should, within reason, tailor grounds maintenance accordingly. With this in mind, consider scheduling maintenance on an “as and when required” basis. This is simply mowing grass when it needs to be cut taking into consideration the type of grass and height of cut for the said type.Weather conditions impact growth, therefore such tasks should accommodate the need; just because it is Tuesday and it’s your day for mowing, it may not be the same for the grass! With soils being so dry for so long and nutrients not being replenished since perhaps the last application of fertiliser a year ago, care should be taken with fertiliser applications.Growth is spurred on by heat and moisture which also encourages pest and diseases with control measurers which begs the question of when and how to prune. Many plants will often exhibit a proliferation of “broom-like” growth when pruned which will require thinning out to develop branch structure that is strong and therefore healthy. Flowers will be forming or in bud as growth continues therefore care should be taken when pruning not to remove too many flowering branches.After the rains, weed control will be a major task for weeks to come, with an abundance of germinating growth; ephemerals weeds which grow flower and seed in a short period of time are the worst of problems as continued seeding will give numerous years weeding. As I have written on numerous occasions, if you weed when no weeds are present you will not see any weeds. By continually hoeing through the soil on a weekly basis such action destroys the potential of any germinating material, it is labour saving and ‘fool proof’.Seedlings or annuals are in abundance at this time but care should be taken when planting as ground must be moist/wet when planted and watering should continue until seedlings are “standing” on their own root systems; do not water during the heat of the day.Maintenance based on the “as and when required” approach, enables you to tackle problems once and in a proper manner by selecting the task and following it through to completion before starting another project. This will of course take longer to work through the list of tasks, but will allow you to keep on top of potential problems.If one looks at the year at a glance, then programme the hours spent working on maintenance in this “as and when required” method, the hours will within reason even themselves out. The present approach of for example, three men every Tuesday for three hours or whatever achieves very little positive output for the long term.My observations have been in periods of drought the same work schedule is done as when rain has been aplenty or tasks are not completed simply because too many tasks are tackled in such a short time-frame that the work done often becomes redundant.Maintenance should be viewed as all encompassing when discussing grounds, as plants or weeds a plant growing in the wrong place will grow anywhere if given the right conditions. If left to their own devices problems occur; the so called ‘invasive species’ take hold and proliferate as will any plant allowed to grow and seed naturally. The most prolific growers include but not limited to, Mexican Pepper, Fiddlewood, Allspice, Jumbie Bean, Odorous Clerodendron, Pride of India, Chinese Fan Palm, Asparagus fern and Wedelia.Being a small island, seed is dispersed by birds and wind in all areas, and once this seed germinates and takes hold the potential for increased seed production becomes reality. In “woodland” and “uncultivated” areas growth continues unchecked, this is often seen in old estates such as Southlands and parts of the Arboretum and even on golf courses Fairmont, Southampton. Land management is the key to controlling such areas; scheduled maintenance will reduce sapling growth and seeding. Removing problem trees when young means they do not become mature and seed, removal also eliminates potential root problems.In the case of Chinese Fan Palms remove flower spikes when they first appear thus eliminating seed production. Taking into consideration the old saying “one year’s seeding gives seven years weeding” one can understand why so many tracts of land are covered in self seeded saplings and mature trees. The cost of removal when small is minimal, but the longer they are left saplings become trees and can be the root cause of many problems!griffm[AT]northrock.bm