Summer’s really here, isn’t it? With a few little heat waves behind us and a few more up ahead, it’s important to keep a close eye on our gardens to make sure they stay happy and healthy. Here are some tried-and-true tips for not losing your mind and your garden during these hot days.
Hold Off On The Transplanting
If you see a heat wave approaching, best to hold off on getting any new plants in the ground. Tiny transplants and huge potted plants alike are pretty vulnerable when transitioning to life in the ground. Best to hide them in the shade for a few days and plant after the temperature drops.
Be Generous With Your Water
When in doubt, water extra! There’s nothing worse than the feeling of heading off to work for the day and glancing at your garden, wishing it luck for the hot afternoon ahead. My advice is to over-water. By using water-smart practices I’m able to save water most of the time in the garden, except once in a while when certain plants may need a little extra. I still sleep just fine at night.
Hide Your Potted Plants!
It’s so helpful to have a bit of shade out in the garden, whether under a tree or with a man-made shade cloth structure. In stretches of heat, use this shade to your advantage! I move all of my transplants, and even some larger potted plants into these shady areas for a few days if the weather is going to be severe. Growth may slow down a bit, but that’s better than stressing your plants out.
Prevention Is Key
Spend a little extra time in the garden as you see temperatures start to climb in the forecast. Extra water, extra weeding so that you’re plants aren’t competing for moisture, extra love in general. It can’t hurt.
It’s Never Too Late To Mulch!
Mulch around the base of your plants can drastically improve your soil’s ability to hold water. If this was on your to-do list last spring and you simply didn’t get to it, fret not! You can always do it now. Get yourself some wood chips and go to town. Grab N’ Grow Organic Arbor Mulch is on sale now for $15/yd!
Take Care Of The Gardener
Let’s face it, an unhappy, much less heat-stroked gardener, makes for an unhappy garden. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And when in doubt, drink some more. Keep yourself covered up, and stay inside during the hottest hours of the day. We want happy gardeners and gardens out there!
Family
