Successful Summer Gardening Tips
When I saw the “Feels Like” temperature reach 102*F today, I know I had to step it up in my garden. There are a few, very easy things to do around the yard that will make your summer garden thrive even in the scorching heat. Now is the time if you haven’t started already. It is definitely worth the additional small investment of your time and money. So here are my Top 5 Successful Summer Gardening Tips:
Deep Mulch
Making sure your garden beds and pots have between 2 and 4 inches of mulch will dramatically reduce soil temperature. Most gardeners recommend you add new mulch at the beginning of spring. But often, especially with the summer storms, you may need more to keep the soil sufficiently covered. By using deep mulch, you will keep your soil sometimes up to 20 degrees cooler. Cooler roots make for healthier roots, and therefore, healthier plants.
Roots are better able to absorb water and nutrients from the soil and fight disease when they are less than 90*F, and more consistently between 60*F and 80*F. Many times, plants fail to thrive and people blame it on the summer sun. However, hot roots will kill a plant that looks perfectly fine on top. So check your mulch depth and top off if necessary. Now, you just can’t tell by looking at the plant, which brings me to my next tip.
Deep Watering
While during the dry and cooler months, you may only need to water every few days, in the summer you definitely need to kick it up a notch. A good long soak every day just before sunset or around dusk should be able to last you through the day. Make sure to only water on the mulch or soil, and not the leaves. If your leaves are damp overnight, it can cause mildew issues. If you see your plants start looking droopy and your soil is dry, you may want to add another watering in the morning.
Looking just at the surface will not give you an accurate idea of the moisture at the roots. How to check whether your soil is too dry? You stick your finger into the soil up to your second knuckle. If it is dry, you need more water. If it is damp, you do not need more water. So, check at the same time for a few days and see if you need to increase your watering.
Avoid Scalding
It may seem like common sense, but make sure your water is running cool before you water your plants. You do not want to boil them with water that has been sitting in your hose in the hot sun. Let the water run in an area that does not care if the water is super hot. For example, I have an area of my yard that is just sand. That’s the perfect space for getting rid of that hot hose water. When your water is running cool, it will also help your plant roots stay cooler too. If your plants are looking wilted in the middle of the day, go ahead and give them a nice cool drink at the roots. They will thank you for it.
Get Shady
When you are doing everything else right, and your plants still are struggling (as I’m side-eyeing my potted mint), get them some shade. Perhaps they would just be happier with a few hours less of that scorching sun. As many experienced gardeners will tell you, “full sun” on the seed packet does not mean full sun in South Florida summer. It really depends where you are and how close the sun is. Some plants don not mind it in the least. Others like a little shade. So, pull your potted plants back under and overhang where they can get a few hours of sun in the morning, but are shaded for the rest of the day. My mint, for example, does great under my porch roof where it can get sun from sunrise to 11AM. Any more and it gets crispy in the summer.
If you do not have natural shade creators like trees, or roof overhangs, by all means get yourself some shade cloth. I have heard gardeners use anywhere from 30% to 80% shade cloth in the summer depending on what they are growing. Some swear by using 30% for everything. Give it a try. Just be aware that shade cloth does not solve all your problems when it comes to plants that do not like the heat.
But, no matter how much protection your plants get from the sun, they are not going to do well if they just want to be grown in cooler weather. This means, shade cloth is not going to help you grow broccoli in South Florida summers. However, it can help you grow better peppers, eggplant, etc. by reducing the intense exposure to the sun.
I hope these tips give you some confidence to take care of your summer garden. Just a little more care and effort will go a long way to help you grow food all summer long, no matter the heat. If you are interested in getting help taking care of your garden, click here to check out our local gardening services.