You can beat the heat while gardening in the hot NC summertime!The following column from L.A. Jackson lists a number of steps you can take to keep gardening during the sweltering summer heat and help your plants survive.
News and Observer
June 30, 2007
L. A. Jackson, Correspondent
Early gardener can beat the heat
Is it hot enough for you yet? Well, if you're a heat lover, summertime in the simmering Southeast usually doesn't disappoint. Of course, such scorching conditions can take the fun out of gardening, but that is why it's better to do the hardest garden chores early in the morning or late in the day. If you prefer to work with your plants during the heat of the day, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, use sunscreen and don't forget that big, floppy hat!* If you have recently placed a prized plant just beyond the hose, to get it through the dry times, poke a small hole in the bottom of a plastic one-gallon milk jug, fill it with water, replace the cap and set it next to the plant. The small hole and slight vacuum will let the jug slowly, thoroughly water the plant.
* For a good show of chrysanthemums this fall, fertilize the plants lightly with a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks and pinch out new tip growth early in the month to keep the plants bushy.
* For chrysanthemums that are good enough to show in competition this fall, let only one or two shoots develop on each plant and continue to remove any side buds that try to develop for the rest of the growing season.
* Strawflowers that are going to be used in dried arrangements preserve best if they are harvested when their flowers are only half open.
* Most herbs do best with minimal maintenance, but many benefit from a 2- to 3-inch mulch, which will help keep the moisture supply at a constant level.
* If you're considering potted plants or hanging baskets, keep three points in mind: (1) Clay pots allow additional evaporation, so plants in these containers must be watered more often than plants in plastic containers; (2) the smaller the pot, the quicker the soil inside it dries out; and (3) the more you water, the more nutrients leach out of the soil, so water with a liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks.
* Production from the vegetable garden should be in high gear now, but to keep even more crops coming, harvest such veggies as okra, cucumbers, squash, beans and indeterminate tomatoes every two to three days.
* Prune tomato plants to improve production. Prune lower leaves to divert more energy into fruit production. However, resist cutting off any upper foliage that shields tomatoes from the sun because this natural covering helps prevent sunscald.
* Patrol the potato patch for exposed spuds. If you aren't going to harvest them immediately, cover with mulch to prevent the sun from turning them green and making them taste bad.
* Hate how slimy boiled okra gets? Leave the edible stems on the pods and cook them whole.
* Japanese beetles are at their worst this month. If you opt to end their reign of terror in your garden with Japanese beetle traps, remember that they attract before they kill, so place them far, far away from any susceptible plants. The bait in these traps is usually a sex pheromone, so even in an out of the way location, Japanese beetles will find them.
* Don't forget your bird friends. At least once a week, clean the bird bath, and keep the feeder clear of old seed and refilled with fresh feed.
* If you still have bare spots in the garden, midsummer sales are in full force and are sure bets for finding great plant bargains.
* Think the summer garden is nothing but a sea of green? Visit your local arboretum or botanical garden to see how these professional public gardens add color to their summer beds.
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