You made it through the spring garden season! All your plants are thriving, you may even be harvesting early crops by now. But even though spring seeding and planning felt busy, summer is actually the busiest time of year for the gardener. Here are five simple tips to help you stay on track.
Late Summer Vegetables and Flowers
Mulching. Adding a couple inches of mulch over the soil will help it retain moisture and stay cooler in the hot months. Grass clippings, straw, shredded wood or leaves will all work just fine.
Hundreds of Weed Seeds!
Weeding. You’ve heard the expression “growing like a weed”, and summer is when that phrase comes to life! It’s easiest to pull weeds while they’re small and when the soil is moist. Early morning before the heat of the day can be a refreshing time to pull weeds. A good thick layer of mulch will help keep the weeds down, too.
Zinnias attract Pollinators!
Flower Care. Your spring-blooming flowers have faded by now, so go ahead and pull out any dead annuals. Remove faded blooms from any perennials that you don’t want to self-seed. Now is the time for heat-loving flower varieties to take center stage. If you planned ahead for summer color, you may already have some of these ready to burst into bloom. Salvia, Zinnia, Calendula, Blue Sage, and Candytuft are all great choices. Summer-blooming bulbs are planted in spring and are another great option for summer color. Canna, Calla lily, and Dahlias are a stunning addition to the garden.
To learn more about planning your flower garden, see This Blog Post on attracting pollinators.
Unwanted Garden Pest
Watch for Pests. Like weeding, this is an all-year chore. But during the heat of summer, pests seem to thrive and multiply almost as fast as the weeds. Not all insects are harmful, in fact, we want to encourage the beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Ladybugs, praying mantis and dragonflies are also helpful, as they prey on other harmful insects.
There are natural methods we can employ to keep many pests at bay. Some gardeners use homemade insecticides like salt spray, mineral oil, or garlic spray. These will fight off pests without harming you or your plants. Row covers can keep bugs off while still letting in sunlight. Hand picking slugs and hornworms may be unpleasant, but removing any harmful bugs you find will make a big difference.
Fall Lettuce Crop
Start Your Fall Garden. Your warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers are all going strong. But when the cool temperatures of fall begin, these plants will stop producing. You can extend the harvest season by planting fall crops now! Cool-season vegetables include broccoli, carrots, lettuce, kohlrabi, and spinach. Learn more about Fall Vegetable Gardening Here!
As we move toward fall and an abundant harvest, keep your garden healthy and thriving with these five tips!
Copyright 2018 Everwilde Farms