Some late summer gardening tips

Ed Close

The heat this summer makes us all miserable. It does the same thing to our pets, so we need to make sure they have a shady spot and fresh water.

Our gardens suffer from the heat, too. Most of us just pour more water at the plants, hoping theyll survive, but there are ways to protect the plants and even make them thrive in these conditions.

If you have automatic watering systems, set them to go on at night after the heat of the day has passed. This method of watering loses a lot less up to a third of the water to evaporation. This also allows the water to soak into the soil down deep where roots that feed the plants grow.

Another thing you can do is mulch your vegetable gardens and flowerbeds. There are all sorts of things you can use for mulch. If you have a compost pile, that would work just great. A good thick layer will shade the roots and allow them to stay moist longer. The plants may wilt above ground but theyll usually spring back when evening comes.

If you dont have a compost pile, then several other options are available, this newspaper among them! Layers of newspaper between the rows of vegetable gardens keeps the soil shaded, and reduces evaporation. And, as an added bonus, it reduces the number of weeds significantly. That means more time for you to sit in the shade with some lemonade or iced tea, instead of bending over in the hot sun to weed.

Many stores carry wood chips in bales. These work well for the same purposes. Farm stores often have oat straw, which works just fine, but if you use this be prepared to pull oats as they will certainly sprout and start to grow.

Cardboard works well as mulch, as it is thicker than newspaper and lasts a good, long time. Its organic and can be allowed to rot right into the ground or be tilled under in the spring when you get ready to plant. To use paper or cardboard in flowerbeds, cut the material into strips long enough to cover the ground between plants but narrow enough not to crush the leaves. Once you have them in place, water them well so they are too heavy for the wind to blow away, which also helps them stick to the ground.

Some stores carry humus. It is usually quite inexpensive and works exactly the same as leaf mold in a forest. The earthworms love humus and will turn it into topsoil for you so you dont have to buy any more of that.

The main idea is to protect the root crowns from the heat and keep them moist. If you can get them to survive through the hot weather, the root crowns will burst forth with growth in the spring, and the mulch you put on because of the heat will also help the plants during winter months by protecting the root crowns from the cold.

I hope you have good luck out there in your gardens. It might pay to do the mulching early in the morning or in the evening to protect yourself from the heat as well.