Summer… It’s the most exuberant time of the year. And it’s here! The warm, sunny days are perfect for catching up with friends and spending quality time with your family. But as a garden spider once told me- With warm weather, comes a wee bit of responsibility! To a vegetable grower, it means making sure his vegetable plants have as good and happy a summer as he does. So, without adieu, let’s check out some essentials of summer care for your vegetable garden.
Just as your cola and lemonade intake quadruple from winter to summer, so does your plants’ need for water! But I’m so not implying you soak your entire garden twice a day. There are simpler, more efficient ways of meeting your plants’ irrigation requirements. Most vegetable plants require at least 2 inches of water during the summer months. I currently use a sprinkler to irrigate my garden veggies, I’ve also experimented with furrow irrigation in the past and, while I find sprinkler irrigation a lot easier, I honestly think they’re both good methods of watering your plants. Container grown vegetables will need a little more care than your garden plants.
Weeds compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients and provide a safe haven to pests. Keeping a tab on them holds great importance. And while garden nurseries are all teeming with weed control products, I enjoy indulging in some old fashioned hand weeding and hoeing. It gives me just another reason to spend more time in my garden! But hey, who’s complaining? A little tip on hoeing- do it in when the soil is dry. This will ensure the weeds you cut off have no chance of taking root yet again.
Another essential of summer care for vegetable plants is Mulching. Mulching doesn’t just control weed growth, it also provides insulation and keeps the soil cool, thus, preventing the loss of moisture. Newspapers, sawdust, leaves, grass clippings all make for good mulch materials. Make sure to provide a good, thick layer (at least 4 inches) around your vegetable plants.