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Gardening can be restorative and therapeutic if you aren’t fighting stressed out plants. Follow these gardening hacks to ensure a better experience for you and a more lovely garden throughout the heat of summer.
Water often. Your summer garden will thrive if you water plants thoroughly at their base three or more times a week. Water more often if the plants are new or planted in containers.
Water at the base. Giving the plant a drink at the point of absorption is key. If you’re thirsty, I recommend drinking a glass of water and not taking a shower. It all seems obvious when you say it out loud, but I often see sprinklers up in the air watering newly planted gardens in the heat of summer. Sprinklers on hot days can cause mold and mildew to grow on plant leaves as the leaves sit wet. Plants do get some water when it rains, but how much is difficult to measure, so our rule at the garden center is to never trust the rain and get busy watering anyway. When the heat is on, keep the water flowing and keep it flowing low.
Add fertilizer. Your garden is full of living things that require nutrients and water just like you. Liquid fertilizer or slow release
(or both) will drastically improve the health and vigor of your garden. Organic fertilizers need to be applied more frequently than synthetic, and always follow the directions on the container.
Contributed by Sarah Davis, general manager at Sunnyside Gardens. Grow more at sunnyside-gardens.com.
