Summer Gardening Tips

Summer time can pose a number of challenges to the novice gardener. We hope that these tips will give you great boost to your summer gardening

Summer - June, July, and August

Summer has many variances in temperature. The difference in daytime temperatures depending on what part of the US you’re in is as different as what part of summer it is. Early summer is cooler than mid or late summer. Most plants will happily grow in various climates providing they have enough water. It’s a good idea to invest in a rain gauge so you’ll know if your plants have received enough water for the week. A medium amount of water is an inch a week. If it hasn’t come in the form of rain, supplement it with using the sprinkler. The best time to water your garden is early morning. That’s when the humidity is higher and the water on your plants won’t be reflecting in the heat of the day, which can cause a burn on the leaves.

Keep pinching back all fall blooming plants until late July. This keeps them full and they all won’t bloom at the same time.

Right around the second week of August is when roses shouldn’t be pruned any longer. This way the new growth has time to harden off before cold weather arrives. The dead-heading of the flowers, (any plants flowers) should be done because if they are left to go to seed, there won’t be many flowers for the remainder of the season.

August is also a good time to pinch the center shoot of your tomato plants. This way they’ll concentrate on the tomatoes and not plant and flower growth.

Another good idea for the garden is to invest in a picture ID chart or book of garden insects. Know your critters! This way you’ll be able to identify the good from the bad. Not that all the bad ones should go either. A healthy garden has a balance of god & bad.

Alana Mezo
www.whosyourhoney.com - Gourmet Honey, Raw Honey, Honey Mustard, Hot Sauces, and more...