Gardener’s Almanac
(Page 2 of 3)
June/July 2006
Edited by Carol Mack
— Becky Wilder, Seeds for the South, Graniteville, S.C.
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Gulf Coast
The garden usually looks great this time of year, but when it is hot and dry, spider mites may get the upper hand, causing leaves to become yellow. High-pressure water sprays will often solve the problem. If not, try wettable sulfur — just be sure not to spray squash, cucumbers or other cucurbits, because the sulfur will burn their leaves. Plant succession crops of heat-tolerant plants such as Southern peas, climbing spinach, okra and yard-long beans; and start cherry tomatoes now for the fall season.
During the heat of summer, nothing beats a drip system on a timer to keep the garden flourishing. Check out inexpensive timers that are easy to program and connect directly to the spigot. In the orchard, don’t fall behind on cover sprays. Last season taught me that the plum curculio that loves our peaches, plums and nectarines can attack late in the season as well as early.
— William D. Adams, Burton, Texas
Central/Midwest
Long summer days bring overnight changes to the garden. We still are seeding, transplanting, mulching and pruning, but also harvesting greens, broccoli and cut flowers. As crops finish, turn over the soil, add some compost and replant for the fall harvest. These months are ideal for planting warm-soil-loving vegetables such as squash, beans, basil and corn.
Carrots can be seeded now without fear of carrot rust fly damage. The key to direct-seeding success is keeping the soil moist while seeds germinate. Covering them with straw, burlap or a thin piece of wood can help. Check the soil each morning; gently water if it appears dry. The cool water also keeps summer heat from affecting the seed. Try growing one or two new plants, perhaps a new flavor of basil or a different kind of flower. Who knows? It could become your new favorite.
— Connie Dam-Byl, William Dam Seeds Ltd., Dundas, Ontario
North Central and Rockies
When the danger of frost is past and the soil is warm, there is a flurry of activity planting corn, beans and squash (and melons where the season is long enough). In cooler areas, preheat the soil for several days with clear plastic for better germination and initial growth. It’s time to mulch fruit trees, berry bushes and woody landscape plantings. This is vital in the northern plains, where conditions are especially stressful for these forest natives. Thick organic mulch will conserve water, provide temperature insulation and discourage competing grasses and weeds.
This year, try interplanting a winter green-manure crop of clover between carrot or corn rows. To minimize competition, wait a month or two after the vegetables are established to seed the clover, and watch it take off in cooler weather after crops are harvested. In mid-July, plant kale, beets, fall radishes and brassicas for autumn harvest.
