Keeping Up with Your Garden

(Page 3 of 3)

June/July 2009
By Barbara Pleasant 
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Many gardeners wince when they realize that the best planting dates for fall Brussels sprouts, broccoli and other cabbage cousins come during the most torrid days of summer, but it can be done! Start seeds indoors, and then shift them outdoors as they gain size. Pot them up as needed to keep the roots from getting crowded, and set them out under row covers during a period of cloudy weather.

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Provide Constancy of Care

Watering, weeding and many other repetitive tasks fall under this guideline, so it’s important to use methods that have some staying power. When the root zones of tomatoes, peppers and other summer crops are covered by 2 to 3 inches of biodegradable mulch, far less moisture evaporates from the soil, making it much easier to maintain a constant level of soil moisture, which in turn reduces problems with fruit cracking and blossom end rot. With or without mulch, drip or soaker hoses make it easy to water your crops while you attend to other things, so they save you time and save your plants from trouble.

Expect weeding to take up a good bit of time, whether you do it by hand or with a hoe. Weed early and often, because plants are held back by weed density and the duration of the weeds’ stay. In beans, tomatoes and many other crops, moderate weed competition can reduce yields by more than 25 percent. This time of year, pulled or chopped weeds shrivel in the sun so quickly that you can use many to mulch between plants. Or, toss them on your compost pile. With the help of warm summer temperatures, a small mountain of weeds pulled in June will be compost by September.

Many evenings you will work until dark, and look up to find yourself in the company of fireflies and sphinx moths. This is one of the best times to stop what you’re doing, breathe deeply, and marvel at what you have been able to do by combining sun, sweat and soil.

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Comments

  • Gretchen Rohde 7/27/2009 3:42:06 PM

    My clever husband took this idea and ran with it using 100% recycled materials. An old steel frame became the base, cedar railings became the top, beer bottle caps the spacers, and the sink from our kitchen remodel found a new home. It drains into the garden to water the plants. No more sand in the kitchen sink. Photos available upon request.

  • Walter P 6/20/2009 4:14:23 AM

    Compost heaps are great but Worms Farm are Best and easy to keep anywhere

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