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Index : Miscellaneous Gardening Topics
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- 14. Summer Gardening Calender - Top
- Although the official start of summer is still a few weeks off, in terms of gardening, the official start of Summer is the first of June. With the persistent heat which begins in June comes a host of activities that carry on for the next three months. Here are some of the important summer gardening activities:
Water patio plants twice daily when temperatures approach or exceed 100 degrees. Hot, dry conditions are especially hard on potted plants. Moisture can readily escape through the sides of clay pots. Locating potted plants in the shade, especially in the afternoon, will reduce moisture loss. Wetting down plant leaves during mid-day will also help prevent drying by cooling the plant and slowing the escape of moisture through leaf pores. Just make sure the water runs cool before you turn it on your plants.
Plant Cacti, Agave and other Succulents. All thrive in hot weather. When growing in pots, plant in a cactus potting mix and water when the soil becomes dry. In the ground, water at the time of planting and then twice weekly, and then on an as-need basis during the summer monsoon season.
Shade Summer Vegetables to keep them fruiting. Shade cloth can be purchased at garden centers and nurseries. Cover tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and other sun-sensitive vegetables with shade cloth. Support the shade cloth with stakes or poles to keep the cloth off of plants.
Harvest rainwater in the monsoon season by attaching gutters to you roof and directing the down spouts into plastic trash cans or wooden barrels. Keep the barrels covered to prevent algae growth and mosquito breeding. You can attach a hose bib near the bottom of the barrel to distribute the rainwater to your garden and landscape later in the year.
De-thatch lawns allow time for the grass to recover before fall. Thatch is an accumulation of dead grass plants and roots that covers the soil and forms an dense mat that restricts the movement of water and fertilizer. Take a plug out of the lawn and check the depth of the spongy thatch layer over the soil. If this layer is one half inch or thicker, it should be removed by hand raking with a steel tine lawn rake or power dethatcher.
Fertilize Palms with a palm special fertilizer. Large, mature palms should receive 5 to 7 lbs., small palms 3 to 5 lbs. per tree. Apply the fertilizer in a band around the trunk, out about one foot from the base of the trunk. After applying the fertilizer, slowly water it into the ground.
Remove faded blossoms of garden flowers such as roses, zinnias, marigolds, salvias, and geraniums. Cut blooms off as they begin to fade. Use a sharp pruning shears or scissors. This will encourage increased blooming by directing the plants energy to production of flower buds, rather than seeds. Always cut off spent flowers, never pull them off, as the embryo may remain and seed formation will continue.
Continue fertilizing flowers, vegetables, and lawns that may be nutrient depleted during the monsoon rains. For garden plants use ammonium phosphate (16-29-0) or liquid plant food for flowers and vegetables. Lawns need a monthly application of ammonium phosphate or a complete lawn fertilizer. If plants turn a pale green or have reduced growth, flowering or fruiting they probably need to be fertilized.
Cut back indeterminate varieties of tomatoes when the stop producing fruit this summer. Cut them back to one foot tall to stimulate new growth and fruit production in the fall. If you intend to plant a fall garden, remove tomatoes and peppers as they stop fruiting. Mix in organic matter, such as peat moss or compost, and let the soil rest prior to planting in October.
Cool plants with a shower. One of the best ways to cool down heat-stressed plants is to give them a mid-day shower with cooling water. Use a watering-wand or hose-end sprayer with a gentle shower setting. Before you spray your plants, run the hot water out of the hose on an open patch or bare soil or rock mulch away from other plants. Wait until you feel cool water coming out before giving your plants a shower. Never spray hot water on your plants. Newly planted vegetables, flowers, small shrubs and lawns may need to be showered several times a day until they have a chance to grow their new roots out and become established.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161.
. - Updated: June 5, 2005
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