Master gardener advice on how to keep your garden thriving this hot, dry summer
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The moisture meter shows that this squash plant is in good shape to handle a heat wave. It's drip-watered and is mulched with straw. (Photo: Kathy Morrison) |
Tuesday’s first day of summer likely was a taste of days to come: Hot and dry.
To start this new season, Sacramento will see a string of triple-digit days; that’s normal for August but not June.
In addition, we’re in a three-year drought. Water restrictions may be coming statewide.
Can your vegetable garden be saved?
Yes! Any vegetable can be grown with less water by following some simple water-wise tips, says UCCE Sacramento County master gardener Gail Pothour.
Water-saving methods are on display at the master gardeners’ Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Pothour is an expert and former project leader in the vegetable garden. These same tips will help your plants thrive in summer heat.
– Switch to drip; it saves water while improving efficiency. “Drip irrigation is highly recommended,” Pothour says. “It puts water where it’s needed – at the roots. Hand watering is OK for new seedlings.”
– Cycle and repeat. When using drip or above-ground irrigation, run a cycle, let it soak in, then run again. “That way, you have a lot less runoff and don’t waste water,” Pothour says.
– Mulch, mulch, mulch! A 3-inch blanket of organic mulch (straw, leaves, wood chips) holds in soil moisture, cuts down on evaporation and keeps plant roots comfortable. It also cuts down on weeds.
– Before planting, build your soil with organic amendments such as compost. The organic material acts like a sponge and retains moisture. The soil is less likely to dry out, even with reduced irrigation.
– Prioritize what you water. “Fruit trees and blueberries are probably the most valuable edible plants you have,” Pothour says. “They’re expensive to replace and take a long time to grow. Make sure they get deep-watered.”
– Cut back on fertilizer. “Adding fertilizer stimulates growth that will need more water,” she explains. “Use low-nitrogen fertilizers.”
– Always check soil before watering. Does it really need it? Use a moisture meter or long screwdriver to test. “Most gardeners over-water,” Pothour says. “Even in our demonstration gardens, we discovered we could cut our water use significantly just by checking the soil and paying attention.”
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Food in My Back Yard Series
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden Checklist for week of May 11
Make the most of the lower temperatures early in the week. We’ll be back in the 80s by Thursday.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)
* Plant dahlia tubers.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to maintain moisture. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch-to-1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
* Remember to weed! Pull those nasties before they set seed.
* Water early in the day and keep seedlings evenly moist.