5 tips to help your garden make it through a heatwave

 

Is the current heatwave stressing you out? Think what it’s doing to your plants. Many plants – especially vegetables – need full sun. But during some summers it gets a little ridiculous. If your garden looks like it’s struggling during extreme heat, here are some tips to help you help your garden make it through.

• Water early and water deeply. Mid-day watering might seem like the best time to resuscitate your wilting garden, but it’s not. The hot sun will dry some of the water before it has a chance to percolate into the soil, and the wind might just blow the spray elsewhere. Water in the morning before the day heats up and the wind begins to stir. Water deeply, too. A light sprinkle won’t have a chance to soak much into the soil. Furthermore, roots will tend to stay near the soil surface where the water can be found. Deep watering will encourage deeper root growth.
  
• Add mulch. We can’t say this enough. A couple inches of mulch will help the soil to retain moisture, and mulch helps to suppress weeds, too. Grass clippings, straw, wood chips and chopped leaves are excellent mulch materials. In addition, the rotting organic material will build your soil into a healthier ecosystem.
• Provide some shade. Though many plants need full sun to flourish, a little shade during hot afternoons will protect them when they need it most. Shade cloth is a most popular solution.
• Lay off fertilizing for awhile. Fertilizer – especially nitrogen – encourages plant growth. Active growth stimulation during hot weather is just what your plants don’t need. Let them rest during hot spells, just as you would do yourself.
• Get rid of weeds. Weeds compete with your flowers and vegetables for moisture. Eliminate them. Your garden plants will thank you.

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A question about using landscape fabric.

Q. My lawn maintenance man wants to put down landscape fabric to stop weeds from coming up around my shrubs. Do you think that’s a good idea?

A. I’m not a big fan of landscape fabrics and similar weed barriers, for the following reasons:

• They might prevent weeds from germinating beneath them, but permeable ones don’t prevent seeds from germinating on top and growing down through them; 
• Weed barriers on slopes might not let water perk down through them fast enough, instead letting the water drain where it shouldn’t; 
• Edges of weed barriers can become exposed and tangle in lawnmower blades. 

I much prefer applying plenty of organic mulch.

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What should I use to mulch my creeping phlox?

Creeping Phlox

Q. I received my order of creeping phlox and am very pleased.  Never having planted something I wanted to spread quickly I have no idea what type mulch to use.  John, the bed borders the driveway, slopes downhill and also drops a little toward the drive. I appreciate your time and look forward to your suggestions.

A. Mulches are applied to inhibit weeds, moderate soil temperature, preserve soil moisture, prevent erosion, and make the bed more attractive.

There are two issues for you to consider: the growth habit of the plant and the slope of the bed.

As Phlox subulata spreads, the stems root where they touch the ground. Coarse mulches and inorganic mulches such as recycled rubber might prevent the stems from rooting.

Rainfall on a sloping bed can wash some mulches away. If the bed slopes to the degree that that might happen, you should use a mulch that will allow rain to percolate rapidly through it. In that case, I recommend pine straw mulch. However, a thick application of pine straw might inhibit the stems from rooting as they should. The solution would be for you to pull the pine straw mulch away from the phlox as the plants spread so the stems can contact the soil and take root. The pine straw will eventually decompose.

If the slope of the bed is minimal, and there's no danger of mulch washing away, I recommend pulverized pine bark, wood chips or finished compost.

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FAQ: Is it okay to mulch with...?

Q.  I want to mulch around my flowerbed with the leaves from my yard but I was told by someone that oak and pecan leaves are bad for your garden. Some chemical in them. Is that true? Can I not use them? If I can, what is the best way to use them to add organic matter to my flower beds?

A. Yes, you may rake the leaves directly into the flowerbed around your garden. Oak and pecan leaves contain tannin, an acidic compound very common in plants. Tannin is what makes strong tea astringent. It's also the active ingredient in oak bark traditionally used for tanning leather. Tannin is found in some form in practically every plant family.  While oak and pecan leaves may acidify the soil, the pH can be easily adjusted. If you take a soil sample to the nearest Cooperative Extension Service office for analysis, you'll receive instructions on how to adjust it.

For best results, I suggest you compost your leaves before applying them to your flowerbed.

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FAQ: Do you think recycled rubber mulch is a good choice?

Photo by Magda Ehlers from Pexels

Q. Do you think recycled rubber mulch is a good choice?

A. No, I don't. Rubber mulch is usually made from old tires. While it may seem that recycling rubber in this way is a good idea, I don't agree. Rubber doesn't decompose like organic materials. Decomposed organic materials help to build soil health. Recycled rubber is easy to ignite and difficult to extinguish if set aflame by some means. Furthermore, I don't like the appearance of recycled rubber.

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