SUMMER VEGETABLE GARDEN MAINTENANCE While I’m waiting impatiently for more tomatoes to ripen and keeping my squash and cucumbers picked, there are several routine maintenance chores I take care of to ensure my summer vegetable garden continues to do well. As the days get hotter, I stay on top of watering. Depending on the weather, two or three deep waterings a week (more often in excessive heat) is usually sufficient for established plants. A light sprinkling every day is not. If I were a morning person, I’d water in early morning so that the soil has a chance to absorb most of the water by the time the sun is strongest and evaporates it. I’m not a morning person, so I water when I get home from work. Watering in the evening isn’t a problem if you try to keep the water off the foliage. Soaker hoses are my best friend in summer. They not only keep the water off the leaves (with our humidity we don’t need to make it any easier for fungus to move in), but less water evaporates so it’s water conservation friendly (and on hot summer days, I can turn on the water and run back into the air conditioning). Keep in mind that plants grown in containers need watering more often. I examine my plants every few days, looking for evidence of insects such as holes in the leaves or chewing damage or tiny eggs on the backs of leaves. If I catch problems early, they can be treated easily and more quickly than if the damage is extensive. I always read the labels on insecticides to be sure they are safe if used on food crops. Some good organic controls are insecticidal soaps, pyrethrins, neem oil products, and repellents such as hot pepper sprays. I always apply my insecticides in the evenings—that not only insures I’ll get more insects, but it prevents me from getting any honeybees in the process. I don’t treat plants preventively however, as this is creating problems with pesticide resistant insects. I keep my garden free from weeds—all summer long. Vegetables don’t like to compete for water and nutrients. Plus, weeds and debris provide an ideal hiding place for insects and insect eggs and breeding grounds for disease. Also, I also keep my veggies picked. Once a plant has gone to seed, it thinks it is done for the season and begins to decline.. If I’m going away for a few days, it’s never a problem to find a neighbor willing to keep my produce picked. Their payment is delicious and fresh! Blooming and fruiting plants require lots of energy so I feed regularly to get the best harvest. There are plenty of fertilizers to choose from on the market. You do not have to get one that says it is specifically for vegetables, for example. Any good balanced fertilizer will work, keeping in mind that a higher “middle” number (phosphorus) promotes bloom. As a mostly organic gardener, I look for a good organic product. A great choice is a fish emulsion/seaweed blend. It provides both water soluble food and micro-nutrients to keep plants vigorous and disease resistant. If you have had problems in the past with blossom-end rot on your tomatoes (the bottom of the green tomato turns brown) then using Tomato-Tone may help, as it contains calcium. There are a couple of things you can do early on to make your summer garden easier to deal with. First, allow adequate room around each plant. We have killer humidity here and allowing for good air circulation is important. Plus, it makes it harder for insects and diseases to spread from one plant to another. Second, when planning where you’re going to put your plants, remember that tomato family members (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) and cucumber family members (cucumbers, squash, melons, pumpkins) should not be grown in the same area more than three years running. Crops should be rotated even sooner if you had diseases show up this past year. The single most important thing you can do, however, is to enjoy your garden. Don’t sweat the problems, learn from them and move on.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 14:19:18 +0000
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