Right now we are experiencing one of those
hot dry spells for which the south is famous! The heat is in the 90’s and the humidity is in the 60-85% range leaving us with heat indices over 100. Right now, I believe my heat index is 108.
It is not only making me miserable, my plants are showing the effects, too. So, this week I thought I would share some tips on gardening in this climate.
1. It all starts in the spring. Choose native varieties of plants that are already conditioned for your climate. Trying to grow cool season plants in near tropical conditions will never end well. Work with nature, not against it. If you give in to a particular flower or vegetable just because it looks good in the magazine, you may coax it into surviving, but it will take you far more effort and water than you may have anticipated.
2. It all starts in the spring, part two. Gardeners are always tempted to water heavily. The rule of thumb is 1 inch of water per week. However, once your plants are established, let the soil dry out a few times in between waterings in the cool of the spring. This will encourage the roots to reach down deeper. If you don’t do this and you are always giving the plants abundant moisture, the root systems will be shallow and the plants will be far more susceptible to drought stress when the upper two inches of soil dry out.
3. Mulch. Applying mulch to your garden will do two things, it will help keeps weeds from out-competing your plants for needed moisture. Secondly, it will help to keep the moisture that is present from evaporating as quickly. Simply apply the mulch to within four inches of the base of the plant. In vegetable gardens, apply the mulch in between rows.
I learned the hard way this season not to mulch all the way up to the plant stem. My county agent informed me that doing this keeps the soil too moist and helps it serve host to a wide variety of bacteria and fungal problems. Of my 44 tomato plants I lost 16 due to soil borne pathogens resulting from my soil being too wet, too close to the stem.
4. When you do water, water deeply. Most plants need approximately 1 inch of water per week. If you don’t know how much that is, simply scatter some empty tuna cans around your gardens and begin watering. When the cans are full, you have watered approximately 1 inch.
5. All plants are not created equally. In your flower beds, cactus and other succulents can easily be overwatered. They actually prefer it hot and a bit on the dry side. In the garden, okra and peppers are the same, while tomatoes and melons are heavy feeders and require abundant moisture. With this in mind, water your plants in blocks rather than all at once so that similar plants receive adequate moisture.
6. Water in the morning, when possible. The temperatures and conditions are most favorable for watering either in the morning or at night when evaporation loss will be lowered (good for your plants, better for your budget). However, if you water at night and the plants do not have time to dry out, you will create a great breeding ground for bacteria and fungus that will ultimately be harmful.
7. Use Monty’s foliar fertilizers. Monty’s formulas are low in salts and will not cause additional crops injury or burn, even during the hot summer months. Plus, the additional nutrients can help your plants better deal with stresses related to heat and drought.
8. Finally, your plants are not the only things that need water. Keep yourself hydrated while you are working in the sun. Drink at least 8 extra ounces for each hour you are working (and sorry, beer and sodas don’t count..they actually will work as diuretic and further compound the problem).
If you have any tips, leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from you and to see pics of your gardening success. Post them below.
