Summer Garden Management Steps

Now that we are full swing into Summer we have some important tips, tricks, and how-to’s to maintain your Summer Garden. You may notice wilting here and there with hot streaks, or an abundance of weeds after the rain that rolls through. It could possibly be that this time of year, your gardens look a little sad and your plants are begging for and extra lift with fertilizers. It is during these times that you will want to consider your watering management, fertilizing, and weeding steps to maintain your summer garden to ensure beautiful growth into the fall and make next year’s blooms more abundant. Follow along with us as we dive into some of our most important summer garden management steps.

Watering

One of the most important summer garden management steps is watering. There are many issues that can result from too little water, over watering, and even the time of day you are watering your gardens. During the summer when the sun is out on the longest days of the year you’ll want to water in the mornings, especially when we get those crazy hot streaks.  This gives your plant roots plenty of time to absorb water before the afternoon sun dries it all up. Watering your gardens later in the evening is acceptable, however, the risk of fungal growth is more likely to occur.

When you water your contained gardens such as planters and patio pots, be sure there is always a way for excess water to flow through and exit the bottom of the pot. Try to always plant in pots that have drainage holes. Keep in mind that even though your pots may have drainage holes, they still may need to be lifted to allow that excess water to leave. Here at Copper Creek, we carry pot and planter feet. These are placed so the pot sits on top of them leaving space between the bottom of the pot and the ground so water can leave the pot without getting stuck in place. These are also a great feature if your pots sit on a deck, balcony, or patio as they prevent against mildewy buildup, rot, and unwanted stains. Excess water, or over watering can cause root rot, meaning your plants cannot cycle through the water. They can and will die from too much water, or old water that is stuck in place. Waterlogged pots and gardens don’t allow for fresh oxygen to get into the roots, which means your plants can suffocate.

A slow trickle of water consistently throughout time is always the best option when it comes to watering. Using drip lines and sprinklers is something to seriously consider if you have lots of ground to cover for your gardens. If this is not an option, which is completely understandable, watering with slow trickles from a watering can to the top of the pot, just above the soil, in the morning and at night is great. Try to refrain from watering the actual foliage of the plant. Water that sits on leaves and foliage on plants make them more susceptible to diseases.

Most garden plants need at least an inch of water a week. Many factors can alter this depending on grouped plants that compete for nutrients, how deep the roots from your plants grow into the ground, and so much more. It is important to have a good understanding of what kinds of plants you have in your garden so you can know their needs for survival at any given time. This will also help you get into a routine of care, especially for your perennials. You will discover pruning tips, fertilizing tips, soil needs, and more. A trick we have at Copper Creek is that whenever we personally purchase a plant, whether it be annuals, perennials, trees, or shrubs, we keep the tag that was attached to the plant and put it in a folder or binder. This way we can keep track of the names of our plants for easy access to research it when needed. (Side note: This is great for annuals. If you’re like us and like to experiment with different plants in your pots and window boxes every year, this is a great recollection tool to determine whatever it was that you planted the year prior. Perfect for getting those same plants that you loved, but just couldn’t remember what they were.) Another tool we highly recommend is a rain gauge. This is a super convenient tool that will tell you how much water your gardens get when Mother Nature provides.

 Fertilizing

Another key component to your summer garden management steps is fertilizing. Fertilizing is a great realm in gardening to familiarize yourself with to help not only maintain your gardens, but to also help them go above and beyond to flourish. Fertilizers contain different kinds of nutrients. The most important are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These elements are essential to your plant health. When you provide the right amount of fertilizer to your plants, you will find them pushing out new blooms, going through growth spurts, and all around looking more vibrant and becoming healthier over time. Fertilizing is key among houseplants, vegetable gardens, and with your annuals and perennials. While most plants will thrive and accept fertilizers it is important to, again, research what you have planted in the ground and make note of what kinds of fertilizers and timelines of fertilizing your plants need. If you have introduced new plants in the ground this Spring it is probably time to fertilize. However, it is important to wait until your young plants, and newly planted plants become established before introducing fertilizers. Fertilizing too young of plants or unestablished plants can burn the roots as the seedlings and roots are still sensitive. Like watering, fertilizing is best done in the mornings or the evenings. Mid-day sun can cause high stress to a plant, and it might not be able to take up the nutrients as well.

We recommend using granular fertilizers whenever possible. Most liquid fertilizers need to be watered into the soil. When using liquid fertilizer, be sure you don’t allow the water and fertilizer mix to touch the tops of your plants and sit on the foliage as it can burn and kill off the leaves. A slow release granular or organic fertilizer would be ideal so that it doesn’t burn your plants. Note what kinds of soils your gardens and plants make a home of as you’ll want to know whether your soil is well-drained. If it is well-draining soil, you’ll want to consider fertilizing more often as the fertilizer will move through the plants roots faster.

 Weeding

What comes with lots of rain and is in most gardens? Weeds! The most common thing gardeners and non-gardeners find the most irritating. Our final step to our summer garden managements steps is weed control. Weeds not only are an eyesore to your gardens, but they also make your garden plants compete for the nutrients within the soil. The best time to weed your gardens is after it rains. The weeds can be pulled out much easier when the soil is moist. You can use old weeds as compost. If you have a pile in the woods, or somewhere out of the way you can put weeds here and allow the sun to cook it down after few months. Then, add it back into the topsoil of your gardens. Pulling weeds before they mature and go to seed will help prevent them from spreading. The earlier you get to the garden to start weeding the better!

There are several ways to reduce and even prevent weeds from sprouting up. If you are a planner or are planning to landscape, we highly recommend laying down lawn fabric before your initial planting. When you cut holes to plant your plants, this leaves only room for your desired plants to obtain what they need to survive such as sunlight and water. Though water does soak through the fabric, it still eliminates the sun and space for weeds to grow. You can also consider mulch to reduce weeding. Mulch can be anything you put on top of your soil. Aside from your typical wood chips that you normally think of when you think of mulch, it is also straw, hay, and grass clippings. Use these forms of mulch to help protect your topsoil from wind and erosion and reduce evaporation due to dry air and the sun. Mulch is beneficial to your gardens in several ways. It provides a haven for your beneficial insects to live, which makes it wonderful to add into your vegetable gardens. Mulch also provides insulation which helps prevent plant roots from overheating or getting too cold. Not only is mulch aesthetically pleasing but it also contributes to the health of your garden.

Be sure to wear gloves when weeding. While we don’t have a lot of poisonous insects, we do have insects that sting. When we are pulling out weeds, we can encounter sharp tools, thorns, and even come across very skin-irritating plants such as poison oak or poison ivy. If you scrape or already have a cut on your hand, it’s important to keep that protected from certain organisms in the soil, especially compost. Even when wearing gloves, be sure to wash your hands after gardening to protect your hands and your body from any kind of infection, or poisonous residue that can cause irritation.

Performing these little to do’s within your summer garden management steps will certainly go a long way! Making a mental checklist of water, fertilizers, and weeding will keep you watching and learning from your plants. You will begin to form routines and relationships with the garden that you’ve never experienced. And don’t worry, we know the vast world of gardening can be overwhelming, but we are here to help you along the way! Come into Copper Creek and we can help you find the right fertilizer for your tomatoes, or the right gloves for your weeding, or the right ideas for your mulch. If you have any questions at all we want to talk to you. Even if you don’t have questions, we want to hear how your gardens are coming along! Tell us your very own tips and tricks! All in all we hope you consider these three elements of watering, fertilizing, and weeding into your routine to your summer garden management steps for a happier and healthier future in your gardens.