As we look forward to enjoying the warmest two months of the year, we should also keep in mind all the plants, both edible and decorative, around our homes. As we water more frequently during hot weather, it’s important to understand that, by doing so, we are leaching nutrients out of the soil, and they must be replaced.
Feeding in summer will not only keep all our food and flowering plants healthy and growing, but it will also make them far more productive. Healthy plants are also less susceptible to disease and insect attacks.
Hanging baskets are a prime example. When we water them, sometimes two or three times a day, they are quickly drained of nutrients. Small baskets, in particular, dry out quickly and require frequent watering. Sometimes simply repotting them into larger containers and using moisture-retaining soil can make an enormous difference in the frequency of watering.
For larger baskets, adding a layer of organically rich soil, like Sea Soil, on top will help in many ways, including better moisture retention. A liquid feed of a fish or kelp product or an application of 20-20-20 fertilizer will quickly get some nutrients back into your plants. Before you feed, always make sure you water your plants first in order to moisten the soil and prevent any burning. You may need to feed two to three times a week to bring stressed-out plants back into a healthy state of vegetative growth.
I like to use a slow-release fertilizer, like 14-14-14, on all baskets and containers because it releases nutrients slowly over a long period of time, helping plants thrive. It works well on strawberry, tomato, pepper and cucumber containers as well.
If you have done a good job of working organic soils into your food and flower gardens, you might be getting a lot of foliage growth at the expense of root crops, like carrots, turnips, beets and parsnips. If you have lots of foliage growth on cucumbers, squash and pumpkins, with few fruits forming, the best way to rectify that is by using a low nitrogen but high phosphorus and potash fertilizer. Flower and Vegetable Food 10-15-19, which is 40% organic, is a good example. It can also be applied to annual and perennial plants. Small fruits, like raspberries, thornless blackberries and loganberries, will benefit from this type of nutrient. Adding the right nutrients now will make a huge difference in both the quality and quantity of food production in your garden.
We also have higher humidity issues at this time of the year, so it’s important to keep water off the foliage of many plants, like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and dahlias, to prevent any pesky mildew from developing. To minimize disease issues, water in the morning, if you possibly can, so that the foliage of your plants remains dry in the evening.
As we go into the warmest part of the year, our gardens will need the appropriate care and attention to be both beautiful and produce lots of wonderful food.
