Hopefully, this time of year has gardeners busy harvesting vegetables and enjoying their landscapes that are bursting with blooms! This is not the time of the gardening season to slack up, no matter the heat.  Late summertime in the garden is just as important as planning time. Here are some tips to help keep things growing: 

 

Vegetable Gardens 

  • - Mulching is imperative for keeping the soil moist as well as saving time and money.  A free mulch can be applied by laying down grass clippings every time you mow. Getting clippings from others is great, too; just be certain there are no weed seeds or unwanted chemicals used on their lawns.
     

  • - Keep your garden rows covered with a generous layer of compost to fertilize through the rest of the Summer. The nutrients will seep into the soil whenever you water the garden. 
     

  • - Pinch blooming herbs back to extend their growing season. If the herb garden is giving more than you can use, give some away or freeze them.  
     

  • - Afternoon storms sometimes bring heavy winds. Check around fruit trees afterward for windfalls--rotting fruit is an invitation for unwelcome pests that can kill your trees. 
     

  • - Have you already cleaned out a few garden rows?  Planting a summer cover crop helps discourage weeds and will be beneficial to the soil when you till it in. 

 

Landscaping and Flower Gardens 

  • - Weeds do not need pampering like your ornamental plants, so pull them as soon as possible. Allowing them to get large enough to flower will mean spreading more seeds and creating more work for yourself. 
     

  • - Annual flowers need deadheading, (removing spent blooms.)  This will encourage them to continue to blossom and provide full color until autumn. 
     

  • - When flowering shrubs start outgrowing their space, they may need pruning, but be certain you are pruning at the right time of year. For instance, a fading hydrangea should be pruned now to keep from cutting off next spring’s buds. Camellias and other late spring bloomers have already formed new buds. Wait until after they have bloomed to prune. 
     

  • - Spending some time away from home?  If you have asked a neighbor to watch over your plants, make sure you get someone with gardening experience.  You do not want to come home to plants that are dying because they were over- or under-watered. 

 

Try to get outside first thing in the morning or in the last few hours of daylight to avoid getting too hot when working in the garden or yard.  Hydrate yourself, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen, and take cooling-off breaks if you get too uncomfortable.  Take care of yourself so you can enjoy the fruits--and veggies--of your labor! 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

 

Photo credit: Garden View Landscape