GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - During extreme summer heat, it's best to keep gardening to a minimum, experts say.
But, while you're waiting for the weather to cool, Susic Bachman says to try these tips to help your garden beat the heat.
Water the garden-
1. Amount depends on weather conditions - rule of thumb is water thoroughly and deeply each time and allow the soil to dry out between watering.
2. Deep watering allows the plant's roots to grow deeper
3. Light surface watering actually wastes water because the water never actually reaches the root zone of the plant and the water just evaporates from the topsoil
4. Best way to tell if your plants are receiving enough water is to take a trowel and dig down a few inches. The soil should be moist at least 3 or 4 inches deep to insure the water is reaching the roots.
5. Container plants need to be watered more frequently. Push your finger into the soil of the container to make sure it is moist and water until it comes out of the drainage holes
Fertilize-
1. With the added watering needed in the hot summer days, the nutrients leach out of the soil.
2. Water soluble fertilizer is an easy way to fertilize container plantings
3. Vegetable fertilizer- Look for tomato and veggie types
Continue to Weed-
1. The weeds compete with your flowers and or vegetables for nutrients and water.
2. Grass-B-Gon product if you have grass encroaching on your flower bed
3. Weed Free Zone for broadleaf weeds
4. Organic product
5. Pull by hand
Prune and deadhead-
1. Make sure you continue to deadhead your annual planters for continuous blooms all summer. Annuals will continue to bloom all summer long if they do not go to seed.
2. Summer flowering shrubs should be pruned after they are done flowering. Prune off the spent flowers and prune to shape.
Some varieties (spirea and weigela) will re-bloom if they are pruned right after their normal bloom cycle
3. Roses - Prune back to where 5 leaves come out or more
Watch out for bugs-
1. July is a big bug month - keep an eye on your plants. Bugs are least active early in the morning and at night - easy to spot
2. Japanese beetles are here - Look for Beetle killer
3. All purpose bug killer - Eight
4. Organic method - Hand pick and drop in soapy water
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