I
’m writing this column on one of the hottest days of the year so
far. When temperatures reach the 90s or more, gardening isn’t
exactly at the top of one’s wish list. But one needs to adjust with
the temperatures. For instance, early morning is the prime time for
my gardening chores when the m
ercury is expected to be in the 90s. Watering, weeding, pruning,
transplanting – it doesn’t matter the gardening chore. It’s just
easier and more refreshing in the coolness of the early
morning.
I’m writing this column on one of the hottest days of the year so far. When temperatures reach the 90s or more, gardening isn’t exactly at the top of one’s wish list.
But one needs to adjust with the temperatures.
For instance, early morning is the prime time for my gardening chores when the mercury is expected to be in the 90s. Watering, weeding, pruning, transplanting – it doesn’t matter the gardening chore. It’s just easier and more refreshing in the coolness of the early morning.
Watering is even better for your garden in the early morning as there’s less evaporation so plants absorb more water. Also, there’s less of a chance of leaves “burning” if you overhead water.
Of course, you can’t always do your gardening chores in the early morning. If you do have to garden during the heat of the day, wear light clothing in light colors. Skip the cute, man-made fibers, too. You need natural fibers that breathe like cotton or cotton terry. I always laugh when remembering that a friend always adds this bit of advice: “Rayon is also good, and if you’re Martha Stewart, you can garden in white linen.”
And don’t forget sunscreen and a hat. The bigger the hat the better. I’m talking about those big floppy ones that Chevy’s gives away for birthdays. Who cares what you look like in your own backyard?
Another great accessory is a headrag dipped in cool water and tied around your forehead or neck. Make sure you take these off before going around in public unless you’re striving for the Willie Nelson look. There’s a company called Cool Clothes at ke******@**********es.com.
Planting new specimens shouldn’t really be done in the heat because they’ll suffer as much as you will. However, if you must plant when it’s really hot, try these tips:
Add polymer crystals. Mix polymer crystals into your planting mix. Polymer crystals are water-absorbing crystals that swell up into a gel and absorbs water. The gel then releases the water underground as the soil dries out. The result is that your plants stay wet a little longer.
The best thing about polymer is that it’s so easy to use. Available in bags or small containers, you just need to throw a handful into your planting mix as you plant.
Do not fertilize. At the same time you add polymers, make sure you do not fertilize. Fertilizing when it’s hot encourages plants to grow at a rapid pace and increases the water needs. This results in plants that are more susceptible to heat stress.
Water well. While this should go without saying, you can help things further by dunking your new plants prior to planting. Soak the entire rootball in a large bucket of water, drain well and plant. After planting, and making sure you form a basin around the plant to hold more water, water well.
Keith Muraoka lives and works in Gilroy. His award-winning column has been in this newspaper since 1984. E-mail him at: ga********@*ps.net, or write him in c/o Morgan Hill Times, P.O. Box 757, Morgan Hill, CA 95038.
