It has been a tad bit warm in my corner of the universe. (grins) Unexpected and/or excessive heat can stress and perhaps even kill plants.
Climate change is very real. The world is getting hotter. It makes sense to prepare for the heat when planting a garden.
Mulch is a must-have. (I spread knee-deep dried leaves on my garden beds every Fall/Autumn for this purpose.) As is other organic materials in the soil. That helps to retain water.
And a mulch regulates temperatures and protects the soil from baking.
Gardeners often say, “Bare soil is death.” Plants die. Microorganisms die. It is rare for there to be any bare soil in nature. And that’s why.
Many plants, like lettuce, only require a few inches of soil. So I fill out containers by putting a layer of partially composed leaves in the bottom, under the soil. This organic material holds onto water, acting like a sponge, allowing the plants to access it later.
On hot, sunny days, I also water deeply in the morning, before the sun shines on the plants. I will turn the hose on, direct it at the base of a plant and count to 20. This water will soak the mulch, which will hold onto the moisture for much of the day.
I create partially shaded areas in the garden. Tomato plants, for example, love sun and (reasonable) heat. They grow tall and shade plants like the heat hating lettuce. The sun and heat loving butternut squash climbs over a frame, shading the more vulnerable plants under it.
During the heat of the day, I try not to disturb the soil. I don’t weed. I don’t plant. I try not to even walk on the pathways.
Any soil that I expose will dry out.
It also stresses the plants. And they are feeling a lot of stress already from the heat and blazing sun. Minimizing additional stress (like from, for example, pruning) might make the difference between life and death.
I DO weed. That’s necessary. But I do that in the morning or in the evening. And, when I can, I chop and drop, leaving the weeds on the ground to decompose. That returns more moisture to the soil.
These are little things but they add up to make a difference!
