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Deal with summer's heat and
insect onslaught by growing
organically - those deep
roots you encourage with
organic soil will better
withstand the stresses. Grow
the heat lovers - squash,
southern peas, hot peppers
and even okra - for a
healthy harvest without
chemical fertilizers or
pesticides.
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Steps: |
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1. |
Dig (or double dig) your
organic soil extra deep for
summer vegetables - work in
more organic matter or
recycle spring's compost
mulch. Or, set one bed aside
for summer when you prepare
the spring garden - grow a
cover crop in spring, till
it in, then plant for summer
in freshly prepared soil.
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2. |
Choose varieties known to
grow during your area's
harshest summer conditions -
look for local favorites,
reliable hybrids and
consider "exotics" native to
warm climates with soil
types like yours. Harden off
seedlings by placing their
pots in the bed for a few
days before uprooting them
to plant. |
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3. |
Use organic planting
strategies with a summer
twist: provide space for air
circulation around each
plant as always, but
interplant tall and short
plants in diagonal patterns
to suppress more weeds
organically. |
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4. |
Make sure watering will be
effective on hot days when
much of an overhead
sprinkler's showers can
evaporate away. Pile up soil
moats around the base of
peppers, sink coffeecan
reservoirs into the soil
near melons and squash, or
install drip irrigation
along a row of crowder peas.
Use organic fertilizers,
such as organic compost tea,
in your watering system.
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5. |
Use an extra inch of organic
mulch on beds of summer
vegetables to better
suppress the season's more
vigorous weeds and to
moderate soil temperatures
to keep roots cool. Keep an
inch clear around each
plant's base so water
doesn't have to penetrate
the mulch to get into the
root zone. |
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6. |
Handle insects organically:
cover plants with fabric
sheeting and put out insect
traps and yellow sticky bar
monitors to monitor their
presence. Be prepared to
spray or dust infected
plants with organic controls
such as insecticidal soap
for aphids and whiteflies
and Dipel or Bacillus
thuringiensis (BT) for
chewing caterpillars.
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Tips: |
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Buy organic seeds and
transplants whenever you can
- or save your own organic
seed this year and grow your
own transplants next year.
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Adjust your attitude: a few
insects and a bit of damage
to leaves or fruit doesn't
change their edibility.
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Harvest your organic harvest
often for best taste and
less damage from thirsty
birds and to keep the plants
producing in the heat.
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Warnings:
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Heat stress causes more
damage in small transplants
and seedlings in summer than
any insect or soil disease.
Water daily until
well-established, which is
about 2 weeks from planting
or sprouting. |
