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Most plants love the summer. This
of course depends on how hot it gets where the
garden grows! There are certain signs to watch
out for overheating and these telltale warnings
come out in many ways.
Most plants love
the summer. This of course depends on how hot
it gets where the garden grows! There are certain
signs to watch out for overheating and these telltale
warnings come out in many ways.
Flowers
As soon as you see petals begin
to fall from yesterday's blooms and the centre
of the flower is full of seeds, cut this bloom
off. Collect the seeds and dry them in the shade
for the next season. Doing this, will encourage
the plant to flower in plenty. When some bulb
plants like tulips and gladioli are at the end
of their season, their bulbous roots can be dried
for re-use as well. Pruning plants, in general,
encourages fullness of growth nearer the ground
and new shoots and buds are healthier. Roses in
some climates need to be pruned twice a year but
when the flowers are spent, their stems should
be loped off at the first cluster of leaves nearest
the bloom. Like most pruning, an angle of 45 degrees,
exposes a greater cross section of the stem to
the atmosphere.
Vegetables
For above the ground vegetables like cauliflower,
cabbage, broccoli and lettuce, dead give-a-ways
that the heat is over-ripening them is when shoots,
with flowers at the end, rise out of the vegetable.
Take these vegetables out of the ground before
this happens. Broccoli can be allowed to grow
again for smaller heads will appear and can be
used.
Root vegetables like onions; garlic,
potatoes and carrots need foliage above the ground
to help the vegetables grow healthy. Because they
are out of direct heat, they do well in summer.
Tomato plants need a lot sun to prosper but if
it gets too hot all day and night, the flowers
may fall off. Nighttime coolness will prevent
this but being steady and gritty plants, the plants
will yield again when conditions improve.
Creeper plants like cluster beans
and peas should be taken off before they get over-ripe
and tough. For green peas, collect them when the
pods are fat and tender. Butter beans, however,
can be allowed to ripen full term for these dry
well for use later on when the plant is out of
season.
Fertilizers
Even a rich soil is not sufficient for good growth
of plants. Adding a water-soluble fertilizer for
seasonal plants, about 4 times in summer, will
produce gratifying results. Evergreens and perennial
bushes and plants can take fertilizer directly.
Strew some at the base of these plants and then
water over it. This should be an early and late
spring chore.
Watering
As a lot more water evaporates during the summer
months, a lot more watering has to be done. This
also puts out a lot more weeds that need to be
removed. Mulch reduces both evaporation and weeds
menace and is a good option. Stores carry bags
of mulch, ready to use.
E. Lotus and water lily ponds
and water gardens need extra care during the hot
summer months and protecting these with covers
or with hay can reduce extra loss of water.
Also see:
A
Love Affair With Gardening, Charming
Camillias, Firescaping,
Gardening
for the Family, Garden
Rodents, Garden
Catalogs, General
Gardening Tips. Gardens
in the Shade, Hot
Summer Cool Garden, How
to Plant Leeks, Involve
Your Children, Outfits
for Gardening, Photograph
Your Garden, Plant
Care Basics, Using
Leaves as Compost, What
to Avoid Buying Guide, Cheap
Garden Ideas, Creating
Garden Berms, Garden
Fragrances, Garden
Lessons, Gardening
for The Challenged, Gardening
is Great, Gardening
Math, Gardening
Tools, How
to Use Peat, More
About Gardening, Love
affair with Lilacs, Organic
Gardening, Slow
Down and Enjoy, Smart
Plant Shopping, Tips
for Beginners
If you like Gardening....These
pages might also interest you:
Allium
Directory, Amaryllis
Directory, Begonia
Directory, Crocus
Directory, Daffodils
Directory, Dahlia
Directory, Hyacinth
Directory, Iris
Directory, Lily
Directory, Tulip
Directory
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