Your Summer Garden Checklist
Contributed by Jolene Ottosen for the Chaparral Green Thumbs
Many people think of spring and fall as the busiest seasons for gardeners, with summer reserved for simply enjoying the fruits of their labour. While there’s some truth to that, the reality is that maintaining a beautiful yard or garden takes effort all season long.
Here’s a checklist of the most important summer tasks to keep your garden thriving:
Early Summer
1. Mulch: Ideally, mulching happens in spring, but summer is when plants need it most. Mulch helps retain moisture and reduces evaporation in the heat. Check your garden beds to ensure you have at least an inch of mulch and add more if needed.
2. Watch For Pests: Keep an eye out for slugs, aphids, ants, and red lily beetles. Spotting and dealing with a few pests early is much easier than tackling a full infestation later.
3. Remove Excess Vegetation: Overgrown areas can attract pests like voles. Though not dangerous, voles can damage your garden by chewing on roots and bark and creating unsightly tunnel systems in your lawn. If you have a compost pile, turn and water it regularly – untended piles can attract voles and mice.
If voles are already an issue, consider deterrents such as coyote urine spray, installing owl nesting boxes, live trapping (for smaller problems), or contacting pest control if the infestation is significant.
4. Water Wisely: In summer heat, deep and infrequent watering is best. It encourages healthy root systems and improves drought tolerance. Water in the morning whenever possible and aim to water at the base of the plants rather than from above.
5. Weed Regularly: Weeds thrive in summer and can quickly go to seed, so stay on top of them. It’s easiest to weed when the soil is moist and weeds are young. For deep-rooted weeds like dandelions, a long garden knife works well. (A colleague of mine uses kitchen knives—but that wouldn’t fly in my household!) Garden knives are usually more durable too.
6. Mow Thoughtfully: Consider leaving your grass a little longer—it helps shade the roots and retain moisture. When mowing, vary your pattern to prevent ruts or stripes from forming.
Midsummer
7. Deadhead Flowers: Remove faded or dried-up blooms regularly. Even if they look finished, they continue to draw energy away from new flower production. For herbs and other plants you don’t want to flower, pinch off the blooms to prevent them from becoming woody or bitter.
8. Fertilize: By midsummer, many plants have depleted springtime nutrients. A top-up using natural fertilizers—like compost or worm castings—supports stronger, healthier growth than synthetic nitrogen.
9. Remove Dead Plants: If a plant dies due to pests, disease, or winterkill, remove it promptly to avoid spreading problems. Don’t compost diseased or infested plants—dispose of them properly.
10. Fill In Bare Spots: If you’ve removed a dead plant or your spring blooms are fading, refresh the space with colourful annuals to keep your garden vibrant through summer.
11. Pick Produce Promptly: Harvest your fruits and vegetables as soon as they ripen. Doing so encourages continued production and higher yields by allowing the plant to focus energy on new growth.
12. Try Succession Planting: Once you’ve harvested crops like radishes or lettuce, consider planting another round. Many cool-weather crops—like spinach, lettuce, and kale—can still thrive in late summer or early fall.
13. Divide Bearded Irises: If you grow bearded irises, summer is the time to divide them. They go dormant in the heat and should be divided every three to four years to maintain their health and bloom quality.
I hope this checklist helps you prioritize your summer garden tasks and make the most of the season. Happy gardening!
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