Essential Tips For Beautiful and Sustainable Summer Gardening
Essential Tips For Beautiful and Sustainable Summer Gardening
Summer gardening gives out peculiar challenges and winnings. As temperatures rise, garden plants require extra attention and care to thrive. Here are some essential summer gardening tips that include watering, mulching, and selecting summer gardening plants, a list of summer flowers, fruits, and vegetables that grow in full sun, summer shade vegetables, and many more.
Providing shade, regular maintenance, harvesting, and preserving produce are also key. Summer is a time of vigorous growth and blossoming flowers, but it's essential to ensure regular watering. With thoughtful planning, design, and attention, your summer garden can thrive, presenting beauty and bounty throughout the hot season.
Contents
1. Watering in Summer
It is ensured that plants receive adequate moisture. In summer gardening, water the plants deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root penetration and drought tolerance. Early morning watering is ideal, as it reduces the evaporation and scorching of plants in hot sun. Sprinklers are well-suited for lawns. A soaker hose or automated drip irrigation is better to deliver water directly to the roots. Pots and hanging baskets need to be watered more frequently because of their limited moisture retention capacity. Place baskets and pots in cooler spots.
2. Mulching in Summer
Mulching is the process of covering the soil around the collar of plants with straw, shredded leaves, grass clippings, bark, paper, or plastic. It is helpful in retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, and improving soil structure. In summer gardening, it helps conserve soil moisture and regulate soil temperature. Except for plastic, all other mulching materials break down and liberate nutrients into the soil. Spread evenly a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch a little bit away from the stem to avoid fungal rotting. Light-coloured mulches are preferable in summer to reflect heat.
3. Provision of Shade in Summer
Providing shade to plants in summer prevents heat stress and sunburn. Existing trees, shrubs, and garden structures provide shade to plants. In many cases of summer gardening, temporary shade can be provided to create a cool microclimate for small plants by using shade cloth, shade sails, tarpaulin, or umbrellas. The following colours of shade are suitable for different purposes:
White - More light exposure
Black - Less light exposure
Brown - Red light reflected and hence for flowering or fruiting plants
4. Summer Gardening Plants
a. Plants for summer flower field
When planning a summer flower field, consider the sunlight and soil conditions to ensure vibrant and colourful flowering. Mix and match flowers for a stunning display to brighten up the summer landscape.
List of summer flowers
Perennials: In summer gardening, the perennial flowers are Alliums, Angelonias, Anthuriums, Asters, Begonias, Bougainvilleas, Cannas, Clematis, Dahlias, Geraniums, Gladiolus, Hibiscus, Hydrangeas, Lavender, Lantanas, Morning glory, Portulacas, Salvias, Sedum, and Wedelia.
Annuals: Some summer annual flowers are Cosmos, Marigolds, Petunias, Sunflowers, and Zinnias. They add vibrancy and beauty to garden beds, borders, and containers.
b. Vegetables that Grow in Full Sun
Many vegetables thrive in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Vegetables grown in the summer season are tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and cucumbers.
c. Summer Shade Vegetables
During the intense summer heat, shade-tolerant vegetables that can thrive with less direct sunlight like Arugula, Beets, Kale, Lettuce, Radishes, and Spinach can be grown.
d. Quick Growing Summer Vegetables
Quick-growing vegetables are preferred in summer gardening when you want to harvest fresh produce in a short time. The fast-growing options are Arugula, Bush Beans, Green Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, and Spinach.
e. Best Vegetables to Plant in June
In June, many vegetables that thrive in the warm summer months can be planted. They are perfect for enjoying a bountiful harvest later in the season. Some of the best vegetables to plant in June are Beans, Corn, Cucumbers, Peppers, Squash, Tomatoes, and herbs like basil, cilantro, and dill.
f. Vegetables to Grow in July
In July, several vegetables that mature relatively quickly in the heat can be grown. Choose plant varieties in summer gardening, with shorter maturity dates for best results. Plants to grow in July are beans, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, spinach, and summer squash.
g. Vegetables to Grow in Late Summer
Late summer is a great time to plant certain vegetables that can withstand the heat and mature before the first frost in the West or heavy rains in the East. Here are some vegetables to grow in summer gardening, They are beats, broccoli, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, radishes, and spinach.
h. Vibrant Colours and Beautiful Cut Flowers for summer
Summer is a great time to plant certain cut flowers that can withstand the heat. Some of the plants are cosmos, dahlias, gladiolus, lavender, lilies, marigolds, roses, snapdragons, sunflowers, and zinnias.
i. Fruits in Summer
Several plants and trees bear fruit in the summer months. They are apples, bananas, Borassus, figs, grapes, guava, jackfruit, jamun (jujube), Karaunda, Kiwi, lemon, litchi, mango, melons, papaya, peaches, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, rose apple, sapota, starfruit, strawberries, and water apple. They are a must-feature in summer gardening.
A table showing summer plants
5. Terrace Kitchen Gardening in Summer
Terrace gardening can be a part of summer gardening. Terrace kitchen gardening in summer is both rewarding and challenging. It is due to the intense heat and water scarcity. It is always better to use large containers with good drainage to accommodate the plant root system well without congestion and stress due to overheating. Water plants regularly before the soil becomes dry. If possible provide shade for all the potted plants, especially during noon hours. Select vegetables and herbs that thrive in hot weather conditions such as basil, mint, okra, peppers, and tomatoes.
6. Points to Remember - Summer Gardening Ideas
Remove weeds as they compete for moisture and nutrients on the main crop plants. They may host and spread pests and diseases.
Do not allow weeds to flower and fruit and their dispersal rate is very fast.
Deadhead faded flowers to keep them healthy and blooming for as long as possible.
Let some flowers go to seed for interest and wildlife. Take cuttings from summer gardening for vegetative propagation next year.
Cut back perennials so that they can keep their strength and vigour, and flower for longer.
Limit digging during dry periods as it damages the soil structure, increases moisture loss and disturbs plant root system.
It is advisable to fertilise plants sparingly in summer gardening, as too much fertiliser can burn plants in hot weather.
Organic fertilisers improve soil structure to retain water, porosity to improve aeration, and natural microflora and fauna to improve the fertility of soil.
Keep an eye out for pests and diseases that thrive in warm, humid conditions.
Some common summer pests are cucumber beetles, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles, and tomato hornworms.
Some common summer diseases are powdery mildew, black spots, and rust.
Regularly harvesting fruits and vegetables encourages ongoing production in summer gardening.
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers (FAQs)
Ques. What is a summer garden?
Ans. A summer garden is a collection of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs that are cultivated to thrive in the summer season.
Ques. How to make a summer garden?
Ans. A summer garden is created by planting heat-tolerant plants like zinnias, marigolds, tomatoes, and peppers. These plants require well-draining soil and adequate sunlight. Water deeply but infrequently to promote deep root growth. Mulch around plants to reduce evaporation, retain moisture and suppress weeds. Regularly deadhead flowers and harvest fruits for long-bearing and plant health.
Ques. Which plant is best in summer?
Ques. The best plant for summer is the heat and drought-tolerant plant. Some examples are Bougainvillea, Lantana, Cactus, Sedum, Marigolds and Zinnias.
Ques. What is the summer planting season?
Ans. The summer planting season is generally from May to September.
Ques. How to maintain a garden in summer?
Ans. Select heat-tolerant plants. Provide shade to sensitive plants. Remove weeds regularly. Water deeply but infrequently. Mulch around plants. Regularly deadhead flowers and harvest fruits.
Ques. How do you treat plants in the summer?
Ans. In summer, water deeply, mulch to retain moisture, fertilise sparingly, prune for free airflow, monitor for pests & diseases, provide shade, de-head flowers & harvest fruits regularly, and ensure hydration for healthy plants.
Ques. Which plant grows fast in summer?
Ans. The fast-growing plants are Arugula, Bush Beans, Green Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, and Spinach.
Ques. What vegetables grow in summer?
Ans. Vegetables that grow in the summer season are tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and cucumbers.
Ques. Which flower and fruit is in the summer season?
Ans. Summer flowers are cosmos, dahlias, lilies, marigolds, roses, and zinnias. Summer fruits are apples, bananas, grapes, guava, jackfruit, jamun (jujube), Kiwi, lemon, mango, melons, papaya, peaches, pineapple, pomegranate, sapota, and strawberries.
Ques. Which fruit is good for hot climate?
Ans. Apples, grapes, kiwi, lemon, pineapple, strawberries, and watermelon are good for summer.