How to Protect Your Garden During a Harsh Summer?

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A blazing-hot summer can be a horrible thing to endure. Your garden plants aren’t in any better position. During the summer, the ground in your garden will be dryer than usual, which is why the survivability of your plants may be decreased. Direct sun radiation is no longer safe for some cultures, which is why providing a semi-transparent cover may be a sound idea. Also, you need to learn a thing or two about garden organization and pruning in order to avoid a scenario where you make matters even worse. With that in mind and without further ado, here are several ways to protect your garden during a harsh summer.

Irrigation system

The core thing needed for the survivability of the garden during the harsh summer is the irrigation system. Now, a sprinkler system is relatively inexpensive to buy and quite simple to make. For starters, you need some garden hoses. You could either go to your local hardware store or look up garden hoses for sale online in order to get a better deal. For those who aren’t afraid to irrigate the garden manually, it might be a good idea to purchase a retractable garden hose, so that you have higher mobility and save space/reduce tripping risk when not using it.

As far as the DIY irrigation systems go, you can either puncture tiny holes in the garden hose every several inches and turn the water to drip or go for something more complex. The majority of these methods are made from plastic bottles or PVC pipes, which means that they have one thing in common – they’re cheap to make. As far as the rest of the tools goes, you need screwdrivers, drills, nails and saws, which are common household tools. With a plethora of YouTube tutorials, you should have an improvised irrigation system up and running in no time.

Semi-transparent cover

Some plants need cover from either sun or birds and critters. This is why netting is a technique that’s getting more and more widespread. Fortunately, there are numerous methods that make netting available and possible on a budget. The next thing worth mentioning is the fact that netting is great for peas, beans and trellis. Combined with raised beds, which is something that we will discuss shortly, this can really ensure that your garden plants are adequately protected.

Garden beds

Raised garden beds are the best way to provide your garden plants, herbs and vegetables with optimal growth conditions. First, garden beds ensure that there are fewer weeds. During the harsh summer where your plants are in need of every drop of water they can get, the last thing they need is some more competition. Better drainage is also a massive factor, as well as the fact that they have more growing space. Lastly, foot traffic is a massive problem for the majority of plants. The fact that there will be no compaction from human feet is also an important feature.

Pruning schedule

Mid-summer is the best time to prune and whether the summer is harsh shouldn’t be a factor here. For some plants, the pruning even goes to early spring (even February in some cases). Generally speaking, you should let the plants finish their flowering period before you proceed with this. Keep in mind, nonetheless, that the majority of experts agree that waiting for the fall in order to prune might be the worst idea possible. While over-pruning may not kill the majority of plants, it can definitely contribute to their premature death.

Mulching

Protecting the ground around the trees is also quite important. If the ground gets too warm, it might get dehydrated, which would cause a great number of problems for the plants in it. This is why you might want to go for mulching. Mulch usually consists of tiny branches or timber chips laid on top of the soil. This helps maintain the temperature and reduce the loss of water. In other words, it provides the soil with several crucial things it needs in order to survive. In some areas, placing straw on garden beds may help make a difference.

Pest protection

Why are pests more attracted to plants in the summer? Well, it’s simple – they’re hot and thirsty, as well. The majority of plants in your garden (like the tomato) consisted of a huge percentage of water. This means that by accessing them, they’re more likely to survive. So, do pesticides help protect your plants during the summer? Well, it depends on your definition of protection. If protecting means poisoning the food that you will put on your family’s dinner table then sure. Using natural pest repellents and methods like companion planting are far superior solutions.
In conclusion

Gardening is both an art and a science. It requires a tremendous amount of effort but it also takes more than just sheer goodwill. It takes knowledge and if you lack it, you risk taking actions with good intentions only to make things worse. Fortunately, with the above-listed six tips, you now know better than that. Finally, your garden will have a fighting chance even against the blazing inferno of a harsh summer.