Who Carries Out Operations In Water?… A Sturgeon!!!
The Lumby Market was busy as usual and there was an amazing show of interesting and beautiful dogs. I alway enjoy them. The weather last week was cooler and wetter and was pleasant and work saving. The weather this week will be warm but not as hot as we have already experienced with low chance of rain. That will mean we will need to be out and watering our tiny plants and a daily watering in the greenhouse as it reaches 40 degrees in there when the sun hits it. Although I find it a bit much the plants seem to love it and you can almost see them grow while I tend to wilt.
Watering is a vital key to a healthy and productive garden and a vibrant, eye-catching landscape. With the lack of water this spring and the already summer like heat this can be a challenge to keeping our annuals, fruit and vegetable gardens blooming and productive. Young plants are a challenge with their small root systems, they tend to dry out quickly especially if it is hot, dry and windy. Keep the soil evenly moist by watering twice a day until established. The best time to water is from 2am until sunrise. Early evening water can lead to fungal problems but sometimes is the only available time so try to keep the water off the leaves if at all possible. Be sure to water evenly and deeply and this is best done by watering the area then doing another area and then repeating over the areas again. Especially important with heavier clay soils is to allow the water to penetrate the soil deeply which can take time and the proper appliance, as in a sprinkler. If you do not have the luxury of time, hand watering may not be an option, drip irrigation can be expensive, so sprinkled water is often the choice method for watering. Always ensure that the water that is being applied is being absorbed by the soil and not running off creating soil erosion and pooling in the street. The use of mulching and compost can help minimize evaporation, help the soil to absorb and store water.
The best way to tell if the garden needs water is by visual inspection. If you are growing your garden in pots or raised beds and for your hanging baskets they should be dry down to about an inch below the soil surface, so one must get dirt under their nails to be certain. In the heat of summer they may need to watered twice a day to maintain their needs but well worth the effort. Lawns consume a lot of water and should be watered deeply twice a week. Keep the lawn length higher in summer to help slow down evaporation. In your landscaping consider plants that have lower water needs such as Spirea, Box Wood, Juniper, Russian Sage, Sedum, Yucca, Iris, and many Ornamental Grasses. For annuals Portulaca, Sage, Poppy, Wallflower, Blanket flower are great low water flowering plants. In your pots be sure to plant like minded plants together. Rosemary is a good example of a herb that in a basket or planter will not do as well with other herbs due to its lower water requirements. Carrots and Corn require larger amounts of water as do leafy vegetables. This too is true of Tropicals and Exotic plants.
Do keep in mind that over watering can be more damaging than under watering so check the plant label or other sources for watering requirements and be sure to consume lots of water yourself while out working in the heat!
I won’t be at the Lumby Market this coming Saturday but will be back during Lumby Day’s with a full compliment of plants, flowers, baskets and more so come on down. So much to see!
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
