What if summer is hot?
The end of May, and the jungle awakens. Uninvited native plants are suddenly in a rush to overwhelm my homegrown pepper seedlings. These intruders (who were here first) mix ever so well with leaves, pine straw and miscellaneous plant parts in the leaf mulch pile leaving behind wonderful homemade soil after a few years.
So, properly managed, the jungle makes new soil. Good, because gardeners are going to need all the help they can muster to care for soil in the months ahead. Prognosticators predict a hot summer. That’s an easy call. What would we think if they called for a cold summer? So let’s take them at their word because when have they ever been wrong?
For an unassuming amateur, it appears that to become a meteorologist, a person must be trained in math, science, darts and Ouija boards. The forecast for Wednesday, May 24, calls for 50 percent chance of precipitation. Does that mean the dart landed on the “Maybe it will, maybe it won’t” spot, which, for a gardener, means, “Maybe I’ll need to water, maybe I won’t.” Good to know.
Much hype is associated with forecasts because a TV weather person gets only about three minutes in front of the green screen, so it is important to make an early impact. They might mention Polar Vortex Circulation or Sudden Stratospheric Warming to get our attention.
One thing for sure is our world has been experiencing a consistent warming trend for years, and it won’t stop if we don’t do our part, and we don’t seem to be stopping it. Last summer, Central Arkansas experienced 13 triple-digit days in July. Where will the dart land for this summer?
Therefore, what should gardeners do to prepare for an especially hot spell starting in just over a month? Caring for a garden starts with the soil. You probably already have seedlings sprouting and tomato transplants taking hold. Begin a regular cultivation regimen to keep the soil loose so water is absorbed deeply and the jungle is kept at bay because it will hijack your water. If you mow your grass, distribute grass clippings over your carefully cultivated soil so the clippings mix with the soil. The grass and leaf mulch in the soil will retain moisture below the surface, plus clippings and leaves on top prevent the surface from drying out.
A month like we had around here last July is hard on all vegetables. In spite of my best efforts, the tomato plants survived but never bounced back fully. Not far away in a different bed, Suyo cucumbers handled the stress and produced well but only with regular deep watering. Therefore, do your best with watering and regular maintenance and accept what the weather allows. Morning is the best time for deep watering, and water the soil, not the leaves. Drip systems deliver water very efficiently.
Don’t feed vegetables extra amendments while the stress is on; do that now or a couple weeks ahead of time. The best maintenance during extreme times is gentle cultivation and regular, purposeful watering.
Also, some plants handle hot weather better than others, and they deserve consideration. Malabar spinach is not in the spinach family, but it produces tasty leaves during hot weather whereas spinach plants do not. It is a viny plant and a few of them climbing a trellis create a shady area behind for fast-growing brassicas like mibuna, chijimisai or red mustard. Well-watered chard or collards can also handle the heat. Do you like okra?
Shade is a good thing during hot spells, so create some for your vegies. There are row covers designed for creating shade. Remember that rebounder you got years ago during the Olympics? Sags a bit now, but it is movable and a reliable bit of shade for low-growing plants. Hang towels over a lawn chair. Be creative.
Don’t panic if the forecast calls for a heat emergency – plan ahead, do your best and let the darts fall where they may.