Desert Gardening in June

Desert Gardening in June

So......it is going to be nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit here soon. Excessive heat warnings abound.
What's a gardener to do ? And more importantly, what about your poor plants ??!!
Well, apart from trying to stay cool and hydrated, here are a few tips to help your garden over the next week or so (and beyond )

~ Temps are so high and the air so dry that plants simply cannot take up available water fast enough. PM shade helps alleviate this problem. If you have not already done so, use shade cloth to cover fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. Wilting is a sign of heat stress.

 

 

May not be pretty, but does the job.

 

 

~ Most cacti and succulents benefit from afternoon shade too ( don't we all ). Either cover with shade cloth or if possible, move to a shady or partially shady spot.

 

 

Container grown cacti in the shade

 

 

~ Now is not the time to pull out any dead or dying plants. 

 

A couple of years ago, I stopped clearing out my vegetable garden after the plants finished their life cycle. In other words, unless I needed the space for another crop or the plants were growing in the pathways etc I left them alone. This is usually at the end of our spring season going into the long hot summer months.

This has proved to have quite a few benefits, some expected and some a lovely surprise.

First of all, even though the plants are dead, their remains provide welcome shade for others that are still living nearby (and trust me, when it is 115 degrees outside – any shade is welcome!!).                   Second – the plant remains also help to keep the soil from drying out as much as it would do if it were bare, thus less cracking of the earth and actually reduced watering of the surrounding areas. The plant remains break down as the summer progresses and of course this adds to the soil biomass.                                                                                                                                                          If the plants have gone to seed, I am able to save some the seeds (which I usually do).                Finally, when the weather cools down and the fall growing season begins, I often get many plant volunteers or “feral” vegetables such as lettuce, popping up in all sorts of places, which is such fun! 

 

June bouquet from the garden