How I Am Fighting The Heat in My Garden

I am happy to report that I have blossoms on my two tiny Red Robin tomato plants now.  It was nice to see them.

These babies are not even a foot tall yet, but that's about how tall they will get.  I expect lots of fruiting when the time comes.

I mulched with short-cut straw yesterday to try to keep evaportation low when I water my garden now that its getting so much warmer.

With 3 days in the low to mid-90sF this week, I was concerned for my garden.  I still have cool-weather crops starting to grow like lettuces, radishes, kale and arugula and as for tomatoes, they stop blossoming and growing when the temps reach high 90s.  To combat this problem I went out with white bleached muslin and clipped pieces to bamboo poles to combat the heat.

I tried to put sheeting between the crop rows and around my tomatoes.  In this one the muslin in the rear covers my two Lizzano tomato plants just fine.

The muslin to the far right is protecting my little Red Robin tomatoes.  Amazing how much wind we are getting.  The muslin just kept billowing up all the time.  But with enough spring clothes pins they are held fast.

As for me, here I am kitted out for fighting the heat in the garden.  My hat keeps me nice and cool.  Its an Arctic Hat which means you run cold water thru the top before donning it and it keeps your head cool.  I also have 2 battery fans hanging around my neck which are not in the picture but I can tell you, they are sooooo wonderful keeping me cool in the heat.

Keep cool everyone.

How To Handle Your Garden During Too Much Heat

 It seems that everyone is experiencing too much heat too soon this year.  What does one do to protect their garden.  Here are some tips in the following video.

As usual Luke gives good advice. 

Now how does one protect their cool-weather crops from excess heat?  You give them shade in one way or another.  Here are a few tips in the following video.

Good avice here.

I have used shade cloth and also sheeting to protect my crops from too much sun.  When the temps. rise even your tomatoes will suffer.  They stop producing and blossoming in excess heat so I put up sheeting between the sun and my plants to give them a bit of shade and cooler space.

Enjoy your gardening.
  

How To Grow Cucumbers

How does one grow cucumbers successfully.  Its not difficult if you follow a few rules.

Here is a video that may help you get started.

An important thing to remember is that cucumbers, along with tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and watermelons, like a lot of water but they also like to dry out between waterings.  

Enjoy your time in the garden.

Tips for Growing Squash and Zucchini Thru the Summer

Here are a few videos that should help you in growing your bush squash and zucchini in your garden.  To start there's the problem of male and female blossoms.  Sometimes you only get one sex and you need both to grow fruits.  Here are some reasons that happens and sometimes you just have to wait a month or so.

Very helpful tips there for the home gardener.

But that's not the only problem you may find.  This next video shows how to combat powdery mildew on your leaves and blossom end rot on the fruits.  You need to thin out the lower leaves to give air flow and sunshine and pollinators a chance to work their magic.

As usual Luke from MIgardner on Youtube has the anwers.

In this video Luke has grown for intensity harvest, planting closer than the recommended distance on the packages.  Yes, you can plant 4 plants around the perimeter and then also plant an extra one in the center.  You will get more fruits and they grow well as long as you thin out the lower leaves to give them some air movement and space for pollinators to do their job.

For those of you who want to touch base on how to start those squash and zucchini plants, this video gives you the answers for their start in your garden in early spring.

Whether you start yours from seeds or from transplants, you can use this information.

That goes for bush squash as well as zucchini plants.

Enjoy your gardens.

I Have Blossoms on My Lizzano Tomatoes

I just love it.  I have blossoms on both my Lizzano tomatoes.  Now these are small shrub tomatoes with small tomato fruit but lots of it when they blossom.  And they are so tasty.

I will be so happy to pluck a few ripe fruits off my two plants soon.  My Red Robins have a few tiny blossoms which are hard to notice on the plant so I did not take a photo of them.

Happy Gardening everyone.

How To Grow High Intensity Lettuce Crops

I want to grow lettuce, all kinds of lettuce.  I love my salads.  How can I grow lettuce so that I have lots to harvest thru the seasons?  Just watch Luke in this video and find out.

I always 'cut and come again' when growing lettuce.   That means you cut off the tops of the lettuce plants leaving a couple of inches at the bottom.  This way the plant can continue to grow.  You will get more lettuce for longer with this method.   I get more bang for my buck and I get it for a longer period during the season.  Lettuce can be grown in the spring and in the fall.  If you get heat-resistant varieties, you can be assured of lettuce even into the heat of early summer.

Enjoy your Gardening.

The Top Mistakes Made When Transplanting Crops

 Though its already June and most transplanting has been done, this information may be helpful for those that are transplanting for fall crops soon.

I found the information very helpful.  Luke also tells you how to remedy the situations and when and how to transplant properly.

I found myself making some of these mistakes myself in the past.  I have since learned my lesson after some losses.  Be sure to listen and watch and learn.

Have a great gardening day!