With the added difficulty of coping with the heat, Summer can be a bit more challenging for your veggie garden too but there are a few tricks that will keep you productive garden happy. Yours should be brimming with productive plants now, that were sowed back in spring.  Enjoy the fruits of your labour but don’t forget to continue planting lettuce and other greens to get you through the salad festival. If native animals are getting more then you, take a look at this great article.

Consider providing some shade.

The higher temperatures and the intensity of the sun can cause vegetable and fruit sunburn so rigging up some shade cloth is essential (see above link). Delicates like lettuce, bok choy and even tomato & capsicum will suffer burn on really hot days. However it is important to remove the shade cloth on cooler days to ensure your plants get a good hit of sunlight.  Maintaining moisture in the soil is imperative during the really hot days of summer, this ensures plants are fully hydrated allowing them to cope better all round.

Keep the moisture up!

Having plenty of water available for your veggie garden is important whether that be from a tank or straight from the mains. Some gardeners question the cost of water but when you weigh it up against producing organic food for your family, I don’t think it’s a consideration. A semi or fully automated irrigation system is worth its weight in gold, at any time of the year and if you don’t have something set up for your veggie garden then consider installing one now. Watering at night (only through the warmer seasons) is the best time to irrigate your gardens, allowing plants time to utilize the moisture for the next day.

 

Don’t forget the organic matter.

While you’re out and about in the garden, remember to check on the compost heap to ensure it is working well and that applies to the worm farm too. The warmer weather provides a great window of opportunity to produce large amounts of compost for your garden ensuring your Autumn seedlings get the best start.

If you’ve always wanted to grow organic produce then now’s the time to start thinking about where’s the best place to have your productive garden and what you might like to grow. Our Vegetable Garden eBooklet is jammed packed with all the information you need to grow yummy, organic food for your family. You can start off small in free standing beds, pots or hanging baskets and if room allows, expand as your need & time allows.  If you need some One on One Support then contact us we’d be happy to help you get started.  Sometimes just a little information and someone you can touch base with every now and then can lead to great success.  Contact us and let’s organize a time to talk about your productive gardening or any other garden support you may need.