Gardening in the heat......

[akyramoto]

so I've had a garden for the last three years, and EVERY year about the end of June my garden really starts to suffer - becuase of the heat. It just gets too darn hot to be out there. the plants have a hard time, I have a hard time getting out there - so I end up with ten million weeds that strangle my poor heat exhausted veggies. Does anyone have any tips?

really i just need some trees!! beautiful shade trees......ahhh.... it would be nice.

I guess the questions really is: whats your max temp you will garden in?

what are you wearing? ( i've found out that a bikini top isn't really that good for you - dehydration)

do you have a portable shade to work under?

 

[simple life]

Since I had surgery on the side of my face this week to remove "something" I will not garden in the sun period. I wait until evening now.
I actually started to do that a couple of weeks ago. I head out at the end of the day to do my weeding and whatever else. My husband has been watering the garden for me all week.When I do it I will go out in the early morning.
I obviously don't want to be out working in the heat but the sun is the real reason I won't do it.
I use to wear shorts and a tank top with a baseball hat, now if I have to go out in the sun I will be covering up more.
My tips would be:
You should stay hydrated whenever you are outside and wear a hat and sunscreen.
A better option is to go out very early in the morning or evening if at all possible to do the weeding and anything else that will be time consuming.
If you can water in the morning and weed in the evening that may be an option for you.

 

[patandchickens]

I have a hard time getting out there - so I end up with ten million weeds that strangle my poor heat exhausted veggies. Does anyone have any tips?

A smaller garden, that you can weed in however much time you have per week?

A mulch will keep roots cooler (which plants appreciate) as well as helping reduce weeding chores. Some things like lettuce can also benefit from little shade 'tents' of old windowscreens or whatnot.

Also you can usually get a LOT done in early evening (or in principle early morning but some crops you really don't want to be working amongst when they're dewy, b/c of disease spread), or on the one or two cooler days per week or fortnight.


Pat, committed lazy gardener

 

[akyramoto]

i just got another thing to help me. lol. an umbrella that was 30% off at the drug store

i always wear sun screen & a hat.

i used straw as a mulch in some parts of my garden this year. I'm sill having some weeds pop through ( the places where there is no mulch is out of control!) Am I not getting enough of the straw down? or should I put something else underneath it like newspaper?

 

[ams3651]

i usually try to get out as early as i can, evenings dont work for me because my kids are home. This year I was going to try laying a couple layers or newspaper in between rows to stop weeds but didnt even get much planted. with some things like my corn and pumpkins I just didnt worry about weeds, just the big ones, and they did fine.

I wanted to add, my sister is albino and has to be very careful in the sun. There is a clothing line which provides complete coverage and protection in a cool lightweight fabric. If your interested.
http://www.sunprecautions.com/about_us.asp?pg=2

 

[Tutter]

I like to garden before the heat of the day, and at the end of the day, when it's cooler. If that's midnight, so be it. Been there and done that.

There are shade dealys which might work for you. Stick 4 posts in the ground, and there's a cloth top. They are a good size, better than an umbrella, but small enough to handle and move around.

As long as the sun's not on the garden yet, or gone for the day, you can wear whatever you like in the garden; as long as you consider the bugs, of course.

Good luck! :happy_flower

Oops, sorry, forgot about the plants! Shade netting, also on 4 posts, can help. And yes, mulching, and correct amounts of water for your plants, soil, and heat conditions.

 

[toots]

I don't enjoy the heat but it is hard to stay out of the garden. I have an old sheet and some palm fronds that cover the top of my garden space. The garden gets plenty of sun from the sides of the space and the tomatoes and I appreciate the shaded roof!. I always wear a hat or scarf and sunscreen. I am a desert rat and I simply get wet -clothes and all-before I begin my garden chores. Then I time myself to only 30 min. stays with inside chores in between to cool down and drink down!! I also have a lovely shaded front porch where I do my seed planting and propagation. can mmanage the heat as long as I can keep my hands properly rooted. even in those 112 degree days !! Toots