Right around the country things are starting to heat up. The BOM says we could be in for a long hot summer, and this trend could continue for the foreseeable future. As the mercury rises, it’s important to prepare you garden for the warmer weather ahead.
Mulch
Mulch is a word you hear a lot of in gardening circles, and with good reason. A layer of mulch not only helps to keep water in the soil for longer, it insulates from heat. If you’re mulching with an organic material like woodchips, straw or sugarcane over time it will break down and boost the organic matter in the soil, further improving its ability to hold onto moisture over the summer months.
However, you need to apply mulch correctly. Studies have shown that if mulch is laid deeper than 7.5cm it can prevent water from eventually reaching the soil. It can also encourage plant roots to grow up into the mulch layer seeking the water, where they are exposed to the radiant heat from the sun.
Coarser mulches like woodchips or stone aren’t suitable to use on vegetable seedlings. Instead try finer grain mulches like pea straw or sugarcane. These will allow delicate annual plants to grow without physical impediment, and make sure any passing rainfall makes it straight to their shallow roots.
Mulch for potted plants is often forgotten, but will provide the same benefits by stopping water loss. As a bonus, the protection from UV the mulch provides from the sun will keep the potting mix in good condition for longer
Deep watering
Plants need water to live, and even more so over the warmer months. While watering your garden may seem like a simple chore to take your mind off things, there’s a bit of technique to make sure the water is doing its job.
If you water frequently but only small, quick amounts, the roots of the plant are encouraged to grow up into the soil closer to the surface. This means they’re more exposed to the heat of the sun, and in turn the plant needs more water.
If you water ‘deeply’ (ensuring the top 20cm of soil gets wet) the water will be banked deeper in the soil profile, where it is far out of the reach of the suns heat. This means the plants roots will be encouraged to grow down into this water, also protected from the sun. In turn, this means healthier, more resilient plants and less watering overall for you!
Shade
There’s nothing like escaping the heat of the day in the shade with a cool drink, and plants feel the same way. Tender young seedlings can burn in hot, strong sun, and even mature trees can get a bit crispy on scorching days.
A simple trick to use an old bit of shadecloth or a bedsheet you’re not using anymore to provide some temporary shade for your more tender plants. Use a few bits of bamboo to stop the cloth crushing your plants, and get the sheet over the plants during the hottest part of the day – they’ll thank you for it.
Plant choice
Many of the common plants we grow are productive, offering tonnes of beautiful flowers or juicy fruits, but their resistance to heat and local weather patterns isn’t their strong suit.
If you want to heatproof your garden, consider broadening your gardening horizons. Wherever you live in Australia there will be hundreds of plants that are locally native to your area, and therefore can rely completely on local weather patterns.
Similarly, consider growing food crops from hot, dry areas around the world. Mediterranean herb favourites like sage, rosemary and oregano are well adapted to hot weather. Crops like cassava, dragonfruit, artichoke, warrigal greens, okra, feijoa, figs and pomegranate are all reliable performers in hot, dry weather and will continue to provide even when things start really heating up.
What steps do you take to prepare your garden for summer? Why not share them in the comments section below?
Also read: How to save money in the garden
