Summer Garden Maintenance: Essential Tips for Thriving Plants
As the heat of summer settles in, your garden needs a little extra TLC to stay vibrant and healthy. Whether you're growing flowers, vegetables, or both, the right maintenance practices can make all the difference between plants that merely survive and those that truly thrive. At Elm Dirt, we believe in nurturing your garden with organic, sustainable practices that work with nature, not against it. Let's dive into some essential summer garden maintenance tips that'll keep your garden looking its best all season long.
Watering Wisdom for Hot Weather
The summer heat can rapidly dry out soil, which may lead to a negative impact on your plant's health and growth. Watering correctly during summer is perhaps the most critical aspect of garden maintenance.
Don't water the plants during the middle of the day. This is because the heat of the day will quickly evaporate the water and leave the ground dry. Thus, always water the plants early in the morning or in the evening.
Here's how to get it right:
- Water deeply but less frequently (every 3-4 days) to encourage deeper root growth
- Focus on watering the soil, not the leaves, to prevent fungal diseases
- Consider using our Bloom Juice or Plant Juice diluted in your watering can for an extra nutrient boost
- For container plants, check soil moisture daily as they dry out faster than in-ground plants
Remember that overwatering can be just as harmful as underwatering. Always check the soil moisture before grabbing that watering can!
Mulch: Your Garden's Summer Savior
Spreading a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over your soil is one of the best things you can do for your garden. The mulch blankets the ground, shielding the soil from the sun and keeping it cooler. That puts less stress on plant roots and also slows moisture loss due to evaporation.
Our Ancient Soil or Bloomin' Soil make excellent mulch additions that not only protect your plants but add valuable nutrients. Benefits of proper mulching include:
- Conserving soil moisture by reducing evaporation
- Moderating soil temperature to protect delicate roots
- Suppressing weeds that compete with your plants
- Adding organic matter to the soil as the mulch breaks down
- Creating habitat for beneficial organisms
Apply a 2-3 inch layer around your plants, making sure to keep it slightly away from stems and trunks to prevent rot.
Feed Your Plants for Summer Success
Summer's heat can deplete soil nutrients faster, so regular feeding is essential for maintaining plant vigor. Our Plant Juice is specially formulated to provide your plants with the nutrients they need during the growing season.
Fertilization is an important part of summer garden care. It provides your garden with nutrients to withstand the summer heat and continue flourishing.
For summer fertilization:
- Use Plant Juice for general growth and green foliage development
- Switch to Bloom Juice for flowering plants to encourage bigger, more abundant blooms
- Dilute according to package directions (typically 2-3 oz per gallon of water)
- Apply every 2-3 weeks during active growth
- Use in the early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler
Our organic approach helps build soil health while feeding your plants, creating a resilient garden ecosystem.
Need a complete solution for your summer garden?
Our Elm Power Bundle includes everything you need to keep your garden thriving through the heat: Plant Juice, Bloom Juice, Ancient Soil, and Bloomin' Soil.
Shop Elm Power Bundle
Pest and Disease Prevention
Summer brings increased pest and disease pressure. Regularly monitor your garden for signs of pests – this could look like chewed leaves, discoloured foliage, or visible insects. Promptly address any infestations using eco-friendly methods, such as by applying insecticidal soaps or neem oil, or by introducing beneficial insects that prey on pests.
At Elm Dirt, we believe in working with nature to manage garden pests:
- Inspect plants weekly for signs of trouble
- Encourage beneficial insects by planting flowers like marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos
- Use our Plant Juice to strengthen plants' natural defenses
- Apply organic treatments at the first sign of problems
- Remove severely affected plant parts to prevent spread
Healthy soil creates healthy plants that can better resist pests and diseases. Our organic approach helps build that foundation.
Deadhead and Prune for Continued Beauty
Deadheading—or removing spent flower buds—helps promote reblooming and keeps the plant looking nice between flowering. Deadheading is key to keeping your perennials (and annuals, too) blooming for as long as possible.
Regular pruning and deadheading have multiple benefits:
- Encourages plants to produce more flowers rather than setting seed
- Prevents disease by improving air circulation
- Keeps plants looking tidy and well-maintained
- Allows you to shape plants for better growth
- Prevents self-seeding of aggressive plants
Use clean, sharp pruners and remember that different plants have different pruning needs.
Weed Control: Stay Ahead of the Game
Many types of weeds thrive in summer heat and can quickly go from tiny to gigantic. It's important to remove them from your garden as soon as possible because weeds steal moisture and nutrients from your plants.
Effective summer weeding strategies include:
- Pull weeds when they're small and the soil is moist
- Use a layer of our Bloomin' Soil as mulch to suppress weed growth
- Weed regularly - a little bit often is easier than a massive cleanup
- Consider landscape fabric in vegetable gardens and annual beds
- Use a hoe or hand tool to slice weeds just below the soil surface
The healthier your soil, the better equipped your plants will be to compete with weeds. Our organic soils and amendments create the perfect environment for your plants to thrive.
Caring for Your Lawn
If you have a lawn, summer can be especially challenging. Our Regenerative and Sustainable Lawn Care products are specifically designed to help your lawn thrive during hot weather:
- Mow higher in summer (3-4 inches) to reduce heat stress and encourage deeper roots
- Water deeply but infrequently to train roots to grow deeper
- Apply our Summer Strength lawn care formula to help your lawn withstand heat and traffic
- Spot-treat weeds rather than applying weed killers to the entire lawn
- Consider letting small areas go dormant if water restrictions are in place
Our organic approach to lawn care is safe for kids, pets, and pollinators while giving you a beautiful, resilient lawn.
Plan for Fall Success
Smart summer gardeners are already thinking ahead to fall. Late summer is the perfect time to:
- Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting
- Start seeds for fall vegetables like kale, spinach, and lettuce
- Divide overcrowded perennials once temperatures cool
- Begin planning for any landscape changes you want to make
- Take stock of what performed well and what didn't
Using our Ancient Soil when planting fall crops gives them the nutrients they need to establish quickly before cold weather.
Conclusion: A Little Effort Goes a Long Way
Summer garden maintenance doesn't have to be overwhelming. By focusing on these essential tasks and using quality organic products like our Plant Juice, Bloom Juice, and specialized soils, you can create a thriving summer garden that's a joy to behold.
Remember that gardening is a journey, not a destination. Each season brings its own challenges and rewards. By caring for your garden with organic, sustainable practices, you're not just growing beautiful plants—you're nurturing a living ecosystem that gets better year after year.
Want to take your summer garden to the next level? Try our Elm Power Bundle, which includes everything you need to keep your garden thriving through the heat: Plant Juice, Bloom Juice, Ancient Soil, and Bloomin' Soil. Your plants will thank you!
