Some Like It Hot

~ Do you ever wonder how to Garden in Arid climates? During my latest move to Florida, such questions were certainly on my mind. Summertime always reminds me of warmth and easy living, running through streets without the stress of heavy closing and simply pure fun. Certainly looking forward to growing and assisting nature in creating miracles in the garden is one of my favorite parts about the Summer months. Although, residing in the heat environment that often surpasses 100 degrees left me wondering about how to actually establish the thriving garden that will survive the scalding sun.

Is it really possible to work, tend to and harvest in such climates? Here are a couple tidbits in meeting the needs of your green thumb in the time of heat. It can often seem like quite a presumptive effort, although you would be surprised by the results you can glean from planting during dry seasons.

Put your sensible cap on, work with the land you have and create fertile planting space in your terrace, lanai, balcony or the workable corner of your property. By paying attention to natural resources that come right from the outside of your yard, gardening suddenly seems easy.

Creating An Artificial Climate

Installing a shed or a greenhouse for your vegetables and tools can help you lock away valuable items, or prevent raccoons, armadillos, squirrels, possums or other animals from disturbing your crops. With the seasonal change, having greenhouse around the property will provide you with freshly picked edible crops, not only during the scolding months but throughout the whole year long. All the insects, mold and predators that like to attack all your edible hard work will be turned away by the artificial cover. How many times did I dream of having such a useful option, especially during the cucumber growing season with all the destructive cucumber Beatles? Perhaps writing this post will inspire the readers and definitely myself investing in a small greenhouse. No more spraying as preventative measures, but instead planting more seeds and yes, having more time to weed 🙂

Save The Rainwater for Garden Watering

The amount of water we need to grow fruit and vegetables for an entire season is quite astounding. The moment summer months are here, watering twice a day, could be critical for your plant’s progress.  Some counties have restrictions of watering in certain hours of the day. To preserve water supply, even the sprinkle system that you might invest in to keep your lawn green, might not be allowed to be utilized. How would you react if you are reported to the government for draining local water resources, while you just peacefully tried to nourish your thirsty plants?  Sigh. I can not account for my reaction, really, but rainwater that is collected in rain barrels could serve as a big yard helper in the time of need. Rainwater is natural, complementary and does not require filtering. Of course, you will need to make sure that you have to collect rainwater consistently and set aside for extra water supplies. Through services like Tank Direct, you can be supplied with excellent rainwater tanks designed to help you store runoff and build up water for emergency periods. When you have a tank set up with a water carrying system in place, you can avoid the worries of going without water for long periods, as you will at least have some days worth in reserve.

Plant Hot Temperatures Loving Plants

You may not be able to grow certain things in southern environments no matter how hard you try. It is important to stay realistic and plant according the seasons and geographic locations. Pumpkins, melons, potatoes, red potatoes, beans, gourds, chilis, and other produce can often be the most worthwhile things to grow as they often require a hot climate to flourish. A week-long heatwave will not deter such edible plants from proliferating. My first year in trying to propagate a couple of red potatoes during the hot summer created an abundance of these roots to cover my kitchen counter. Lifting heavy buckets of red potato harvest and managing unruly vines was the most surprising and fun part of gardening. Learning that in Asian countries people cook green red potato vines was quite educational. I did try couple of times to do so, but will stick to the roots for now.

Start Gardening Early or Late in the Day

Heading into the garden while it’s not scolding hot, is best, don’t you think? Cover yourself with long sleeve clothing, even if it is hot. Sunburn could result from rays bouncing from shiny garden tools and UV rays are everywhere as it is.  Put a hat on, glasses, closed-toe shoes, since no one wants to have an encounter with unexpected insects or reptiles, in the case of Florida for instance. Also, if any heavy tool or harvest fruit falls on your toes, it will be harmless having such precautionary measures. Consider this activity as the start of the daily exercise. Double the effect of gardening by burning extra calories in the heat. Don’t forget about the bottled water as your own refreshment.

Maybe the plants adapted to the heat and like it hot, but we as humans still need periodic hydration and so do our furry friends, too 🙂

Make it a very green day, my friends.

Luda@PlantsandBeyond🌿

All photographs belong to Luda @PlantsandBeyond.com

©PlantsandBeyond.com