043 Week 25 2024 Gardening Guide

Dig Deeper

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Episode Transcript

Hi!  John Morgan here with this week’s episode of The Keep Growing Podcast, where we take a look at the gardening outlook for the Mid-Ohio Valley.  This week, we’re covering week 25 of 2024, Saturday, June 15th to Saturday, 22nd.

Up first, let’s take a look at the weather.  The first day of Summer is on Wednesday and there is absolutely no question about that.  The forecast for this week is simple.  It’s bloomin hot!  We’re looking at dry weather all week with highs in the mid to upper 90s and lows in the 70s at night. 

Remember to stay cool in the garden and help your plants out too:

·        Keep hydrated. Carry a water bottle – and use it! You need water as much as your plants do.

·        If you plan to work in the garden, do it in the morning before the hottest part of the day.

·        Wear a hat and lather on the sunscreen when outside.

·        Water in the morning to give plants time to take up moisture before the worst heat.

·        Water plants deeply, at least to 6 inches down. Plants are the best indicator of when they need water – they wilt. Watch your plants. If they begin to droop, it’s time to get out the hose. Or, dig down in the soil 1 to 2 inches next to the plant to see if it needs moisture. Plants in sandy soil will need to be watered more often than those in clay soil, which retains water much more than sandy soil.

·        If you are watering by hand, water close to the soil under the plant.

·        Hanging baskets and containers will need to be watered more frequently than those in the ground. Be sure to check them often. Stick your finger in the soil to see when it needs water. If they are small, pick them up. If they are light, water. Consider moving potted plants into a shadier spot during the heat wave.

·        Mulch around your plants; it slows down evaporation. You can use straw, compost or decomposed manure.

·        Don’t do anything that will stress a plant, like transplanting or pruning.

Now let’s take a look at the gardening tasks for the week ahead:

·        Today, June 15th, plant peppers and consider control measures for cabbage worms, like a row cover.

·        Sunday, June 16th is Father’s Day. … Gardening gear makes a great gift option for your plant enthusiast paterfamilias.

·        Monday, June 17th, renovate your strawberries after the last harvest by weeding beds, then mowing old growth to two inches above the crowns, fertilizing, and lightly cultivating.

·        Tuesday, June 18th, Seed or transplant gourds for fall harvest and also now is the time to trim back garden mums to promote branching.

·        Wednesday, June 19th, seed dill and seed or transplant cantaloupes for fall.

·        Thursday, June 20th is the Summer Solstice, the longest daylight period of the year. With Sunrise at 6:02 am and Sunset at 8:57 pm in our region.  Today is also the day to prune pine trees.

·        Friday, June 21st is a great day to treat your lawn for grubs.  This helps prevent unwelcome guests like ground moles.

·        Finally, Saturday, June 22nd, end the asparagus harvest and also seed Brussels sprouts for fall.

Remember to keep an eye on your garden’s health this week, stay cool, and, of course, keep growing.

For show notes and a full transcript head over to bobsmarket.com/keepgrowing

Cover image via pxHere - CC0 Public Domain