Summer Watering of Your Outside Plants

Summer is right around the corner. We have just a few short weeks to enjoy the moderate temperatures we have been having as of late, but that will quickly pass. Here are a few tips to keep your garden healthy throughout the dry, hot months.

Water Sufficiently
Summer is the time to be diligent when watering. Container plants and those recently planted have little margin for error. Forgetting to water them properly during the next few months may cause their death. Water such plants every day or at least a few times per week. Established trees and shrubs will generally do with a good soaking once or twice a month, depending on amount of rainfall received. The best time to water is early in the A.M. to hydrate plants for the long, hot day ahead.

Monitor Summer Rains
From now until about mid-September, Arizona and other lucky regions in the Southwest will benefit from the localized summer storms called monsoons. Your landscape plants will appreciate the cooling showers, but the rain often doesn't do as much good as you might imagine. Dig down near plant roots to see if enough moisture soaked into the soil to count for irrigation.

Mulch to Conserve
Add a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch- compost, ground bark, or shredded fir bark- over the root area of landscape plants and around summer vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, beans, and peppers. It conserves the water you or Mother Nature applied and cools the upper layer of soil.