We're still enjoying great weather here, but things are definitely warming up! Let's talk about how you can prepare for gardening in HOT temperatures and how to protect your plants.
SHADE CLOTH
This is a great thing to have around the garden because it's so quick, easy, and effective. If a heat wave is in the forecast, you might not have time to add a fresh layer of mulch. You definitely won't have the years it takes to build good soil health.
Shade cloth is a sure-fire way to protect your plants in a pinch. The key here is to use the right product. I recommend 40 or 50% shade cloth, so that's how much of the intensity of the UV light is changed.
It's best to have some stakes or other infrastructure in your garden to hang shade cloth from, but you can totally just lay it directly over many plants in an emergency. This is a lightweight product and easy to manage.
MULCH
This one takes more preparation, but it's so worth it. Mulch does so much for a garden: it regulates soil temperatures, suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and builds soil health over time.
I recommend all gardeners use mulch, especially in the drier parts of zones 9 and 10. A minimum of a couple inches will help, but several inches or more will really pay off.
SOIL HEALTH
On the note of soil health, this is our third tip but is even more of a long-term strategy. Good soil is a key to growing healthy, resilient plants. Mulch plays a key here, but you should also amend your soil with things like compost and manure.
I recommend doing this at the change of every season. You can top off with a couple of inches, or you can do go down deeper if you need to. Compost can also hold onto a lot of moisture.
MOISTURE
This might seems like the easy answer to gardening in the heat, but it shouldn't be your only weapon. Mulch and healthy soil will help retain moisture, and shade cloth can protect your plants from getting fried.
Plants need moisture, but sometimes you can even overwater your plants if you're just relying on watering as your only way to keep your plants alive.
PRUNING
Pruning is a key part to guiding your plants, but it's possible to overdo it too. It's possible to remove too many leaves which are protecting the fruits and soil. That will also stress your plants.
Of course, be sure to get rid of any diseased or dead parts of the plant, but be sure to check the forecast if you plan on doing some heavier pruning.
PLANT APPROPRIATELY
Finally, grow plants that can take the heat! Drought- and heat-tolerant varieties have been chosen because they outperform other varieties in tough weather.
Choosing varieties that will do well in your climate goes a long way. Most of the seeds that we carry in our seed catalog have some kind of tolerance that makes them a good fit for growing in zones 9 and 10, especially the drier areas.
→Sign up for one of our on-demand classes (go through it at your own speed): "Organic Gardening: Grow Your Own Food" and our famous "Seed Starting Academy" are available at https://organicgardening.teachable.com/courses
