Back to Gardening Chapter 5, The Seasons of Gardening - Part B: Summer

This chapter lays out the key tasks that gardeners need to undertake in spring, summer, fall and winter.

Summer

Summer begins in the Northern hemisphere with an astronomical event called the summer solstice - which is the day when the North Pole has its maximum tilt towards the sun, and is consequently the longest day of the year. That usually occurs around June 20th - 22nd. What makes this time of year important to gardeners is that there is more sun than any other time of year, and it is warmer than any other time of the year - so things grow rapidly. As a result, gardeners must keep up with nature, and tend to everything as needed, which necessitates a range of important, yet unavoidable tasks.

Summer’s when it all starts to come together, and all that work starts turning to green… and all that green starts turning into work!!!

Transplants

The beginning of summer is the last chance to have a garden where transplants are concerned. Whether they were started late - or bought as a last-ditch effort (and on sale) at a garden center, they can still go in the ground at the tail-end of June with a reasonable expectation of success depending on the limitations of one’s growling zone.

Sowing

Despite the fact that most seeds get sown in spring, most vegetables can still be sown at the beginning of summer (except things that bolt easily like spinach / lettuce radish) with a reasonable chance of reaching maturity. The heat will ensure good germination - but the catch is moisture. In spring, it is a bit cooler and it tends to rain more often, so the shallow root systems of young seedlings are more able to find water when it is needed. By contrast, in the summer heat, soil can dry out quickly, so watering may be needed every morning and night for seeds to germinate and for seedings to take root. A simple hack - at least for the first 3 or 4 days - is to cover the soil with something like cardboard or a piece of wood, so that the soil stays moist while seeds swells up and sends out their embryonic roots (radicles) into the soil to absorb water. Of course, the soil has to be uncovered in time for seeds to send up their first shoots to gather light or they will die - but when timed properly, this technique can save a few days of tedious watering and ensure more constant moisture levels that could possibly maintained by a couple watering sessions per day.