You should finally be safe to plant your summer garden now in Oklahoma. With the extended cold temperatures, it has taken a little longer to get plants in the ground than in years past.
All of our homes in Belleau Wood, Carrington Lakes, Valencia and the Ranches have perfect backyards to plant a garden in. Here are some things to consider:
- Do you have enough sun exposure? Vegetables love the sun. They need at least 6 hours of full sun every day, and preferably 8.
- Know your soil. Most soil can be enriched with compost and be fine for planting, but some soil needs more help. Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Check with your local nursery or local cooperative extension office about free soil test kits so that you can assess your soil type.
- Placement is everything. Avoid planting too near a tree, which will steal nutrients and shade the garden. In addition, a garden too close to the house will help to discourage animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
- Decide between tilling and a raised bed. If you have poor soil or a bad back, a raised bed built with non pressure-treated wood offers many benefits.
- Vegetables need lots of water, at least 1 inch of water a week.
- You'll need some basic planting tools. These are the essentials: spade, garden fork, soaking hose, hoe, hand weeder, and wheelbarrow (or bucket) for moving around mulch or soil. It's worth paying a bit extra for quality tools.
- Study those seed catalogs and order early.
HAPPY PLANTING!!
When the thermostat outside is over 90 degrees, most garden plants, lawns, flowers, and veggies can tend to shut down. What is a homeowner to do? Here are some tips we have found that help make our yards in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, The Ranches, and Belleau Wood look their best!
- Choose Plants Wisely: Some plants are more heat tolerant than others!
- Water: Resist the urge to over water or soak your plants until they're soggy. You should only give your lawn and garden a inch at a time. If it is hot and dry water more often but do not increase the amount.
- Garden Pests- Spider mites are a problem in hot weather. Make sure you keep the leaves of your plants wet to discourage them!
- Weeds- No matter how hot is gets, weeds are always a problem! Sorry, you will need to keep weeding your flower beds and lawn.
- Containers- Remember to keep watering them! You can always move them to shadier locations as the temperature rises.
- Mulch- Add more mulch if needed. It is a great product to keep the soil cooler and helps to hold the moisture. Choose well composted mulches in hot weather rather than fresh manure or grass clippings.
After you have worked in the yard don't forget to take care of yourself! Find a swimming pool and relax. I can tell you our pools at Valencia and Carrington Lakes continue to be a popular place no matter how hot it gets!
