The Latest Dirt - July 2024

News From Our Garden

Oh, the glory of a beautiful summer garden – and this year, if I dare say it, Our Garden looks better than ever! I always feel that a successful garden comes from a healthy mix of tried-and-true best cultural practices, a science-based approach to fertilizing and treating insects and diseases, weather, weather, weather, and then a little bit of magic. I think we’ve been given a little extra dose of magic this year – the garden is lush, green and thriving even through the brutal 100+ degree days. We are grateful for the magic, but here’s a quick look at the other elements added to this season’s efforts.

First, as for cultural practices, we continue to observe our no-till/low-till approach to bed prep. No-till minimizes soil disruption, which compacts the soil and destroys the pathways that channel air and water through the soil. In addition to disturbing soil structure, tilling disrupts the microorganisms and other soil dwellers living in the top couple of inches, which is essential for soil and plant health. We are in our fourth year of no-till, and the results are terrific. Secondly, after planting, we mulch all beds with rice straw to minimize evaporation and keep soil temperatures, and hence plant roots, cooler when temperature rises. In comparing soil temperatures between mulched and non-mulched garden beds, we recorded a difference of up to 20 degrees – 85 degrees for a mulched bed and 105 degrees for a non-mulched bed. For summer crops 85, 85-degree soil is a happy place, but at 105, the plants become stressed and will quickly show signs of decline. Thirdly, we use our drip irrigation method to water deeply but infrequently, encouraging deep root growth and a long-lasting water source even during a prolonged heatwave.

This year, we added a couple of things to our fertilizing regimen. Our clay soils tend to be quite rich in most macro and micronutrients. What’s missing most often is nitrogen. To help with that, we have begun adding blood meal at the time of bed prep, and with our heavy feeders (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants), we also add a couple of tablespoons to the planting hole. We’ve had excellent results from this small change. Secondly, we do supplemental feeding every two weeks with a soil drench of diluted fish emulsion. The plants are more vigorous and started producing earlier than in years past.

Fortunately, we have not had an extensive insect problem this year, although we are beginning to see aphids on our pepper plants. The good news is that you can see wasps parasitizing them, so that is taking care of some of them. Beyond that, we’ve been washing them off with water, and then, in the evening after the sun has retreated, we’ve applied Stylet oil to smother the remaining pests.

Other than this recent heatwave, the weather, mercifully, has been quite cooperative this year. That leaves the magic. Part of this year’s magic has been all the new Master Gardeners that have joined the Our Garden crew. We’ve had record numbers of volunteers showing up each workday, allowing us to stay on top of everything from pruning and tying up tomatoes to weeding, fertilizing, and even taking care of the ornamental gardens outside the fence. With the addition of new people, we’ve taken to doing short training sessions in the mornings, which helps to keep us all focused and organized. We’re not only growing a garden; we’re growing gardeners. Magic!