Summertime in Tennessee will be HOT. No doubt about it! We frequently get into the upper 90’s and sometimes it can last for several days in a row. You need a plan for your garden to deal with the hot temperatures. Most warm season plants that you grow will do fine with a few basic techniques for dealing with the summer heat that quite frankly, you should be doing anyway!
Mulching the Garden is Essential
You should be putting a layer of mulch down to cover the bare soil in your garden. Mulch does several things: mulch lessens the rate of evaporation, mulch keeps the soil cooler, it prevents weed growth, and mulch increases the organic matter in the soil.
Obviously one of the biggest issues with heat is keeping your plants watered properly and preventing evaporation is important. A good layer of mulch will cover the soil and will prevent water from leaving the top layers of soil too quickly, which in turn prevents the lower levels of soil from losing water. Mulch protects the soil from the sun and keeps the soil temperature cooler. Many plants have ideal temperatures for growth. Tomatoes don’t like temperatures above 94 or 95 degrees (F) so keeping the soil cool will help tomato plants to keep growing. Some good economical mulch options are straw, wood chips, and grass clippings.
There are lots of options for mulch. I generally use grass clippings but natural chipped mulch (not dyed), straw, and pine straw are also good options. Weed control fabric can serve as well for cover and weed prevention but does not break down in the soil can cannot help as an amendment.
The Purpose Behind Mulching a Garden
When you apply mulch to your garden you also help prevent weed growth. Weeds can take up nutrients and water from the plants you want to grow. Weeds will happen anyway so pull the weeds and drop the weeds on top of the mulch so that the dying weeds can serve as additional mulch. (I wouldn’t recommend doing that if it is a highly invasive weed like Bermuda grass.)
Organic Mulches Break Down Over Time and That’s a Good Thing!
Organic mulches will also help to feed the soil by providing organic matter. I like to use grass clippings from our yard in the garden as a mulch. I take a bagging mower when I need mulch, collect grass clippings from the yard, and lay a light layer of mulch over the garden. When done at a regular basis this protects the soil and provides plenty of free organic matter to help my garden along. Check out this video on Grass Clippings to see more of what I like to do for my garden.
Water the Garden Properly
Water the garden is sometimes a confusing topic but it really shouldn’t be. The absolute best time to water is in the morning before the day gets started. The next best time would be in the evening but if your plants are suffering in the heat of the day go ahead and water. Don’t wait for just the right time when your plants need water right away.
Water Deeply
Watering should be done deeply and focus on the soil at the base of the plant. By watering for longer periods of time less frequently the water soaks into the deeper layers of soil. That water will be available later for plants to stretch to and absorb which encourages deeper root systems. Those deeper root systems are better for collecting water during hot summer conditions and also better for nutrient absorption. You are accomplishing two tasks at the same time by properly watering!
Water the Base of The Plant, Not the Leaves
Heat and water can provide an environment suitable for fungal growth so avoid watering on the leaves if at all possible. I generally will water and the base of the plant. This isn’t as critical if watering is done in the morning as it gives the water time to evaporate. Watering in the evening can provide more of an opportunity for fungal diseases as the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly and the temperatures are still warm, and that’s what fungal growth likes.
Best Garden Watering Practices
- Water in the morning to allow the plants to absorb water before the heat of the day. This also reduces fungal issues as the water dries off of foliage better than watering at night.
- Water Deeply to encourage roots to grow deeper and stronger.
- Water at the base of the plant. Keep the water in the soil to minimize fungal issues that occur due to a combination of moisture and heat.
Should You Cover Garden Plants in the Summer?
I saw this question pop up in a Facebook group recently. By and large the answer from the commenters was this is Tennessee, you don’t need to cover your plants they can deal with the heat. This is absolutely true BUT what if you covered your tomato plants to keep the temperature down a couple degrees? You may be able to continue plant growth and fruit production if you protect your tomato plants at the highest temperatures.
I hope these techniques help you to get your garden through the heat of the summer days ahead. With proper watering and good soil protection from mulch you should be able to keep your garden healthy and happy through the hottest days of the year! Feel free to share this post with anyone who may find it useful. Happy Gardening!
