Summer Update

Heat waves are upon us!

Here in the Maritimes we’ve had unusually hot days. Most vegetables can tolerate the heat but when temperatures go up, up, and up, plants will stop growing and just sort of hold on. At about 32°C, veggies like tomatoes and peppers will abort their fruit. Not only does the heat make your lettuce bolt faster, if you’re trying to save seed, it may affect your seed production and viability as well.

Happy summer & happy harvesting!

So, what should you do in a hot garden? Mulch, mulch, and more mulch! Mulching not only helps retain moisture, it helps keep down the weeds so you don’t have to weed in the heat! Water deeply but less frequently during hot spells. Always water your soil, not your plants. Plants drink from their roots, not their leaves. And ideally, water early in the morning. 6:00 am is a darn good time as it gives your plants a chance to drink up and stay hydrated at the hotest time of the day. Plus, slugs love cool wet places, so watering in the evenings tends to attract even more of these hungry miniature sloths.

When it’s really hot, we recommend staying out of the garden. This will help ensure that you don’t do something you’ll regret in the midst of heat exhaustation. If you feel you must do some garden work, a little rain dance wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Happy summer and happy harvesting,

-Andrea, Ashlea, Suzana

p.s. Our office will be closed July 12th-28th. Orders placed during this time will be shipped out on the week of August 1st.