Garden Party
Gardening with
Summer Veg
by Lizabeth Currie Live Nursery Sales Specialist, Lowe’s Lake Wylie
S
ummer is in the air. This means fresh vegetables in our gardens and at the veggie stands on our side roads. Nothing better in the world! But with our gardens, of course, come problems. Here are some tips. If the soil in your vegetable garden has been prepared well with organic fertilizer, you shouldn’t have to fertilize during the growing season. If all plants are producing, leave well enough alone. By overfertilizing, you take the risk of plants to set fewer fruits, not more. The plant will grow well but at the expense of flowers and fruits. Overwatering, just like overfertilizing, is a problem. Rule of thumb for veggies is one inch of water per week, plus another half inch for every 10 degrees above 60. Overwatering can drown out shallow root systems and leach away vital nutrients. If you are not sure if your garden bed is moist enough, dig down about five inches into the soil and see if you can form a ball in the palm of your hands with the soil. If you can, then your soil is sufficiently watered. My grandmother, Mimmie, always said when she harvested veggies to can, it was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the green rainbow. So true! For the best flavors, most vegetables should be harvested when still young and tender. Some of those are beans, cucumbers, squash and okra. Herbs should be harvested throughout the growing season but are most flavorful just before their flowers open. Tomatoes are best ripe, of course, but for those of us who love fried green tomatoes, pick away! If you haven’t tried fried green tomatoes, put it on your to-do list. They are quite addictive. Harvest your veggies early morning; the sugar content is greater when it’s not so hot on your plants. To avoid spreading diseases, do not harvest when plants are wet. When harvesting herbs to dry, do so when they are dry. Wash produce only before using to avoid molding. Most of all, just enjoy all the great vegetables we have available to us. I have mastered Brussels sprouts to where my whole family eats them now. With the right recipe you can get even the pickiest eater to enjoy veggies. LW
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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2018