Last weekend (6/46-27) we had record-breaking heat for June. In Southern California June usually brings with it morning fog that burns off mid-day. We used to call it June-gloom… used to that is until our new weather pattern set in (I refuse to say we are having a draught!) for good it seems. Now we have two seasons Hot and dry and cool and dry. So what is a gardener to do? Last weekend I watched as my poor garden was being burnt to a crisp! Our back yard garden has its own climate zone, it is hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter. FORTUNATELY my hubby had finished the trellis system the weekend before and I happened to have some shade cloth left over from last summer’s scorching heat. So the garden only suffered a few scorched leaves-no plants were lost… so far :0P
Another way to beat the summer heat in the garden is to mulch as heavily as the plants will tolerate. I put a layer of mulch followed by a layer of woodchips. Mulching helps keep the ground temperature cooler and prevents evaporation of precious water. The cooler ground temperature keeps the roots cooler and helps the plant deal with heat stress.
Although some gardeners would suggest planting further apart to prevent plants from competing for water, I disagree for the following reasons the first is that the less exposed ground there is around a plant, the cooler the ground is and less evaporation occurs. Secondly when plants are planted closer together they tend to shade out the weeds which also compete for water and nutrients.
