Wimberley Summer Gardening 2023
Summer gardening weather is upon us, and the see-saw between breezy, rainy weather and blazing hot afternoons will likely continue for a while. Texas Hill Country gardeners shift gears from planning and planting to maintaining and nurturing this month. Summer gardening in Wimberley, Texas, is all about battling the extreme heat to come during the next several months. Many of our vegetables will bear their first harvest, and we should enjoy perfect growing conditions for our favorite plants. Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and others will fill our tables. Plus, nearly all the other veggies will soon follow. Some garden plants thrive under the influence of sustained summer heat. Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and watermelons will get over their occasional bouts with early blight and get on with full-scale fruit production. Hibiscus, vitex, bougainvilleas, roses, periwinkles, and other summer gardening plants should see accelerated blooming cycles and growth spurts.
Great Summer Plants
- Hibiscus Flowers
- Pride Of Barbados
- Vitex Shrub and Trees
- Bougainvilleas Vines
- Roses – Available In Our Garden Center
- Periwinkles
Some of our favorite native perennials and shrubs
took a hit this past winter. You and others in Wimberley also saw their trees damaged from February’s ice storm. However, most of the trees are now recovering and should be on track for a great growing year. Especially with our spring rains and mild temperatures. Some perennials had to start all over from buds damaged in our hard freezes, but most have recovered and are on their way to a productive and beautiful year.
Mosquito Repellent Plants At The Store June 2023
Basil (several types)
Lavender (several types)
Mint (several types)
Marigolds (different colors)
Lemon Grass
Rosemary (several types and sizes)
Lantana (several colors)
Natural Summer Fertilizer
Don’t wait for your plants to get the summertime blues before you give them a little boost. Besides regular feeding, homemade plant tonics can supplement your feeding with a few extra nutritional goodies. I especially like to use compost tea, which is easier to make than you might realize. You only need a heaping shovel full of well-rotted compost in a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. Add a couple of tablespoons of molasses and seaweed extract and stir vigorously several times for a day or two. Strain the bucket and use it for spraying or watering to perk up everything in your garden. Deep root drenching with this tea will perk up tired plants, and foliar sprays can boost activity, while discouraging many insects and
diseases.
Mulch Before Summer Starts
Mulch is material that is placed on top of the ground around plants to help moderate soil temperature, hold down the growth of competing weeds, and help retain valuable soil moisture. It is one of the best things you can do for your garden and yourself. It will increase yields and improve the appearance of your garden as well! At King Feed and Hardware, you can find several different types of mulch for your garden.
Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as fertilizer and to improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Most commonly prepared by mixing decomposing plant and food waste, recycled organic materials, and manure, it is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi. Compost provides nutrients to crops acts as a soil conditioner, increases the humus or humic acid contents of the soil, and introduces beneficial microbes that help to suppress pathogens in the soil and reduce soil borne diseases. It can be mixed into the soil or top-dressed.
Summer Garden Watering Tips
We recommend that you water your plants early in the day during summer gardening. Watering your plant early helps ensure water is available to them through the heat of the day. It also helps to not have the leaves wet during their overnight sleep. Watering deeply and less often will encourage deeper root growth and more vigorous heat tolerance. Instead of spraying the leaves, you should soak the roots of the plant. Giving ample attention to the safety of gardeners themselves while working in the Texas summer heat is critical. Hydration before and during your time in the garden is very important as is protection from dehydration. Take rest breaks in the shade for more water, and do your work in the morning, when temperatures are more people-friendly, if possible. You’ll be glad you did. Also: Thanks to my Scandinavian heritage and my dermatologist, trust me on the sunscreen!
Quite a few avid gardeners become bird lovers as well. Whether it’s because both activities call for spending a lot of time outdoors or more related to birders’ and gardeners’ love and appreciation of Nature, they are passions that go well together. As a boy, I spent quite a bit of time in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near our home and have many fond memories of my time there. Fortunately, Wimberley has a wonderful birding community, and I can personally recommend its Patsy Glenn Refuge just behind the community center. Happy gardening and birding!
