IN THE GARDEN: Helpful hints for summer

"In the Garden" columnists Martelle Luedecke and father Bill Luedecke offer the following tips for a beautiful, bountiful summer garden:

• In our gardens, we can have two types of insect pests: the ones that chomp away at plants and the ones that suck juices from them. To deter these pests, mow around your garden. Keep your plants healthy with fertilizer and watering. After you have harvested all of the fruits and vegetables from the plant, remove the expired plant, throw it in your compost, or til it into the soil. Leaving the old plant will attract the chompers and suckers.
• Is there a spot of land that you need/want to clean up for fall gardening? Solarize it. Lay down a piece of plastic, secure it with rocks, and let the sun do the work. If it is a small spot, you can use a lawn/leaf trash bag. Underneath the plastic will get hot, like getting into a dark-colored car when you couldn’t find a shady parking spot.
• When watering potted plants, make sure the water is getting to the roots. A good rule of thumb is 3 inches down. You can measure by sticking a wooden ruler into the soil, or a wooden dowel rod or popsicle stick. Water deeply and allow to completely dry to avoid root rot. Then repeat.
• While you have your ruler out, double check the depths of your mulch. Is your mulch 3-4 inches deep? If not, time to add some on the top.
• Prune herbs to encourage growth. For instance, you want to prune your basil before the flowers emerge. Pruning your mints makes for some wonderful sun tea. Isn’t it fun to cut sprigs, place them in water on the kitchen windowsill, and watch them grow? Sure makes the kitchen smell yummy, too.
• Water fruit and nut trees often and deeply to avoid fruit drop-off. Water in the early morning long and deep. Never water in the middle of the day. If you water in the middle of the day in Texas, the water will get hot. You might fry or steam your fruit and nut trees.
• Plant: corn (mid-July), eggplant (transplants), greens (warm season), okra, southern peas, pepper transplants (mid-July), sweet potato slips, pumpkins (through first week of July to be ready for Halloween).
• Have you started composting? With the coming heat, compost materials will break down to a wonderful fertilizer. You can put kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds and filters, the tops of celery, apple cores, orange peels, and crushed eggshells for starters and others like these. Crushed eggshells will cut up the grub worms. Don’t use animal products such as grease or trimmings. Animal products break down SLOWLY and attract all kinds of unwanted varmints. You can also add dry leaves, grass clippings, manure (not dog or cat), sawdust, hay, and hedge clippings. If you are doing a pile, make sure to turn the pile at least once a week. If you are using a tub, rotate often.
• When to harvest your melons. Watermelon has a dull sound when thumped. Watermelons also lose their glossy color when ripe. Honeydew and cantaloupe “ripe signs” are when the end of the fruit not connected to the vine softens. Use your thumbs to push down, it should give a little when ripe. One reason you don’t want to harvest melons too early is because their sweetness, aka sugar content, does not continue after the fruit has been picked from the vine. Melons are delicious in salsas, sorbets, and margaritas.
• Yellow cucumbers will have an intense flavor, so harvest your cucumbers while they are green and just the right size. Add dill and vinegar for pickles. Or, slice and freeze for your water bottle.

Till next time. Keep your souls and soles in your garden! Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1
"In the Garden" is written by daughter-father gardening team Martelle and Bill Luedecke. If you have gardening questions, contact Martelle at 512-769-3179 or luedeckephotography@gmail.com or Bill at 512-577-1463 or bill@texasland.net. Read more "In the Garden" columns in the 101 Lawn & Garden Guide.