The Neighborhood Gardener –
Wendy's Wanderings
July 10, 2015
Whew!
Is it too hot to garden? Many Master Gardener volunteers pick their gardening time very carefully in the heat of the summer. They sneak out in the early morning hours to pull weeds or harvest heat-tolerant edibles like okra, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Other MG's choose to venture out after the sun goes down to prune shrubs or mow the lawn.
Floridian gardeners have to be as heat tolerant as our plants and come up with our own summertime coping techniques. I have been known to give flashlight tours of my garden to beat the heat.
Summer is Florida's rainy season, and this effects our irrigation. Check the forecast to make sure you aren't irrigating on top of rain and use your rain gauge to determine how much irrigation water you need to apply, if any at all.
Master Gardener volunteers can model water conservation techniques to their neighbors and friends. If they know you are an MG, I guarantee you they are watching to see what you do in your landscape. Try to set a good example by following watering restrictions for day and time and by irrigating the correct amount of ½ to ¾ of an inch per irrigation.
For great weather information remember to visit FAWN (Florida Automated Weather Network) for updated forecast and weather information for local stations across the whole state. This website has the latest radar, as well as rainfall totals, temperatures highs and lows, archived weather data, and more.
FAWN is a powerful weather tool that we sometimes forget is right there at our fingertips. Check it out yourself and be sure to share it with your friends. They will be impressed with IFAS's weather site.
In these hot summer days, stay cool, avoid the thunderstorms, and if you see someone in their yard in the dead of night with a flashlight, it's probably just me deadheading the pentas.
-- Wendy Wilber
