This year it seems we are seeing a lot of extreme weather events. If it’s not extremely hot, then there is a flash flood or a surprise tropical storm. There are things we can do to protect ourselves from these events, but what about the plants we have in our yards and landscapes?  What can we do for them?

Vegetables need the essentials, those being water and nutrients. So one of the best things we can do for our vegetable gardens is to keep the garden watered. Fruits like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, beans, and anything else that comes from a flower need water in order to grow and develop. If they don’t get enough water as they are trying to swell up then the fruit becomes tough and generally not good to eat.  Plants grown in the ground can be watered every 2 or 3 days, but don’t let the soil get dry or the fruit may crack if we get a heavy rain.

Plants grown in containers outside will need to be watered every day and in some cases two or more times each day.  If the container dries out, it is more difficult to rewet the potting mix.  This goes for plants in raised beds as well. Want the best harvest, keep your plants watered on a regular basis.

Next on the list for vegetable garden care is keeping it harvested. Some crops will grow so fast that if they aren’t harvested every couple of days, they will get too old and become tough to eat. A couple of examples that come to mind are string beans that get super stringy if they are left too long and okra that starts to turn woody after a few days on the plant. Keeping fruit picked often when ripe in the garden allows for tender, tasty vegetables. My suggestion is to get up a few minutes early and harvest the bounty to start the day.