Saturday, July 23, 2011

Keeping the Celtic Ozark Garden Alive in Summer

Keeping the Celtic Ozark Garden alive in summer is no easy task. In the cool of the morning, I wake up and take a short stroll through the vegetables and flowers that make my life so rich. My heather has long since not been too happy. The heat of the mid west is too much. The thyme, rosemary, and oregano are also struggling a bit. That is why I have these plants in a semi-shaded section of the garden. I water them in the morning, only using water that has been heated by the sun (and cooled some at night).

Cold water straight from the hose can often shock plants, and prohibit natural growth. In addition, and I don't know how scientific this is, but I notice more issues with blossom rot with really cold water. As I go around and water my tomatoes, green peppers, and the like, I also make sure I am not watering the fruit or blossoms, whenever possible. The wear and tear on my back yields less issues with fruit trying to grow in the heat of summer.

At times, we also use cotton muslin, old sheets, or cheese cloth to create a kind of temporary cover for the fruiting plants. The white cloth allows sun to get through, but cuts some of the intensity of the blazing sun. In Missouri and Arkansas this year, we are having record heat, so we have to do extra things to keep the Celtic Ozark Garden alive.

Soon, it will be time for the squash bug to return to the garden, and so we will be watching for them, always watching....always!

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden.

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