by Connie Oswald Stofko
Don’t let this happen to you!
My husband and I were out of town this past week. We weren’t away long, just a few days.
We took a taxi from the airport, and as we pulled up to our house, the driver pointed to my hanging basket of calibrachoa.
“I just bought one of those,” he said. “How long do they live?”
“They will flower all summer,” I said, then glanced up, horrified to see my plant looking nearly dead. Hoping I was right, I assured the driver that the plant would come back after I watered it. (I was right, and the plant did spring back quickly.)
Tip #1: When you ask your wonderful neighbor to bring in your mail, also ask them to water new plants.
As soon as I got out of the taxi, I rushed around to check on other plants that I had just installed in garden beds and containers.
Some of the perennials in the garden beds were wilted, but most are coming back well. The only ones still struggling were plants in my front garden. I planted them a few weeks ago on a rainy day, then forgot about them–they were the only plants in that bed that needed watering.
Tip #2: Don’t forget any of your plants. (Duh! Help me, readers! How do you make sure you haven’t overlooked any plants? What are your suggestions? Or am I the only one this has happened to? Please leave a comment below.)
It’s no surprise that the plants that suffered the most were the ones that hadn’t even been transplanted into proper containers yet. (A plant company had sent them to me and I didn’t have time to plant them before our trip.) Most of those pulled through, but they may not be as strong as they might have been if they hadn’t been exposed to such harsh conditions. (Yes, plants can suffer in summer weather as well as winter weather.)
Tip #3: Make time to get your new plants into a garden bed or proper container. Or, when you buy plants, buy only as many as you can transplant within a couple of days.
A nice surprise was how well my tomatoes, zucchini and peppers did. Not only were the plants thriving when we got home, they were bigger than they had been when we left.
Tip #4: Create a mini-greenhouse for the tender vegetables. Put a tomato cage over the plant and slip a large plastic bag over the cage. The bag should be clear or translucent. Use a few rocks on the the bottom of the bag to keep it from blowing away. The bag worked well at keeping moisture in the soil.
Keeping the soil moist wasn’t my aim in setting up the mini-greenhouses. When I was given these plants, I knew the nights would still be cool, and having tender vegetable plants outside when the weather is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit overnight can slow down their growth. I wanted something to keep the plant warm at night and during cool days. That seems to have worked well.
Note: Don’t use this mini-greenhouse when the days are hot; that can raise the temperature too high for the plants.
Tip #5: Don’t skip watering just because the weather forecast says there might be rain. To figure out whether you need to water your garden or a container, stick your finger down into the soil to see if there is enough water at the roots. If the soil feels moist, you don’t have to water.
If the forecast says there’s a 70 percent chance of rain, that means there’s a 30 percent chance it won’t rain. Put another way, when there’s a forecast of 70 percent chance of rain, three times out of ten it won’t rain. Plus, it may rain somewhere in Western New York, but not in your yard. Or it may rain on your garden, but not enough to reach the roots of your plants. If the soil feels dry, water it.
Bonus Tip: For the next few days, the weather may continue to be hot, dry and breezy. Even your established perennials probably need water. Check on them.
What gardening tips do you have for early summer in Western New York? Please leave a comment below.
Hi David, people from other areas think Buffalo is always cold. I think the best way to describe Western New York weather is changeable.
Great ideas for our unpredictable weather!
Great idea, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing.
Great article Connie. We all need reminders and ideas for growing great plants. I do the same as Lyn by putting a large plastic pot over the plant. Then when it is established, I cut off the bottom of the pot and place it over the plant to protect it from critters till it gets larger.
Pam, that’s a great plan. Thanks for sharing!
In our large yard with many trees and perennials I try to keep ahead of dry spells. I have a rotation plan for our sprinkler – 3 sections on each side back to front – each section 2-3 hours, every 2nd or 3rd day. By the time I finish the rotation, if no rain, I start again. Emphasis on watering earlier and later in the day – try to avoid the hottest, sunniest times as much of the water just evaporates. Nothing can replace a solid day of steady rain though!
Lyn, I hadn’t heard of that before. Thanks.
Kate, that’s great! Thanks for all those tips.
Linda, that’s an excellent suggestion. The soil is really dry now.
Margaret, that’s brilliant! I will have to do that for myself.
Covering/shading a newly planted annual or perennial for a few days really helps cut down on transplant shock on these sunny, hot days. Use a box or large pot to cover them. It makes a huge difference.
We put the front garden soaker hoses on a timer, so this sunny spot gets watered every couple days. The shady back yard has a path from bed to pot to bed. I replaced an often- neglected hanging pot on the side of the house with wind chimes.
If you haven’t already put your plants into the ground, here’s tip to give them a bit of a head start: when you dig your planting hole, fill it with water, let it soak in , then put that baby into the pre-moistened soil.
Before I went away for a five day trip, I took my husband on a tour of the garden and showed him what would need watering. We placed an orange flag, like you use to mark underground utilities, with each plant. He didn’t miss a single one. He did neglect to water a pot of nepeta. No flag, my bad.
That’s the attitude! Thanks for sharing, Maxine.
All true! We just replaced our old maple tree and its copious canopy, with a new tree. The garden around the tree begged for new plants! However, new plants in stressed soils with wood chips from old maple roots and more summer sunshine without spring rains, means a lot more watering than we anticipated. But these are challenges to remember in January 2024. All good!