Along with sunlight, proper watering is the most important attribute to any healthy garden. Every plant type has a specific taste for water, some are more thirsty than others. So, the first step is to determine how much water each plant in your garden requires. Take a look at the container your seeds or plant came in, it should tell you the amount of water it requires. If you lost the original packaging, a quick google should point you in the right direction. The amount of water you give to your plant will result in different sized fruits and veggies. For example, the more water you give your tomatoes the larger they will become, but this sacrifices flavor. Conversely, the less you water your peppers, the spicier they become. Most plants like a happy medium, a moist soil; not too soggy and not too dry. Once you determine how much water each plant needs, try to water in the morning, avoid wetting leaves, and make sure to water the soil evenly! When it is hot and leaves begin to wilt, you will most likely need to water your plant twice or more thoroughly to ensure the water is reaching the roots. When watering, avoid watering the leaves of plants as this could encourage disease growth. It’s best to water your plants in the morning, as excess moisture will evaporate.

Mulch is an all-around great addition to any garden for any season. Mulch can be made out of a variety of substances: bark, sawdust, shredded leaves, etc. Mulch discourages weed growth, conserves moisture in soil, maintains proper temperature, and can enhance the look of your garden by offering a color contrast. Apply 2-4 inches of mulch around your garden plants. Make sure to weed and water deeply before applying. In addition to mulch, fertilizers will promote strong growth and can reduce susceptibility to disease. Buy organic fertilizers from a local supplier, no one wants unhealthy chemicals in their plants! You can buy specific ‘plant foods’ or all-around fertilizers, but try to start out with only half of the suggested amount as too much fertilizer can cause stress to plants. Finally, pests will always cause problems for gardeners. If you are experiencing harmful bugs or other pests, consider buying or making an organic pest control. A variety of homemade pest controls can be found here.

‘Weeds’ is a broad term for plants that are out of place, growing where it is unwanted, and often out-compete desirable plants. They are a problem because they usually produce rapidly and are adapted to thrive in your local environment, usually killing many native or garden plants. There are many ways to get rid of weeds: utilize mulch, applying herbicide, potting plants, and manually hand pulling weeds. Typically, you want to weed by hand first and use herbicides as a last resort. When weeding, make sure you are pulling out the roots too.

Dead flowers don’t look good and they don’t serve a helpful purpose for your plants. Remove faded flowers or seed pods from plants and they will soon grow back to look pristine! Don’t be afraid to trim your herbs. Trimming herbs regularly will supply you with fresh food and will encourage them to grow new leaves as long as possible.  Crops like zucchini will stay in high production if you harvest regularly and don’t allow fruits to overmature on the plants.

While some plants, like tomatoes, thrive in extended exposure to sunlight, other summer plants only require a few hours of sunlight a day. Regardless, if you live in desert-like conditions or if your home lacks natural shade, then you will want to set up a shade net or move them to an area of your house that will be shaded for a portion of the day. If the temperature constantly reaches over 90 degrees, then even your tomatoes will need some relief from the sun’s rays. Shade covers should be lightweight and light-colored so sunlight will reflect and your shade netting will be easy to move once it cools down. Purchasable shade cloths typically are knitted or woven made that can block anywhere from 5% to 95% of sunlight. Use a shade cover if you notice your plants wilt (~over 90 degrees) and take it down when it cools down.