10 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Summer
A ripe summer fig
I have not historically been an organised or timely person.
In fact, even that’s too generous a statement.
As a 5 year old, my mum tells me I would regularly get confused between the concepts ‘tomorrow’ and ‘yesterday’. At 7, I routinely forgot whether I was eating recess or lunch, I was late to school every single day, I never knew whether it was Monday or Friday and I had to be bribed to bother to learn to tell the time off an analog clock (what can I say, I’m a digital girl).
In high school, I improved slightly. I could now tell the difference between morning tea and lunch (in other words, I managed to learn to remember if I had already eaten earlier in the day; a sizeable feat) but I never actually knew what time either of those events started or ended and I essentially floated through the day as you might see a mote of sand float, suspended, through a mighty ocean.
In other words, I’m no good with time. But look, it’s entirely possible that we live in a block universe (a universe in which time exists as a static, physical constant, and rather than time passing by us, we are moving through it). In which case, the passage of time is merely a psychological construct that we have evolved to experience in order to run away from predators, secure food and find mates, and it’s not actually my fault if I can’t seem to fully grasp the difference between past and future. But I am getting carried away.
I may not be great with time, but after over a decade of shouldering the responsibility of something akin to adulthood (ha!) I can say with confidence that I have greatly improved. So much so that - look at me!!! - here I am in October helping you prepare your spring garden for summer!!!
That’s unheard of!!
That is a degree of preparedness that you wouldn’t even expect from a soldier readying herself for battle! I’m very proud. And, more to the point, I am very pleased to be able to offer you my 10 recommendations for things you can do now (in October no less!!!!) to prepare your garden for summer.
A freshly picked corn cob
1. Sow summer vegetable seeds
It might feel unreasonably early to start thinking about tomatoes, chillies, eggplants and sunflowers. But, happily, it’s not! Over time, all gardeners (even those among us who seem to have only the weakest awareness of hours and days) learn to start thinking one season ahead. Without forward thinking, by the time it ‘feels like’ tomato season it already IS tomato season, and you’ll be jealously eyeing off the harvests of other gardeners while staring fixedly at your own newly-planted summer seedlings, willing them to grow faster.
Like all living things, plants have an internal clock. Which means you can’t will a plant, heat a plant, fertilise a plant or otherwise goad a plant into maturing any faster than it’s naturally going to. For instance, many varieties of cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and chillies take about 10-12 weeks from seed to harvest. So, to enjoy the first wave of summer tomatoes, chillies and corn, get them in the ground in early spring.
The only thing to be aware of when sowing your summer seeds is that some varieties (often plants in the nightshade family - like chillies, tomatoes and capsicums) need the soil to reach a certain temperature (at least 18˚C, sometimes warmer) to germinate successfully. So if you live in a frosty area it’s wise to delay sowing these seeds until you feel that last pinch of winter evaporating. To help plants along with their germination, you can pop them in a sunny spot to increase the temperature of the soil (just make sure not to let the soil dry out).
Potted variegated mint
A green tomato
2. Sow summer herbs
Just like our summer veggies, it’s a good idea to start your summer herbs in springtime to ensure you get a nice long harvest. Things like basil, parsley and oregano can all be sown once the weather starts to warm up. I like to grow herbs like oregano, thyme and marjoram in terracotta pots (it helps me to control the moisture in the soil and make sure they don’t get ‘wet feet’ which can help them survive through winter), and I sow basil and parsley direct where I want them to grow.
A few other tips about summer herbs - don’t pull them out before they flower and set seed! Otherwise you’re missing half the fun. Herbs that go to flower have gotten a lot of bad press lately (e.g., we talk about coriander ‘bolting’ like it’s a bad thing), but the truth is, flowering and setting seed is just another wonderful part of the plants’ life cycle that a gardener can enjoy! Flowering herbs are a fantastic way to attract pollinators to your patch, and if you collect the seeds that form afterwards, you can enjoy another whole year of seed sowing and herb growing for free!
One thing, though, it’s a good idea to pick the flowers off your basil plants until the end of the season (usually late summer), when you can let the flowers bloom and the seeds form. Removing the basil flowers at the start of summer helps extend the life of the basil plant, meaning you can pick and eat more basil before the plant finishes for the summer.
A patch of sweetcorn
3. Locate self-sown seedlings
Another bonus of letting your plants flower and set seed is that you’ll increasingly start to discover surprise self-sown seedlings around your garden! I think this is one of the most amazing and rewarding aspects of gardening, because the garden is creating something entirely on its own. Like a gift. It makes gardening feel collaborative, rather than a one-sided venture and it’s the most exciting thing spotting a rogue parsley popping up between the cracks in a garden path, determinedly growing; uninvited and proud.
The reason to look for self-sown seedlings in spring is that this is often your last opportunity to safely shift them without shocking them into an untimely death. Once the hot, dry summer arrives you want to aim to keep your transplanting to a minimum. Teeny seedlings - even the self sown ones - are more fragile and vulnerable than established plants, so shift them in the early morning or late afternoon, water them well, and avoid moving them once the weather gets really hot.
The late summer garden
4. Pot on or split up plants that have outgrown their pots
As a general rule of thumb you should avoid making any of your plants more vulnerable or stressed once summer arrives. Transplanting and dividing plants often gives them a bit of a shock, so it’s best avoided in summer. In spring and autumn the weather is usually mild enough that the plants will recover (in fact, the cooler days and slightly warmer soil in spring and autumn makes these seasons a good time to transplant new plants). So, spring is the time to ‘pot on’ (i.e., shift from a small pot into a bigger pot) and divide your plants before the hot, dry weather arrives. Also check for any plants that are on the verge of outgrowing their pots - upgrade these to bigger pots before summer so that they don’t become root bound and dry out.
5. Plant trees
While we’re on the subject of avoiding stressing out plants, get any new trees in the ground during spring so that they have time to start establishing themselves before summer arrives. While established trees are often quite tolerant to a bit of hot, dry weather, newly planted trees are much more vulnerable (they need some time to spread their roots and learn to seek out new sources of water in the soil). Get them in the ground now and they’ll have a better chance of making it once the hot weather arrives. And, for their first two years, make an extra effort to keep them well-watered through summer.
If you’re looking to add some new trees to your garden, some of the best fruit trees for small gardens (and also bigger gardens too) are: Meyer lemons, Eureka lemons, Tahitian limes, blood oranges, finger limes, dwarf apples and pears, bay trees, curry leaf trees as well as tropical trees like mangoes, papayas and bananas. If you’re working with a really small garden, many of these can be grown successfully in large pots too - especially the citrus.
A fresh nectarine - one of my favourite summer fruits!
Peaches are another fantastic summer fruit that you can grow at home
6. Make any final structural changes before things get too hot
Gardening should be fun. You know what’s not fun? Getting totally sunburned and exhausted trying to lay bricks, make garden beds, build walls, erect trellises and various other structural, high-energy tasks in the height of summer. Actually, ok sometimes that is kind of fun. But it’s infinitely wiser to attempt these structural changes in spring. The weather is pleasant but not hot, the sun is out but not overly blistering and you are at significantly less risk of accidentally heatstroke if you do the big garden renovations in spring.
Take a walk around your garden and determine whether there are any last structural/layout changes you’d like to make before it heats up. Your summer self - lounging blissfully in a hammock, sipping a cocktail from a coconut and free from digging, building or bricklaying - will thank you.
7. Check your reticulation & look for dry patches of garden
If you really want to be prepared for summer, do as I say (not as I do) and check your reticulation for dry patches and broken fittings in springtime. Once summer arrives, by the time you realise something is getting missed by the sprinklers it’s often too late. Crispy plant death ensues. Checking and repairing your Retic in spring will save you a lot of heartache and frustration in summer!
Once the weather gets really hot and dry you’ll probably need to do some extra hand watering in between Retic days. The best time of day to water your garden in summer is always the early morning (so aim to set your reticulation to start then, too). Watering in the morning ensures that your plants get a good drink while it’s still cool(er), meaning the water doesn’t just instantly evaporate from the hot soil. It also means the water droplets on the plants’ leaves can evaporate before being hit directly by the sun (some plants can get leaf burn if watered at midday because the water droplets magnify the sun’s rays as they hit their leaves).
Finally, if you’re growing things like tomatoes, hollyhocks and other plants that are susceptible to fungal diseases like rust or blight, set up your Retic and hand watering so that the soil is watered at the base of the plant, not the plant itself. This can help reduce the incidence of fungal diseases, giving you healthier plants without resorting to fungicides. Drip irrigation works especially well, as does gentle hand watering at the base of the plant.
Our pond - build things like ponds in autumn or spring, before the weather really heats up
8. Add manure to garden beds (especially your vegetable garden)
Spring is the time for soil improvement! Actually, anytime is a good time for soil improvement - most places in the world our soil could always do with improvement, and nowhere is this more true than sandy, coastal Perth. The fact is, lugging cow dung around the place is never the most satisfying garden job, but it’s infinitely better doing it on a cool morning in early spring than a sweaty afternoon in mid summer. So do it ASAP!
Summer veggies also tend to require lots of nutrients to perform their best. The best soil for a vegetable garden is nutrient rich and retains moisture, so it’s a good idea to try to boost your soil as much as possible before planting your summer veg into it. If you’re using raised beds, soil improvement is extra important. Raised garden beds are more prone to drying out in hot weather, and (if planted with heavy-feeding veggies) they can be quickly depleted of nutrients. Adding plenty of manure in spring will help set these beds up to feed you with delicious veggies through summer.
9. Mulch everything!!!
The summer garden is a rough and ragged beast. And that is never more true than when you are attempting to grow a summer garden in Australia. Australian summers are hot, dry, blistering things, and without a certain level of preparation they can take you - and your plants - entirely by surprise.
That’s why spring is the time to mulch. Mulch acts like a layer of sunscreen on our gardens, shielding the precious topsoil underneath from the sun’s harsh rays. This helps protect the microbiome living in the soil and maintains soil health even as things heat up. If you’re only going to mulch once a year (and I really recommend that you don’t only mulch once a year), make sure to mulch in spring. And you can also check out my guide to gardening in Perth where I discuss the different kinds of mulch you can choose from and which I think is the best mulch for a sandy Perth garden.
Pick your favourite shady spot in the garden and set up a spot to relax & unwind
The Bloody Mary - a quintessential summer cocktail!
10. Find a shady spot to retreat to
Summer might be a challenging time in our gardens but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be out there enjoying them. When it’s too hot to work and you’ve done all your garden prep in spring, the best thing to do in your summer garden is: relax in it. Abandon the obligation to work, try to relax into the sprawling, tangled wilderness that emerges halfway through spring, embrace the heat and swelter and just hang out with your plants.
It’s really easy to stress out in summer - I routinely do it. I convince myself that I’ve forgotten how to be a good gardener because everything seems to be running wild, turning to a crisp or wilting in the midday sun. Remember that gardening in Australia in summer is hard. It’s challenging for everyone and the best thing you can do - my biggest summer gardening tip - is to make yourself a tasty cocktail (or perhaps some kind of indulgent cheese board?!), pat yourself on the back for all the work you’ve done in your garden through the rest of the year, wait for the sea breeze to hit your warm face and enjoy it.