Bountea Compost Tea:  This is an important time to support the stressed microbial life in the soil with regular treatments of Bountea every 2-4 weeks.  For tomatoes, peppers and beans add B3 to the Bountea instead of M3.  When you can’t get around to brewing Bountea, pop a SuperFood Plant Tab into your watering can and give those plants a little help.

It’s hot – and I don’t feel like going out into the garden. Last week, I neglected the plants for a couple of days – the runner beans dropped most of their flowers (see last months article), a tomato had blossom-end rot and the cabbages were hanging limp. Just when I wanted to kick back and

relax, the garden needed me most.

Summer is the hardest time to maintain gardening motivation. Much as I love and value my plants, they sometime feel like needy infants demanding attention at the most inconvenient hours. The garden-parent dilemma: how do I balance my personal needs with the needs of those dependent on me?

 

The answer is mostly forethought and routine. Forethought is planning for the inevitable stresses of summer so that they are avoided or minimized.  We all recognize those stresses: overheating, loss of moisture, pests and diseases. I have listed the main ways to ameliorate their impact in the Garden Tasks section above.  

 

Creating and maintaining a routine can be more tricky – yet it is key to maintaining your inner tranquility. The best time to check your garden is early each morning before the sun gets hot. Make it a daily habit to visit your plants and see how they are doing, even if only for a few minutes. This is a time for contemplative action. 

 

As you wander around your garden, enjoy the profusion but also notice which plants are stressed.  Do a little bit of first aid on the spot – a pinch of SuperStart or a watering can with SuperFood works wonders. More time-consuming interventions such as treating with Bountea, shading or mulching may have to wait until the evening or the weekend.  Put those tasks on a mental TO DO list and create space in your life where they fit best.

Inevitably, some plants will sicken and die.  That can cause a bout of frustration and guilt.  Could we have done more or noticed earlier?  Gardening teaches us acceptance of our imperfections and recognition that we cannot ever be totally in control.  In times of failure, strengthen your routine, learn a little more, replant and move on.  

 

Remember – gardening is as much for the soul as it is for the body.  Take care of yourself as well as your garden.   

 

Forward this article to a friend