9 Things To Prepare Your Garden for Long Summer Heat Days in Whitehall, Michigan

Summer is baking Muskegon, Michigan, extremely hot temperatures right now, and the forecast doesn’t show the heat letting up anytime soon. When you planted your garden earlier this year, you were charmed by the temperate climate of springtime; charmed and fooled, because it was easy to forget, as you happily mulched and raked on a mild 80° day, that very soon that warm sun would turn unbearably hot and the humidity becomes so thick it would prevent proper breathing patterns while pulling a weed. 

Follow these tips (and drink lots of water yourself) and you can keep your garden, and your spirits, from wilting.

Mulch: Mulch is your garden’s best friend. Have Preferred Lawn Care spread about a 2-inch-deep layer of fresh mulch over exposed soil to shield the ground from heat and sun, but also keep weeds from overtaking your garden bed.

Deadhead Your Flowers: Deadheading is pruning, but instead of trimming back dormant branches, you are only removing the spent flowers. Once these spent buds are no longer soaking up energy, the plant can start blooming once again. Annuals and flowering shrubs need year-round deadheading, which you can do with a small pair of garden shears.

Tackle Pests: You are outside enjoying the warmer temperatures and ample sunlight, but so are the insects. While deadheading, look for signs of disease and insect problems. Early detection is best if you want to eradicate the problem and save plants.

Pick Clean: For your vegetable garden, you must pick it clean. That means removing all fruiting plants as soon as they are ready for harvest. Leaving them to over-mature slows your plant’s production. No tools necessary, unless you want gardening gloves to keep your hands from getting dirty.

Water: Water is essential, but how you deliver that water is equally crucial. Do not over soak your lawn, but give it a hearty dose of water a few times per week. Garden plants need an average of 1-inch of water but do so from the ground rather than wetting the plant from above.

Mow Right: Any lawn with cool-season grass, such as ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass, need higher cutting lengths in the summer. Keeping cool seasoned grass short causes it to dry out and brown quickly.

Fertilize: Mid-summer is the perfect time of year to fertilize your garden and lawn.

Pick Up the Right Tools: If your garden shed consists of only a lawnmower, now is the time to get a few more instruments. Essentials like garden spades, shovels, gardening gloves, rakes, trowels, and garden forks are must-have items for any lawn. Starting with these basics, you can then add more accessories, like watering cans, special hoses, and hand tools.

Prepare for Fall Gardening: When summer has already come to an end, it is too late to start your fall garden. In fact, fall gardens are planted in August as summer temperatures start to fade out and your summer vegetables no longer produce a bountiful.

With the right tools and expertise, you can have the garden that everyone in your neighborhood will envy. From the blooming flowers even in the dead summer heat to that pristine, green lawn, you make caring for your yard seem simple.

Keep Up Your Lawn with a Garden Maintenance Service from Preferred Lawn Care

Summer poses its own unique set of maintenance challenges. Not only is the weather hot and dry, but your grass and garden respond differently in summer compared to spring. If you do not have the time, consider using professional garden and lawn care services in Muskegon.

Preferred Lawn Care offers garden maintenance in Muskegon, Michigan to keep your garden lush and vibrant. We do everything from installing sod to fertilizing, lawn seeding, removing trees, and cleaning up your garden.

If you need summer garden services, do not hesitate to contact us here at Preferred Lawn Care.