7 Late Summer Backyard Gardening Tips

With less than a month remaining before the end of summer, these are 7 late summer backyard gardening tips. The suggestions are for things you can do now as well as what to do for future gardening.

1. Adjust Your Expectations

If you expect that everything will turn out perfect when growing a garden, well, this is not really the case. There are going to be a few setbacks and losses. There are times when I was certain that seeds successfully planted indoors will work out and they did not. Other times I did not expect anything at all and received something.

The transition from having your plants inside the home to taking them outside is the most fragile. At this point, if you take them out when they are very small they simply may not make it. You could lose a lot of plants at this time so be prepared for that. 

2. erratic weather

What can I do to protect my plants in the garden during a storm?

Even in August and September it is possible for intense storms to occur. With the weather getting so hot and humid this will bring on unexpected conditions fast. It is happening everywhere around the world and it is not in our hands. There are a lot more factors at play that can completely wipe out our gardens.

One simple rainstorm can damage the fruits of your labour and months of effort you put in to growing your garden in a matter of minutes. This is a risk you have to consider taking.

 

If you know the weather is about to go haywire and have a cover for the vegetables that are planted in pots, put a cover over them to protect them. If they are already out in your garden beds, consider making a temporary tent out of basic tarp to protect your vegetables.

Have the tools available in the case that you need them. If the storm is too strong there is not much we can do but start again. 

3. Expect more animals in your garden

How Do Animals affect my garden in my backyard?

With more food comes more company. The animals in your garden will increase in numbers and they will eat your food. Do not hurt them and push them away. Let them eat a little.

If they are taking over your produce then you will need to add some form of fencing around it. For example, a chicken fence or net to block them from coming in.

If you are gentle and calm there will be rabbits eating in your backyard without running away. There are several Blue Jays in my backyard these days. One just landed in the tree as I am writing. There are so many flying around and chirping. Red cardinals are hanging around as well. In my recent post, animals in your garden, I share the kinds of animals hanging around in my backyard. Some are a pleasure to have and others not as much.

If the animals are hungry you will lose vegetables. This can be a problem for your garden, especially if it is small to begin with. Protect them by applying tip No. 2. 

4. Rotate Your crops each year for better growth

Why should I rotate my crops each year?

For a better growth of vegetables make sure to rotate your garden. If you plant tomatoes in one area one year, do it in another spot the next year.

Grow another vegetable in the place where you first grew the tomatoes, for example. This is going to help your vegetables grow better and stronger.

The rotation helps the soil fertilize better. It also helps prevent pests and insects from taking over as well as to help limit the development of vegetable disease.

5. Seed to Plant

How can I grow my seed to plant to vegetables?

If you cannot get your vegetables from seed to plant by June then there is a chance of it not growing to full. When you are growing your vegetable plants indoors before taking them out it is best to get them strong from the start. Once they are a little bigger and well established there is a greater chance for them to survive, although this is not 100% the case. I did plant some vegetables this year that were full plants and they did not work out. 

6. Diseased Plants

What Can You Do About Diseased Plants?

This is something that may happen without you doing anything to it. Sometimes the plant is already sick and we are not aware of it at the time of planting. Or it could be that the soil is not in good condition in that area.

Perhaps it is an animal that eats into it and it does not grow into fruition. If the soil is not right or something is around your vegetables causing them to get sick then you will end up with diseased plants. 

It will be obvious the plant is not doing well because it is either not growing fully, properly or producing any vegetables.

 

This year I purchased three plants for $10.00. Brussel sprouts, cucumbers and yellow zucchini. The yellow zucchini started off strong and then yesterday I had to let it go.

Early into planting this vegetable an animal bit off one of the stems. From that point the root of the zucchini began to decline and rot. The leaves for this vegetable grew huge as you can see in growing 16 vegetables, herbs and fruit in the city.

However, after some time, half of the plant started to wither away. This is the side that is closest to the root. Anything can happen not by your hands, which can cause losing vegetables.

For the Brussels sprouts, this plant was pulled out by an animal within a week of planting so this went to waste.

It goes to show that even if you buy plants that are well established and you put them in your garden, they may or may not work out. This is a good reason why it is best to try it on your own and work with produce bought seeds, depending on how easy they are to grow.

Fortunately the cucumber is coming along nicely. In the end, you will win some and lose some. Next year I will plant the vegetables a little deeper as they may not have been rooted properly.

In 2023 there will be a nutrient rich compost as the compost bin is currently  breaking down. Additionally I can add some kind of net cover next year to help prevent animals from digging it and pulling out or biting my food.

7. Pick Off Your Harvest

Why Should I pick off my harvest sooner?

Pick off your harvest once they grow to full size to promote more growth. They now have room to flower and bring more vegetables. If you want to save some food before a storm that are ready to be picked off, pick them off first before protecting the rest of them. For example, when tomatoes are green, you can pick them off sooner and bring them inside. Let them sit out for a few days and they will turn red. Then you can use them in your meals.

As of now I have picked up peppermint, spearmint, a cucumber, several collard leaves, celery leaves, rosemary, oregano and some kidney beans.

The strawberry roots are in the ground. They will likely come out next year or in 2024.

Hopefully these 7 late summer backyard gardening tips help you grow vegetables successfully in the city.

September 1, 2022