How to Maintain the Zone 3-4 Mid-Season Garden
zone 3-4 garden
How long is your gardening season? Do you know your climate zone? Knowing the answers to these two questions will help you grow plants suited to your region. For example, here in Northern New Brunswick the last frost date is generally considered to be May 28 and the first frost date September 18.
However, when planning to put temperature sensitive plants out May 28th can be a risky venture and June 9th a much safer date. If you plan on growing tomatoes, for example, have row covers handy because a frost warning can come in mid-August and if the tomatoes are left unprotected they may nor survive and the weeks of waiting and nurturing will be in vain.
I have been gardening in Zones 3 and 4 for the past 22 years and have developed techniques to enhance the growing season, row covers and starting plants indoors are two.
Mid-season here is near the end of the last week in July and the first week in August. This is often the hottest and driest period of our year. Knowing how much rainfall your area gets during the growing season is also helpful.
What chores can be done to help the garden through this hot and dry period, and what can be done to generally help the garden grow.
Basic Mid-Season Gardening Chores:
1- Mid-season is time to cleanup, deadhead, remove any debris, fallen leaves, twigs whatever may have found its way into the garden.
2- Check the mulch. Does it need replacing?
3- Add compost, fresh organic material will help the plants develop fruit, flowers and seeds as it provides fresh food. Healthy soil is essential for healthy plants
4- Add organic fertilizers if you do not have a compost pile. One source of organic fertilizer is blood Meal which is dried blood produced as a by-product of the meat industry and contains approximately 13 per cent nitrogen; not for vegetarians.
5- Mid-season is the time to foliar feed the plants. Foliar feeding is an organic method for feeding the plants. Plants are able to absorb nutrients through their leaves and they do this very well. This means that foliar spraying, spraying the leaves, can be very effective when used at the appropriate time.
6- Water, if it has not rained in the past five (5) days water and water deep. Give the plants a long drink let the water go down to the roots as the roots are vital to plant development.
7- Harvest anything that is ready for the table. In the heat some plants, especially greens, can bolt, that is the leaves will grow quickly and go to seed before you have the opportunity to add them to the menu.
Follow these seven mid-season zone 3-4 gardening tips and you will be pleased with how well your garden grows, happy growing.
