July exposes produce plants to the hottest temperatures of the year, which are requisite conditions for maximum growth of which gardeners must take advantage.
The primary technique is to establish a consistent irrigation pattern that ensures plants are never stressed due to water deprivation. A secondary technique is to hoe or till the soil around the plants approximately every three weeks.
El Vecino likes to establish a seven-day irrigation pattern implemented throughout July and early August. This pattern meets the requirements of plants growing in upper 80- and 90-degree temperatures such as those encountered in Ojo Caliente and El Rito.
Garden plots in communities with temperatures in the 90s and low 100s may require a six-day irrigation pattern, and plots exposed to temperatures in the upper 70s to 80s may call for an eight- or nine-day irrigation pattern.
Produce plants vary in their individual water needs, but a good rule of thumb is that if plant leaves begin to droop or curl in from their lateral edges, irrigate them quickly.
Hoeing or tilling is complementary to scheduled irrigation, as calabacitas are to sweet corn. Soils baked under the intense July sun and the early summer showers will form a compacted top layer approximately one half-inch thick at the surface.
This layer traps soil moisture below and impedes water percolation to the roots during irrigation. Both conditions adversely affect plant growth.
A good hoeing or tilling breaks up this layer, allowing excess soil moisture around roots to evaporate and easing water percolation during irrigation. Water saturation on stems and leaves is as damaging to them as it is to the root web.
Establish a consistent irrigation pattern for your produce plants and combine it with tilling or hoeing practices to maximize growth during this peak weather period. July’s gardening mantra is use it, don’t lose it.
Eddie Campos gardens on a half-acre historical family plot that has been in cultivation for over 70 years in the center of Ojo Caliente, and on a small 70-foot by 40-foot garden outside his home in El Rito. El Vecino can be reached at carmen_campos7@yahoo.com or 581-4422 with questions about gardens and gardening.