My family and I have just returned home from our annual vacation/family
reunion. Two weeks of sun, sand and food at the Jersey Shore. The
closest I come to gardening during this time is pulling an occasional
weed or giving advice to our landlady. Sometimes I water her plants-I
just can’t help it! I do take time to admire the many beautiful gardens
around the town.

Although we had a couple of good soaking showers at the shore, it looks
like Hillsborough has been without rain for a couple of weeks. The lawn
is partially brown and some plants in the garden are showing signs of
stress. But for the most part my gardens faired pretty well. Good
preparation before leaving on vacation is the key.

All the plantings are weeded, watered and mulched before we leave. The
vegetable garden is mulched with grass clippings and clean straw. The
shrub borders and flower beds are freshened up with hardwood mulch. The
mulch keeps weeds from taking over and helps retain soil moisture.
During dry spells the mulched areas will only need watering once a
week.

The annuals get fertilized with soluble fertilizer. Vegetable plants
are
side-dressed with a layer of compost. If I have the time, tomatoes get
a
dousing with compost tea to help fight diseases. Compost tea is made
from a couple shovels of compost placed in a bucket of water that is
left to steep for a few days. The tea is then strained through
cheesecloth. Dilute the solution to the color of weak tea. The
resulting
liquid can be applied to plant roots as fertilizer or sprinkled on the
foliage for disease protection.

Two weeks is a long time for the garden to go unattended. So I have a
gardening friend come over to check on things and water the container
plants. Hoses are set up ahead of time with watering wands and spray
nozzles conveniently placed. For shorter trips, such as a weekend, the
container plants can be placed under the shade of a tree or in the path
of an irrigation system. Another alternative is to invest in a timer
that automatically turns the irrigation on and off.

Once I get back there are inevitably some weeds to pull, flowers to
deadhead and best of all- fruits and vegetables to pick. The garlic and
first crop of potatoes were ready to be dug up and a bumper crop of
blueberries to pick. And the spring vegetables were all spent and
needed
to be pulled out. After the old plants are pulled out, the areas will
get a fresh layer of compost dug in and new crops planted in their
place.

The lettuce, gone to seed and bitter from the heat, will be replaced
with a planting of beans. Broccoli, now flowering profusely to the
delight of the bees, will be replaced with a second planting of
cucumbers. The peas will have to go too, to make more room for the pole
beans. In the garlic and potato beds there is room for a planting of
carrots, beets, squash or even a fall planting of broccoli or cabbage
in
a couple of weeks.

Under the pole bean tripod supports I’ll be planting some lettuce
seeds.
Lettuce can still be grown in the garden during the hot months with
protection. The bean plants will provide some shade from the hot sun.
The seed bed will need to be kept moist daily until the seeds have
germinated and the plants get established. It also helps to pick
varieties that are slow to bolt.

Some annuals in the garden and containers that were beyond reviving I
replaced. And there are gaps in the perennial borders that could be
filled. Some plants just need a good trim to bring them back into
shape.

There is still time to plant potted annuals and perennials in the bare
spots in the garden. Choose plants in large sized containers- 6-8 inch
for annuals, 1-2 gallon for perennials. Try to plant on a cloudy day or
in the evening. Water the plants well and keep them watered for a few
days. Deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms. Prune leggy plants to
promote bushiness. Also remove dead foliage from plants to keep them
tidy as well as healthy.

Beth Nardone, botanist, is a resident of Hillsborough and is the
Nursery
Manager at the Belle Mead Co-Op. Questions and comments can be sent to
bethtanical@patmedia.net