Living in Salt Lake Valley means most of the summer days will be above 90°F. And when it’s over 100°F and full sun, most of the vegetables or plants struggle. Here are some ways we found effective, especially for your new plants or vegetable garden.
1. Shade cloth
You can set up 40% shade cloth temporarily or permanently shade the vegetables or new plants. Shade cloth is not only great for avoiding sunburn on plants/fruits (ex: berries, peppers) but also help moderate the temperature. Users have found consistently 10-15°F cooler with shade cloth, and most find vegetables grow better and it saves lots of water.
*Thrifty option: old bed sheet.
Option:
1) Shade cloth blocks partial sunlight to the white fence to reduce sunburn on strawberries
2) Old bed sheet create shelters for brassicas
3) FB user Steve created a beautiful permanent shading structure for his garden
2. Deep watering
Either your flower or vegetable garden, it’s a good practice to ‘train’ your plants to grow roots deeper. Infrequent but LONG water schedule with drip line can save more water than head watering every day. You do need to give new transplants water every day during the first week or two – they still experience transplant-shock and roots are still short. New plants usually benefit from shade cloth when it’s hot.
*Read more about how to prepare a water-wise garden.
3. Mulch heavily
Mulch at least 3″ with woodchips, grass clippings, straws can minimize evaporation. It also helps to keep the soil cooler, and keep the microbes happy.
4. Plant strategically
Plant your vegetables densely together to create a small ‘forest’ (you do need to check them often for ventilation and nutrition.) We’ve found tomatoes that plant closely with corns are growing better than others.
We also intentionally plant peas behind the corn or sunflowers to avoid direct sunlight. It has been a great strategy to keep them alive mid summer.
5. Trees for shade
Trees can be even more effective than shade cloth, and they’re generally more aesthetically pleasing. Plant trees in a location that blocks the afternoon sun (when it’s the hottest time of the day) and make sure their mature sizes (so they have room to grow.) They can shade it too much or some can inhibit other plant growth (ex: walnut). So do some research before you plant one.
We prefer the trees that we can enjoy the shade and also fruits: apple, peach, cherry, and apricot trees.
