By Felder Rushing

Gardening Columnist

Most of the herbs and veg have made it halfway through the summer. Okra, basil, sweet potato, and zinnias thrive in hot weather, but others are starting to peter out in the heat and drought. And it’s too early for cool season leafy greens and such. So now what?

One of the real advantages of our having such a long growing season is that we have enough time between early spring and late summer to plant two complete, start-to-finish gardens, one right after the other. And the second one is often the best.

Some heavy-producing garden favorites set out now, including squash, tomatoes, peppers, and beans, actually grow and produce better than those trying to hold on since last April, which drop flowers and shut down when temps hit the mid-90s; trying to keep earlier plants alive through August is more than they may be worth.

However, there are some caveats to summer planting for fall harvest. One is that, what with the heat and drought and general malaise, trying to actually get out and plant this time of year is hard on us. Doing a little at a time, early in the day, helps a lot, which is easier on those of us with container or raised bed gardens. My large galvanized containers, which I got inexpensively at a farm supply store, drilled drainage holes around the lower sides, and filled with limbs and branches before being topped with potting soil, can be easily planted and replanted as needed, a little at a time, all year long, and covered with insect and bird netting when necessary.

Watering is a challenge right now, of course, but can be done efficiently with a little planning and discipline. Most gardens, even containers, only need an occasional deep soaking, rather than regular light watering. Mulches help keep the soil from wicking dry in the sun, and watering twice, a few minutes apart, can really soak it in – my large containers can easily go a week or more without being watered because I do it well each time.

Another obstacle for summer planting is finding fresh new plants; though a lot of veggies do fine from seed, most garden centers have already given up on tomato and pepper transplants, which are the ones most in demand. May not be enough time to start them from seed this year, but it’s worth giving it a shot, and thinking ahead to next year. In the case of tomatoes, you can start new plants by rooting “suckers” from the older ones.

The biggest challenge for summer and fall gardening is with pests, which build up dramatically in hot weather. Moth caterpillars, aphids, and stinkbugs, including the new kudzu bugs, and birds and squirrels can be very daunting. This is where paying attention to our plants for fast control of pests becomes important, or simply covering rows with insect and bird netting suspended on short poles. We aren’t used to doing this in Mississippi, but it’s hard to find a garden in, say, England or Japan, that doesn’t have netted rows.

Even the herb garden and flowers can be freshened up. I prune parts of my oregano, basil, thyme, and mints way back, and even marigolds, which quickly sprout out strong, fresh new growth. And I try to set out a few new pollinator flowers as well.

I know it’s miserable out there. But just a little weeding, replanting, fresh mulch, an occasional deep watering, maybe some netting, and it’s like having a brand-new garden for a fraction of the toll on the gardener. And it’s time.

Felder Rushing is a Mississippi author, columnist, and host of the “Gestalt Gardener” on MPB Think Radio. Email gardening questions to rushingfelder@yahoo.com.