Keeping your garden strong through a Georgia summer
In Georgia, the growing season is long and generous, but midsummer is when it tests you. Between the heat, the humidity, and afternoon storms that come and go, the goal each week is simple: keep your healthiest plants thriving while preparing your beds for the fall garden.
When a spring crop starts winding down, don't fight it. Pull tired plants, refresh the bed with compost, and let the true Southerners take over — okra, southern peas, and sweet potatoes shrug off the hottest weeks of a Georgia summer. Then, starting in late summer, comes the planting Georgia does best: collards, turnips, and greens that will feed you well into winter.
Watering is where many gardeners run into trouble. Deep, early-morning watering a few times each week is almost always better than a light daily sprinkle. A slow soak works down into Georgia's red clay to build deeper roots, and morning timing lets leaves dry quickly — reducing the fungal diseases that thrive in warm, humid conditions.
Continue reading inside the Georgia Garden Club.
Become a member