Keeping pace with a Pennsylvania summer
In Pennsylvania, the garden runs on four real seasons, and summer is when the pace picks up. Between the humid stretches, the pop-up thunderstorms, and crops hitting full stride, the goal each week is simple: keep everything picked, staked, and healthy while setting up the fall garden behind it.
When a crop starts winding down, don't fight it. Clear bolted lettuce and tired spring greens, work in some compost, and give the space to what's next — kale, carrots, spinach, and beets sown in mid-to-late summer will thrive in Pennsylvania's cool fall, and October is garlic-planting month. Meanwhile, keep tomatoes pruned and picked so they produce right up to frost.
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. It encourages deeper root growth and lets foliage dry before evening — your best defense against the blights and mildews that love Pennsylvania's humid summers.
Continue reading inside the Pennsylvania Garden Club.
Become a member