Preparing your garden to survive hot, dry days starts with the soil, says Carol Hillhouse, the ecological coordinator at the UC Davis student farm.
Under baking sun, she runs her hands through a pile of rotting vegetables that are decomposing into rich organic compost.
"Oh, gosh,” she says. “That's actually too hot to touch right now."
Once the compost is ready, volunteers and students will massage lots of the black dirt into the farm's soil because compost acts like a sponge that retains water.
The next step is mulching. Hillhouse recommends laying straw or cardboard boxes over the ground to build a thick carpet.
“Mulching keeps those weeds at bay and keeps the soil cool, dry, dark and reduces the evaporation,” Hillhouse says.
Now it's time to plant.
“Things like basil, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash — these are all our crops that are going to thrive in the warm season,” she says. “We shy away at this point from our cool season crops – the lettuce, the broccoli, the carrots.”
Hillhouse suggests watering twice a week with a drip irrigation system. Water will penetrate slowly and steadily allowing roots to extend deep into the soil.
Make sure you listen for unusual squirting sounds.
“So if there's a leak over that long period of time gallons and gallons and gallons can be lost from it," she says.
Look for pooling or puddling on the surface.
Finally, if you've decided to pass on a summer garden, Hillhouse recommends feeding your soil by planting a cover crop like cow peas so the dirt is healthy this fall.
This story was produced by Capital Public Radio.
