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Summer Gardening Tips to Beat the Hot, Hot Sun

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I have found that a number of plants that did very well in full sun in other states shrivel up and die under the hot, hot desert sun of Northern Nevada. I read an article a couple of years ago about little things that people can do to change the environment of their yards to make it cooler, warmer, or less windy. I decided to take that concept and apply it to gardening. By making a few alterations, I have lessened the severity of our climate and allowed the plants to flourish. Instead of using black plastic under the berries; I use mulch. Like plastic, the mulch keeps the berries off of the dirt and retains moisture. However, mulch keeps the soil up to 10 degrees cooler than unmulched soil and up to 20 degrees cooler than soil that is covered in plastic.

My raspberries were struggling in part sun, so I transplanted them to a shady spot under a tree, where they have completely recovered and started bearing fruit.

We went from snow to 95 degrees in less than a week this year, many of the plants that did surprisingly well with our spring snow storms, struggled with the heat. My blackberries, which are supposed to love sun, almost completely died off in their sunny location. I didn’t have a spot to move them to, so I improvised to give them some shade while I came up with a plan:

My high tech solution! I actually moved the chairs a couple of times a day to ensure that they stayed shaded.

Then I realized that part of the problem was that after one of the honeysuckle plants died I cut back the dead branches which had been providing the blackberries with some shade. Without the branches, they received 14 hours of sun from sunrise until the sun set behind the mountain. So, my husband put up a panel of sun screen in the empty spot along the trellis. This provides shade from the hot afternoon sun. They are going to live, but I doubt they will bear any fruit this season.

We also use sun screen over the seedlings box in the hottest part of the day. It is stapled down to the elevated posts of the raised garden bed on one side and tied down on the other side. This allows me to roll it back when it is not needed.
In the background you can see my onions. Our wacky weather has caused them to bolt. I plant my onions close together and harvest every other one through the spring to use as green onions. Usually I am able to keep doing this through out the summer as the onions just keep getting bigger and bigger and by fall I harvest big, fat white onions. I have been cutting off the flowers hoping it will buy me some time. I have no idea what I am going to do if I have to harvest 100 onions, so if you have any ideas for halting the bolting process or a recipe that calls for 100 onions, please let me know!

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Paula says

    I think you are doing very well considering the heat. You must have to get out there very early or late to work in the garden. Too hot.

    I would take those onions and chop and freeze what you can and give the rest away. Thats a lot of onions. lol

    Reply

  3. Tori, Jessie, Ria, Kat, and Tea. Who is next? says

    You could dehydrate your onions (if you have to use them all at once) and use some that way and make another part of the dehydrated bunch into homemade onion powder! 🙂

    Reply

  5. Jenny86753oh9 says

    Those are great ideas! I've had to lay mulch too. It's amazing the difference that has caused in keep the soil moist/cool. I also planted some of the veggies in the shade of my corn.

    We're having the same issue with our onions! We plan on drying and braiding ours for over the Fall and Winter.

    Reply

  6. The Frugal Engineer says

    a recipe for 100 onions…

    Ok, not really. 🙂

    You could try a couple of things for preserving them:

    Dice and freeze in 1/2 c. increments

    Carmelize in a pan and freeze
    – carmelized onions are really good when mixed into tomato sauce, then served on pasta, rice, etc. with some chicken.

    Make some tasty French onion soup!

    🙂

    Reply

  7. Alea says

    Lori, We have the wildest weather here! I find that I am barely finished complaining about the cold when it is time to start complaining about the heat! Actually, it is beautiful and I enjoy living in the Sierra Foothills. One of the things I like about our area is that we have a 30 – 40 degree temperature swing each day! So that means that year round, there is at least an hour or two each day where it is enjoyable to be outside.

    Reply

  8. Lori says

    I cannot imagine trying to grow ANYthing in the hot desert sun! Bless your heart…you are really doing great! Can't believe y'all went from snow to 95 degrees in a week!!

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.