Maryland Grows

You’re in the garden on a hot, sunny day. You haven’t had enough to eat or drink, and you’re really hungry and thirsty, though you feel that if you eat anything you might get sick. You’re getting sunburned here and there, and the rest of you is unnaturally pale and weak. Probably you shouldn’t be in the garden at all—look how weird and variable the weather’s been! Speaking of which, here comes a storm. You can’t get to shelter, and there’s rain everywhere; accidents are bound to happen, and yes, before you know it—snap!! Something’s broken.

Call 911! Or maybe not. The question in this scenario is: are you a gardener, or are you a plant?

In my ongoing quest to make gardeners “think like a plant,” I just want to point out that we have some things in common, and that we can suffer in some of the same ways. I hope that the gardener who slipped on a wet paving stone, fell on a rake, and fractured their ankle along with incurring puncture wounds is now being treated in the hospital. Plants don’t have that option, so let’s also hope the snapped branch or stem is being tied up securely to a stake by an uninjured gardener.

Neither of these things has happened to me this spring, but I am dealing with some minor foot pain and watching transplants try to adjust to significant weather swings. And we’re all moving quickly into a hard-working and likely very hot gardening summer. So it’s a good time to address preventing stress and injury in both plants and gardeners. This is of course too big a topic to cover in one blog post, so I’ll point you to some other resources to follow up.

Let’s start with the plants. It’s been a typical spring of rollercoaster temperatures, shooting up from overnight chills to baking hot days. We’re really only settling into the summer humidity now, but it’s rained a lot and we’ve had whole weeks of mostly clouds. And the soil is still on the cold side in lots of places. All this makes it hard for transplants to get their roots in the ground and start growing nice green leaves (assuming that’s the color they’re supposed to be). My summer transplants are no exception: tomatoes are off to a slow start, while some of the squash and peppers (real heat lovers) are looking pale and sad.

Although plants can certainly suffer pest damage this early in the season (hint: it’s often slugs), you should always consider the possibility that the cause of stunted growth, pale or yellowing leaves, wilting or bolting is environmental. Cold injury, sunscald, wind, too much or not enough water, and poor nutrition frequently affect plant growth. Storms can injure plants (make sure they are well-supported). Plants under environmental (or pest-related) stress often prematurely form flowers and fruits (desperately trying to reproduce before death!). Snip these off so the plant can put its energy into forming good roots and plenty of foliage. Don’t sacrifice a summer of great vegetables for a tiny early fruit.

Remember to check the soil near the base of transplants to see if it’s damp a few inches down. Don’t rely on a rain gauge alone, because rain may penetrate the soil or run off depending on how fast it falls. If the soil is dry, you’ll need to water your plants. Give them a nice deep soaking rather than merely sprinkling the surface. Add plenty of compost to soil to improve its capacity for absorbing water. Too much water sitting on the surface is not great for plants, nor is water pooling around plant roots.

Transplants usually need to be fertilized, but plants that are undergoing stress can be injured by too much fertilizer, so follow instructions and be a little conservative in the application. Remember that nutrient deficiencies are sometimes caused not by lack of the needed nutrient in the soil, but by the plant’s inability to take it up due to low soil temperature or insufficient moisture. These deficiencies will reverse themselves as conditions improve.

Gardeners, you also need to make sure you get sufficient nutrition and especially sufficient water before working in the garden! And of course you can also get sunburned, so protect yourself with sunscreen and a hat. (Plants can protect themselves and their fruit with lots of healthy leaves, which it’s your job to help them maintain.)

This publication from Utah State University has some great guidelines for preventing injury in the garden, based on the concepts Adapt the Garden, Adapt the Tools, and Adapt Yourself. Besides just not overdoing it, I think choosing the right shoes is one of the best things you can do: comfortable, supportive, with firm non-slip soles and wide closed toes. No flip-flops in the garden, even if you’re just there to do one thing! (That never works for me; it always turns into twenty minutes of weeding somehow.)

Also, don’t rush. Move slowly and deliberately, and make sure you don’t leave items around that can become tripping hazards. Reconsider structures that you could fall onto or against and hurt yourself, like low fences or metal stakes, and if you use them, make sure they are easily visible. Be especially careful when working on a slope. And go inside during thunderstorms!

Have a safe and productive gardening summer!

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.