It’s July. Time for a quick garden update.
We’re officially a couple of weeks into summer here in Southern California. Temperatures have consistently been in the low to mid 80s. Couple that with the fact that we’re under Phase 3 watering restrictions, and some plants are fine while others are not.
The veggies in the raised beds have been handling the heat and limited watering very well. I attribute their performance to using wine bottles in terracotta spikes, and a living mulching to conserve water. The plants are flourishing and producing well.
Other plants that are doing fantastic are the natives. A few of the sages are flowering. So are the California Fuscia and California Buckwheat.
On the other hand, my potted plants aren’t doing well. With limited watering the soil becomes hydroponic between watering sessions. Once the soil gets bone dry it repels water and the water drains through the soil out the bottom of the pot. And while I have pot saucers for all my pots to catch the runoff, not enough water wicks back up the soil to root level and the plants suffer. To remedy the problem, I have had to slowly wet the soil every couple of weeks so it absorbs water easier. I installed some terracotta spikes to see if it keeps the soil a bit more moist and the plants a bit happier.
