The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes the summer solstice at 10:42 PM EDT on June 20—so what new opportunities does summer bring to your garden? As temperatures climb and daylight peaks, summer presents both excitement and challenges for home gardeners. By understanding the science behind soil health, water management, plant physiology, and pest control—and by consulting trusted resources—you’ll set your garden up for a season of vigorous growth and abundant harvests.
1. Build and Protect Soil Health
Healthy soil underpins every thriving garden. In summer’s heat, soil organic matter and microbial activity are crucial for water retention and nutrient cycling.
Organic Fertilizers: Rich, living soil is your garden’s foundation—and organic fertilizers are the key to boosting its fertility sustainably.
- Choose High-Quality Organics: Opt for well-balanced blends like composted manure, bone meal, or blood meal. These deliver essential macronutrients (N-P-K) and feed beneficial microbes that unlock nutrients in the soil.
- Incorporate at Planting: Work 1–2 inches of your chosen organic fertilizer into the top 6 inches of bed soil before planting. This ensures young roots have immediate access to nutrients as they establish.
- Side-Dress Mid-Season: Around first bloom or initial fruit set, sprinkle a light band of granular organic fertilizer (e.g., feather meal or fish bone meal) 2–3 inches from plant stems. Gently rake it into the surface so nutrients release gradually over 4–6 weeks.
- Top-Dress with Compost: Every 4–8 weeks, apply a thin layer (½–1 inch) of finished compost or worm castings around plants. This refreshes soil biology, adds micronutrients, and helps retain moisture.
- Liquid Organic Feeds: Boost stressed or heavy-feeding crops with foliar sprays of fish emulsion or seaweed extract. These quick-uptake feeds can revitalize wilting leaves and support flowering during heat spikes.
By centering your soil regimen on organic fertilizers—both granular and liquid—you’ll cultivate a thriving microbial community, steady nutrient release, and soil structure that holds moisture through the hottest summer days.
Compost Incorporation: Incorporate a 1–2″ layer of mature compost each spring and again mid-season. Compost boosts populations of beneficial microorganisms that release nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into plant-available forms (Ingham 45).
Layered Mulching: Apply 2–3″ of organic mulch (shredded bark, straw, or leaf mold). Mulch suppresses weeds, insulates roots against temperature extremes, and slows evaporative loss—studies show mulched beds retain up to 30% more moisture than bare soil (University of California ANR).
Cover Crops & Soil Builders: For summer fallow areas, sow fast-growing legumes (e.g., cowpeas or sunn hemp). When turned under, they add nitrogen and improve soil structure for next year’s plantings (Blackshaw et al. 107).
2. Precision Water Management
With rising evapotranspiration rates, efficient irrigation is key. Overwatering can be as damaging as drought.
Soil Moisture Monitoring: Use a tensiometer or simple probe to measure moisture at 2–4″ depth. Water only when readings drop below 50% field capacity to encourage deep rooting (Jones and Handreck 92).
Drip and Soaker Systems: These deliver water directly to the root zone—research shows drip irrigation can reduce water use by 30–50% compared to overhead sprinklers (Evans et al. 230).
Time-of-Day Scheduling: Water before sunrise and after sunset to minimize evaporative loss and fungal risk. Midday watering often evaporates before infiltrating the soil.
3. Select and Stage Heat-Loving Varieties
Not all cultivars perform equally under stress. Choosing the right genetics makes a tangible difference.
Vegetable Cultivars: Seek out “heat set” tomatoes (e.g., ‘Solar Fire’), African eggplants, and okra varieties bred for summer heat tolerance (Morgan 14).
Successional Planting: After early greens bolt post-solstice, sow heat-adapted greens (e.g., Malabar spinach, ‘Summer Perfection’ lettuce) to maintain continuous harvests (Hutson 58).
Ornamental Choices: Zinnias (‘Benary’s Giant Mix’), lantana, and portulaca not only withstand high temperatures but attract pollinators during midsummer lull.
4. Manage Light and Temperature Stress
As the sun reaches its zenith, even established plants need protection from scorch.
Shade Structures: Install 30–50% shade cloth over seedlings and tender crops during heat waves. This can reduce canopy temperatures by 5–7 °F (Stamps 119).
Whitewashing & Reflective Mulches: A light whitewash on greenhouse glass or reflective plastic mulch can deflect excess radiation, lowering soil surface temperatures by as much as 10 °F (Termorshuizen et al. 312).
5. Integrated Pest and Disease Management
Summer’s warmth can spur both pests and pathogens—stay proactive.
Regular Scouting: Inspect leaves (undersides too) weekly for early signs of aphids, spider mites, and fungal spots. Early detection prevents large-scale outbreaks.
Biological Allies: Introduce or encourage predatory insects—lady beetles, lacewings, and predatory mites—to naturally suppress pest populations (van Rijn and Tanigoshi 85).
Cultural Controls: Rotate crops annually to disrupt pest life cycles; remove and compost diseased foliage to reduce overwintering inoculum.
6. Nutrient Management in High-Demand Months
Fruit- and flower-bearing plants draw heavily on soil reserves.
Liquid Feeds: Apply fish emulsion or seaweed extract every 3–4 weeks. These provide readily available micronutrients and stress-mitigating compounds (Kelly 202). NutriHarvest super organic fertilizer with Biostimulant is a great option.
Side-Dressing: At first fruit set, side-dress tomatoes and peppers with compost or a balanced granular fertilizer (10-10-10 NPK) to sustain steady development (Saxton and Havlin 74).
Chelated Micronutrients: In regions with alkaline soils, foliar sprays of chelated iron or zinc can prevent common deficiency symptoms under high-pH conditions.
7. Enhance Growth with NutriHarvest® Organic Amendments and Biostimulant
Give your summer garden a powerful, eco-friendly boost with NutriHarvest®’s line of organic soil amendments and biostimulant-enriched fertilizers. Their core pellet and granular products—crafted from recycled dairy and plant byproducts—provide a balanced release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium over 4–6 weeks, promoting steady leaf growth, abundant blooms, and robust fruit set.
Biostimulant Blend: Infused with a special dry microbial meal to accelerate root development, improve nutrient uptake, and increase plant stress tolerance during heat waves.
Slow-Release Nutrition: The blend works deep in the root zone, ensuring continuous feeding so you can cut back on application frequency.
Soil Health Enhancement: Organic matter supports beneficial microbes, builds structure, and aids moisture retention, reducing irrigation needs.
Sustainable Sourcing: Made from upcycled agricultural byproducts, NutriHarvest products close the loop on waste and keep your garden green in more ways than one.
How to Use:
- At Planting: Mix 1–2 cups of NutriHarvest blend into the top 2–3 inches of soil around each plant.
- Mid-Season Side-Dress: Sprinkle an additional cup around established plants and gently work it into the surface.
- Activate Biostimulant: Water thoroughly after application to release the seaweed and humic components into the soil.
Integrating NutriHarvest’s organic fertilizer and biostimulant with your compost and mulch routine will supercharge growth, enhance drought resilience, and help your garden thrive all summer long.
8. Harness the Solstice: Photoperiod and Plant Behavior
The summer solstice—usually June 20–22—marks the year’s longest day and highest solar intensity. Understanding photoperiodism helps you time plantings and harvests.
Photoperiod-Sensitive Crops: Spinach, peas, and some herbs bolt when daylength exceeds 14–16 hours. Plan to harvest or replace them early in summer.
Second-Wave Sowings: After the solstice, soil remains warm enough for a second seeding of beans, cucumbers, and heat-loving annuals, extending your productive window into early autumn (Old Farmer’s Almanac).
Flower Initiation: Many ornamentals initiate blooms as daylength shortens slightly post-solstice. Deadheading spent flowers encourages more blooms before photoperiod decline (Runkle 52).
Integrating nutrient-rich organic fertilizers enhanced with biologicals like NutriHarvest® Organic Fertilizers into your gardening routine is an important step toward sustainable gardening. It works for all types of plants, from backyard gardeners and greenhouse growers to farmers tending corn and other crops. Embrace organic practices to cultivate not only beautiful plants with great harvests and blooms but also a thriving, earth-friendly garden. By following a proper process, you’re well on your way to growing a flourishing garden—one plant at a time!
Sharing is Caring!
Please feel free to forward this article to your loved ones, friends, and colleagues and help spread the joy of growing plants —whether in backyards, front yards, or even containers! Signup for our newsletter here.
We’d love to learn more about you—your story, your goals, and what inspires you.
Take a moment to share a bit about yourself here!
Read More:
Nakian Kim, et al. Do cover crops benefit soil microbiome? A meta-analysis of current research, Soil Biology and Biochemistr https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071719303657
Nicole Burke. What Is Succession Planting? Your Quick Guide to Increase Garden Harvests. Kitchen Garden. Published January 9, 2024
Sarah J. Browning et. al. Selecting Tomatoes for the Home Garden. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Publications Index: Lawn & Garden Vegetables. Issued June 2008
Old Farmer’s Almanac. “First Day of Summer & the Summer Solstice.” The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 2025, www.almanac.com/content/first-day-summer-summer-solstice.
Additional References:
Blackshaw, R. E., et al. Cover Crops for Sustainable Agriculture. Academic Press, 2012.
Evans, R. G., et al. “Efficiency of Drip Versus Sprinkler Irrigation.” Journal of Irrigation Science, vol. 28, no. 3, 2010, pp. 225–238.
Hutson, J. “Successional Planting of Summer Greens.” Vegetable Growers News, vol. 15, no. 2, 2018, pp. 56–60.
Ingham, E. R. The Soil Food Web: Soil Biology in Sustainable Agriculture. Soil Food Web Inc., 2006.
Jones, D. L., and K. A. Handreck. Gardening with Nutrients. University of New South Wales Press, 2005.
Kelly, V. R. “Foliar Nutrition: Benefits and Applications.” Organic Gardening Review, vol. 9, no. 4, 2019, pp. 200–210.
Morgan, J. “Heat-Set Tomato Varieties for Home Gardens.” Tomato Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 1, 2020, pp. 10–18.
Runkle, E. S. “Photoperiod and Ornamentals: Scheduling Blooms.” HortScience, vol. 29, no. 1, 2017, pp. 50–55.
Saxton, K. E., and J. L. Havlin. Fertilizing and Side-Dressing Vegetable Crops. Cornell Cooperative Extension, 2011.
Stamps, R. H. Greenhouse Operation and Management. Prentice Hall, 2009.
Termorshuizen, A. J., et al. “Reflective Mulches in Vegetable Production.” Acta Horticulturae, vol. 1060, 2014, pp. 310–318.
Thomas, B., and D. Vince-Prue. Photoperiodism in Plants. Academic Press, 2017.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). “Managing Mulch for Water Conservation.” 2011, ucanr.edu/sites/water_mgmt.
van Rijn, P. C. J., and L. L. Tanigoshi. Biological Control of Aphids and Whiteflies in Greenhouses. Springer, 2018.