ASK THE GARDENER

Q: It's been so hot out, and veggies need so much water. Got any water-saving tips?

Kathy Kellogg Johnson answers …

Just yesterday I re-fertilized my own veggie garden, as veggies are such heavy feeders and those summer bearing vines need a pick-me-up right now. This time I took a couple cups of Kellogg’s OMRI certified Tomato, Vegetable Fertilizer, sloshed it into a bucket of water and drenched the area around the tomatoes with the wet solids. The wetted fertilizer becomes active faster (the microbes go to work providing nutrients to the plants!). Finally, to conserve water, I gave the garden a good soak, added an inch or two of Harvest Supreme Compost, then covered all the exposed soil with a bark mulch (Xerimulch is a favorite though local tree trimmings sometimes are handy).

The mulch helps to stem the evaporation that happens as the soil warms. The warming soil is a blessing, as it means vegetables are around the corner. We just want to hold as much moisture in the soil as this is occurring.

SO, wetted organic fertilizer, a copious layer of compost, and about an inch of bark mulch – it is a winning combination both conserving water and creating a healthy looking and productive vegetable garden.

Kathy Kellogg Johnson is a Southern California Native and Chief Sustainability Officer at Kellogg Garden Products, her third-generation family business. Visit them at www.kellogggarden.com.