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INSIDE This Issue
Our Pets Mean So Much to Us
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The BENES Act Is Changing Medicare Enrollment
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Naturally Improve Your Digestive Health
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Testimonial
Mouthwatering Southern BBQ
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Be the Superhero Your Garden Needs
Protect Your Garden From Heat
With Help From Your Kids Not all gardening tasks are suitable for the entire family. Fertilizers can be dangerous, and you definitely don’t want a young child wielding sharp tools. But there’s one gardening project you and the kids can tackle together: protecting your plants from the heat. Last June, heat waves scorched the country, sending temperatures in Portland, Oregon, of all places to 110 degrees F. This is uncomfortable at best, and at worst a massive heat wave can ruin an entire spring’s worth of effort in the garden. To avoid that, rope your kids into helping you with easy heat solutions like these: 1. Build shade covers — Shade helps people survive the heat, and it’s great for plants too! You can overlay greenery with umbrellas, canopies, “garden fabric,” or even bed sheets draped over your plants. If you have spare lumber or PVC pipe, build a trellis to hold up your shade cover. YouTube has plenty of tutorials for this — just search “Garden Shade DIY.” 2. Spread organic mulch — Adding 2–4 inches of light-colored mulch around your trees, shrubs, and other plants will protect the soil from the sun and keep it damp and cool.
3. Swap out terra cotta pots — Unsealed terra cotta pots are terrible at retaining moisture. If you water a plant in terra cotta, it won’t be long before that water evaporates. To avoid this,
enlist the kids to repot your plants in oversized, light-colored plastic nursery pots. (Some nurseries give these away for free!)
4. Water, water, water — Your garden will dry out twice as fast during extreme heat, so take shifts as a family checking the soil and watering when needed. Don’t rely on your sprinkler system or usual watering schedule. These tips should help protect your delicate fruit and vegetable plants. Next year, get a head start by asking your local nursery to help you choose drought and heat-tolerant species for your region and beefing up your soil with organic matter. According to Farmers’ Almanac, soil rich with 5%–9% organic matter (think compost, manure, and decomposing leaves) retains more water, saving you trips with the hose.
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