July 2026
There is no question that southern summers are hot and commonly July is one of the hottest. While most gardeners will readily admit that it’s too hot for them to stay in their gardens for very long, the time spent there should be carefully scheduled. Use the coolest hours of each day to accomplish the needed tasks whether it’s watering, applying mulches, controlling pests (including weeds), harvesting ripe vegetables or deadheading flowers.
Of course, these are only a few of the several jobs that need a gardener’s time. Generally, it’s cooler in the early morning hours and again in the evening usually beyond 7:00 p.m. until dusk. But, some days the latter part of the day stays hot until late. Another factor to consider is whether you are still strong enough to take care of all of the important tasks at that time of day.
Another question to be answered is what can you do in the middle of the day or the late afternoon when temperatures have peaked. Having a cool lunch followed by a short siesta may be one of the best possible choices for the mid-day break. However, there are many other things you can do during the highest heat of the day such as sharpening tools or planning for a new crop of vegetables.
Another approach to summer gardening during hot weather is to destroy all remaining vegetables (most of which are close to the end of their productive period anyway.) The same situation exists with flowers. After the beds have been cleared, prepare a good seed bed (during the cooler hours) and plant a temporary cover crop to help prevent erosion of the soil and to shade out any invading weeds.
Southern peas and soybeans are usually good choices for this purpose. Gardeners who live in rural areas should be aware that these crops often attract deer. When the proper time arrives, these plants can be tilled back into the soil to improve both it’s physical and organic condition. Due to the structure of these crops, it is a good idea to run a mower over them to chop them up and make it easier to incorporate them into the soil.
There is still another way to avoid gardening during the intense heat of summer…take a vacation. You don’t need to feel guilty about setting your garden work aside for just a short time and if the vacation is relatively brief, there will still be sufficient time to plant a fall garden of vegetables and probably also flowers that thrive in the cooler fall months.
If it’s been quite a while since you took a vacation, you could be amazed at how much more energy you will have after your return and possibly the heat of the summer months will be declining by then.
JOE W. WHITE, PH.D.
Extension Horticulturist, (ret)
LSU AgCenter