Smart watering can keep gardens alive

July temperatures can reach triple digits. Smart watering techniques can keep gardens and lawns from wilting during the summer's hottest days. Experts at Agromin, a Camarillo-based manufacturer of soil products, offer the following gardening tips:

Place mulch around plants, gardens and trees: Mulch consists of various sizes of chopped wood, usually made from recycled trees and other wood materials. Place about two inches of mulch around plants and trees to keep roots cool during the heat of the day. This reduces moisture loss and suppresses weed growth. It also reduces erosion, so its use on hillsides and slopes is ideal.

Water in early morning: Use trickle irrigation, soaker hoses or other water-conserving methods. It's also best to water in the early morning, especially during hot summer months, to reduce evaporation. Apply about an inch of water, enough so that it soaks 6 to 8 inches into the soil. With a mulched landscape, watering schedules can be reduced to two or three times a week.

Lawn water care: It's best to water only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly and deeply. This trains the grass roots to reach deeper into the ground. Frequent shallow watering trains roots to stay near the surface, making the lawn less able to find moisture during dry periods. Every lawn's watering needs are unique; they depend on rainfall, grass and soil type and the general health of the lawn. Even in dry areas no established lawn requires daily watering.

Summer garden planting: A variety of vegetables can be grown in July to enjoy by late summer and early fall, including beans, beets, carrots, corn, cantaloupe, okra, squash and spinach. Flowers such as gladiolus, calla lilies, marigolds, zinnias and dahlias can also be planted in July.

Caring for rose bushes: Remove dried flowers by cutting back to the first leaf after rose flower clusters. This will stimulate growth.

For more planting and gardening tips, visit www.agromin.com.