Once your summer vegetable garden is up and growing, make sure to keep up some daily maintenance chores.
Let's start with corn. A member of the grass family, corn needs to be fed and watered a lot. The leaves give tell-tale signs if they're in need. If they start curling, it's an indication that they need water. Also feed plants when they reach eight inches in height. When the corn begins to tassel, scratch in a 10-10-10 fertilizer around the base of the plant.
Weeding should be another daily chore because, believe it or not, weeds are the garden's number-one enemy. They rob plants of water and nutrition, so make sure to spend about 30 minutes pulling weeds everyday. Keeping ahead of the game is the key.
As the temperatures get hotter and the days longer, some plants like lettuce and spinach send up flower stalks. This is called bolting and is an indication that the weather is too hot for the plant to grow. Harvest the leaves if you want but be aware that they sometimes turn bitter. Otherwise, just get rid of the plant.
Early in the season, we're able to pick peas. Remember the more you pick, the more they'll produce, so stay on top of it. If you're growing sugar snaps, make sure you pick them as the peas are beginning to produce. That way they'll be crunchy and ready for eating. As the temperature warms up, peas will stop producing, and eventually you'll pull them out.
