Weeds take up valuable minerals that your vegetables can use and they can harbor pests and disease that affect your plants. Pull them out and keep your soil covered either by planting thickly or with a fine mulch. It’s like a hat for your soil, keeping the microbes happy and active, holding in moisture and holding the temperature stable — one less thing your plants have to stress over.

Water every day if possible in this heat. Rain has skipped our area over the last couple weeks and plants need water! If you can’t visit every day, spend a good 10-15 minutes soaking the ground to keep your plants happy.

Reap what you’ve sown! The payoff starts now! If you’re growing basil, pinch the leaves back to encourage the plants to bush out and to keep them from flowering — the minute they flower, they will no longer put out leaves.