Get Hoeing

The recent rain has germinated annual weed seeds. This dry spell is an ideal time to get the hoe going, before these weeds start seeding. Because the soil is drying fast, be careful not to go too deep, since this will cause too much water loss. Keeping the hoe to the top 2 cm or so is sufficient to kill the weeds, which will shrivel in the sun.

Hoeing will also help keep the slugs at bay. These do not like moving on loose dry soil.

Because hoeing loosens the top layer of soil, it will sever the capillarity link between the soil surface and the lower layers. This prevents water wicking its way up to the surface of the soil and being lost to the atmosphere. In other words, hoeing in this way conserves water.

The loose surface layer will be very useful later in the summer, since it insulates the soil against the hot sun (because it contains more air). As it dries, it turns lighter in colour, thus lowering the surface temperature by reflecting the sun's rays. This also helps reduce water loss and helps the roots perform more efficiently.