Summer temperatures in inland valleys can easily reach double digits in July and even the coast can experience heat waves during the month. Smart watering habits are the key to successful summer gardens, say experts at Agromin,the green materials recycler for Santa Clarita anda manufacturer of premium soil products.

Deep water your lawn:A lawn can thrive, even when it is only watered every three days. Most dry and brown lawns are caused by shallow watering. Lawns watered once a day for five minutes will turn dry versus a lawn that is watered every three days for 20 to 30 minutes. Water enough to keep the roots moist to a depth of six to eight inches. When creating a watering schedule, use a water probe to gauge moisture.

Keep crabgrass out of lawns:Crabgrass is the bane of most lawn lovers. It thrives in summer. The best, non-herbicide method to remove crabgrass is to dig out the affected area to a depth of eight to 10 inches, add a top dress soil mix and replant the area with grass or grass seed.

Time to replenish mulch: Mulch naturally thins after time. Ideally, plants should have about three inches of mulch around their base. When the mulch compresses to about two inches, add another layer. Mulch will retain water--a critical advantage during the year's hottest months.

A vegetable garden that keeps giving:Tomatoes, peppers and zucchini should be ready to harvest in July. To keep vegetable plants producing for the next month or more, don't let vegetables remain on the plant past picking time. It's still not too late to plant summer vegetables since any chance of frost is still months away.

Plant an easy-to-grow flower garden:Summer annuals can't wait to bloom. Plant your flower gardens with marigolds, petunias, zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers for a full summer blooming season. Remove dead flowers immediately to ensure constant blooming.

For more planting and gardening tips, go to www.agromin.com.