Edibles benefit from regular irrigation and a feeding during summer when they are setting and maturing their tasty fruits and vegetables. Young warm-season vegetable plants may need water twice a day during a heat wave; plants that are flowering or starting to form a crop generally need more water than older plants. Check after watering to be sure water is reaching well down into the root zone. Since water retention varies in different soils, learn how quickly your vegetable bed dries out and needs additional water. A “side-dressing†of a balanced fertilizer mid-season also aids these productive plants. Spread the granules in a line 3-4 inches from the plant stem, scratch lightly into the dirt and water in. Avoid over-feeding that stimulates foliage growth at the expense of fruit production.