Gardening Tips During a Heat Wave
Although summer has officially come to an end, the weather has been finicky. With triple digit temperatures and humidity one week, and 70 degrees & overcast the next — our yards are taking a beating this September. Lawns are struggling to stay green, or even alive for that matter, and beautiful flowers planted in spring are recovering from wilting in summer’s heat.
We can’t control the weather, but we can offer some essential gardening tips to help rescue your garden from another heat wave!
RECOGNIZE STRESS
Recognizing the early signs of stress is key to before the heat takes hold and wreaks havoc on your garden. The first step to recognizing signs of stress in your garden is to understand the type of plants you have. Flowers and leaves often drop off and become yellow when in stress. Plants with tender leaves, or tropical plants, wilt due to high exposure to heat. Foliage may no longer look bright green, as when in stress it becomes dull. Once you recognize these early signs of stress, you can decide how to properly care for your distressed plant.
WATER OFTEN
In order to keep plants thriving during a heatwave, it’s all about the water. Although this may seem like the most obvious tip, it is the most important to remember. Summer sunshine dries out soil very quickly, meaning you will have to water much more frequently than other seasons. Early mornings and late evenings are the most opportune times to water your garden. When watering at these times, it allows for the water to run down into the soil and reach the roots without excess water being lost to evaporation. However, keep in mind that over-watering is just as damaging to your yard as under-watering. Install an irrigation system to regulate the watering of your garden and provide it with the correct amount of moisture. If you have questions about irrigation systems, contact us and a member of the Deep Rooted Designs team can help you!
YOUR DOS/DON’TS OF GARDENING SHOULD CHANGE
Don’t over fertilize your plants, this can lead to burning your plants. Instead, do use mulch as much as possible! It helps cool the the soil and retains moisture. Don’t plant any new plants during a heatwave. It is very difficult for gardens to sustain life in these temperatures and it is nearly impossible to grow something new. If you must plant something new, consider a temporary tent to cover the new plant to provide shade and promote growth. Do continue to weed. Weeding, unfortunately, is a task that never goes away even with the heat — but for your own safety, be cautious of the times you weed.
Heatwaves normally do not last long enough to completely devastate a garden, but if you don’t stay on top of maintenance — it can easily become very difficult to salvage. Keeping your garden hydrated in a heatwave isn’t difficult, but does take a bit of extra care. If you have anymore questions about how to care for your garden, send us a DM or leave us a comment on Facebook or Instagram!