When temperatures exceed 95 degrees consistently, your garden can face serval challenges. Here are the key effects and ways to help your garden thrive during a heat wave.
Plants can feel stressed during extreme heat. Signs of heat stress are things like wilting, leaf scorching, sunburned vegetables, and slowed growth. Your plants will lose water more quickly during extreme heat, leading to faster dehydration. The extreme heat can also impact the health of your soil through nutrient depletion where essential nutrients may become less available as soil dries out and the microbial activity in your soil can decrease in activity or die off.
When you are growing in containers you have a few more care options available to you when the high temperatures hit. Here are a few tips to help you keep your container gardens thriving during a heat wave.
Water in the morning and deeply. Water deeply to encourage deep root growth, watering in the early morning allows your plants to stay hydrated throughout the day and gives the leaves time to dry which will help prevent fungal diseases. If you are going to be out of town consider buying a plastic pool, filling it with water, and placing your container gardens in the pool while you are away. If you are growing in Grow Bags the gardens will hydrate as needed.
Move your garden to a shaded area. If your containers can be easily moved try morning sun and give them afternoon shade. If the containers are hard to move around provide them with shade clothes to protect them from the direct sunlight.
Mulch helps retain soil moisture and can help keep the roots cooler. You can use stray, wood chips, compost, or coir as a mulch. We are big fans of using Coir, it keeps it simple and the garden moist.
Manage your soil by adding a soil amendment to help improve soil structure and water retention. Soil amendments are beneficial during the high temperatures of summer for several reasons: improved water retention, enhanced soil structure, nutrient supply, and organic amendments support the growth of beneficial soil microorganisms.
Avoid fertilizing your garden during a heat wave. Plants are already stressed by high temperatures and adding fertilizer can exacerbate this stress and can burn plants, causing leaf scorch or root damage.
Summer gets us outside with increased patio time. When you follow these simple summer garden tips, even during the hottest days, your rewards of a beautiful, productive garden will make the effort worthwhile.
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