How to Help Plants Cope with Hot Temperatures

June 12th, 2011

Plants become stressed during hot weather, too. Here are tips for limiting their agony:

Water in the late evening – after sunset if possible
Apply water the base of the plants at the soil level
Don’t fertilize when the plants are stressed
Shredded bark mulch for woody shrubs and trees will keep them cooler
Use aged compost or aged manure mix as mulch for perennials
If you can’t water (due to restrictions), get your garden hoe out and turn the soil around the plants.
Clip out any dead or broken limbs
Deadhead just as quickly as the blooms die so the plant doesn’t have to force energy into it
Have a plant that is extremely sensitive to the heat – construct a canopy over the plant with light cloth and stakes to limit the suns rays