The first day of
summer is finally here! We may have had
mild temperatures so far, but we know the heat is just days (if not hours) away
from being here to stay. You may have
spent extra time this season planting, and caring for your outdoor plants, and
we want to make sure you care for them properly.
The summer heat is
tough on plants. To help them survive, choose the toughest plants for your
climate and follow these tips:
• Keep Plants Mulched. Replenish mulch in the heat. Make sure mulch is
composted and avoid the use of fresh mulch such as grass clippings or fresh
manure on vegetables. For flowers, apply a thin layer of leaves or fresh
clippings and let dry for a few days before adding more.
• Water Deeply. Irrigate the soil deeply and infrequently rather than giving plants a
light sprinkling each day. Apply enough water to wet a sandy soil 1 foot deep
and a clay soil 6 to 8 inches deep. This requires about 1 inch of rain or
sprinkler irrigation. Make sure your soil is draining properly. Poorly drained,
soggy soil conditions combined with hot weather can wipe out a plant in a
matter of days.
• Keep Weeding. Do so by wetting soil thoroughly and placing a 4 sheet thick layer of
newspaper over the weeds, covering the entire row up around your garden plants.
Keep the newspaper in place by wetting it or covering it with leaves or hay.
• Plant Vegetables. There is still time to plant heat loving veggies such as southern pea,
okra, sweet potato, amaranth, malabar spinach, and watermelon. Give them
adequate water as the heat increases their water use.
• Stop Pruning. Spring blooming shrubs, vines and trees such as azalea, dogwood,
redbud, spirea, forsythia, wisteria and some roses shouldn't be heavily pruned
unless they are dormant. Excessive pruning will reduce next year's blooms.
• Evaluate Plants. Take a stroll through the landscape late in the day and take note of
plants looking wilted or sunburned. They may be in too sunny a location or
receiving too much late-day sun. Consider moving woody ornamentals and
perennials such as azalea, hydrangea, ginger, and hosta in the fall.
• Keep Yourself Safe. Drink plenty of water while working in the garden and use sunscreen
with at least an SPF 15. Avoid extended time out in the sun during the heat of
the day.
