Friday, June 21, 2013

Caring for Plants in the Heat


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.

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