Protect Your Plants from this Heat Wave! | Burnetts Country Gardens

Protect Your Plants from this Heat Wave!

Planting for Pollinators
July 17, 2020
Tomato
Tomato Pruning
July 31, 2020

Protect Your Plants from this Heat Wave!

Warm weather is great for cookouts, beach days, reading a book but record-breaking temperatures are not so fun for us or our plants! 

Heat stress can show up in our plants in many ways. The soil can be dry, leaves will wilt, and be bleached. But if you catch it early enough, you can save your plants!.

Our Burnett’s staff has some quick tips for you and your plants to prevent heat damage! 

Water daily, water early, and water again!

On these hot and sunny days start the day right by giving your plants a hefty drink.  If your plants are in pots you will want to be sure you see water run out of the bottom of the pot before you put your hose down.

Once a day watering is often not enough for plants during the hot summer heat, especially those in containers.  Check for wilting later in the day and offer another drink if they need it.

Lock in Soil Moisture

There are plenty of ways to lock in that moisture to prevent the water from evaporating from the soil such as mulch or compost. Mulch is a great option to protect against the summer heat, be sure to leave a few inches around the stem so it has some room to breathe.  

There are products available in the store to help retain moisture in containers such as Soil Moist products or Plant Pals that allow for slow release of moisture.

Keep Fertilizing in check!

We are typically big advocates of regular fertilization and feed our plants daily in the greenhouse.  However, if your plants are showing signs of heat distress it can be good to back off a bit on the fertilizer until the heatwave passes.  Sometimes plants need a little time to rest and recover by hitting the pause button on new growth.