Protecting Garden During Heatwave

While it’s easy to see the importance of protecting gardens from cold weather and frost, the recent wave of record high temperatures nationwide brings a new threat. Hot weather can hurt plants just as bad as cool conditions, sometimes even worse.

While it’s easy to see the importance of protecting gardens from cold weather and frost, the recent wave of record high temperatures nationwide brings a new threat. Hot weather can hurt plants just as bad as cool conditions, sometimes even worse.

When you hear about a heatwave in the forecast, the first thing to do is prepare your plants to withstand the heat. Start with deep watering so plants can have a water reserve to get them through the tough times. Water deeply (a couple feet down) to make sure the water gets all the way down to the roots. Mulch around the plants to help the soil hold the moisture.

Besides watering thoroughly, summer is the time to hold off on fertilizing your plants. When it’s too hot and conserving water is necessary, it becomes difficult for plants to absorb nutrients from fertilizers, which can lead to fertilizer laying on surface level and burning plants.

Native plants will adapt better to changing higher temperatures, so keep this in mind when protecting your plants. Non-native plants and vegetables can benefit from shade to take the heat off a little bit. During extended hot streaks, you may even want to bring container plants indoors to give them a break.