It’s hot! And when it’s hot, you may notice your plants starting to wilt, wither, and become damaged by excessive heat and sun. How can you prevent this? Here are a few simple tips you can use to protect your garden and your plants from the summer heat.
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Water Your Plants In The Morning
Watering plants in the morning when it’s cool and there isn’t as much direct sun ensures that the water can soak into the soil properly, and penetrate deeply into the roots of your plants.
In contrast, watering at the hottest part of the day will result in excessive evaporation – which wastes water and can prevent your plants from getting the water they need.
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Apply A Thick Layer Of Mulch
Mulch helps reflect sunlight away from your soil and insulates your plants to keep them cooler. You can invest in bark mulch or a similar commercial product, or use grass clippings – which are very reflective and also have a high nitrogen content that’s great for your plants.
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Make Sure You Plant In The Proper Areas
Planning is key if you live in a hot area. Full-sun vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes thrive even when it’s hot and sunny all day – and should be planted in non-shady areas.
But crops like beets, broccoli, and carrots prefer partial shade, and should be planted in areas where they get between 4-6 hours of full sunlight exposure per day.
Make sure to take the shade requirements of each plant into account when planning your garden each season – and this will ensure that your plants can tolerate the hot weather more easily.
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Consider A Shade Cloth Or Row Cover
If your area is experiencing a serious heat wave and your plants are withering even with proper watering and planting, a shade cloth or a row cover may be a useful option. These covers can be used to shade your plants during the hottest hours of the day, then removed when things start to cool down.
Make Sure Your Plants Have The Protection They Need!
With these tips from The Soil King, you can make sure your flowers, vegetables, and other plants thrive, even when the weather turns scorching. Need to shop for some supplies for your garden? Head to our online shop now, or find a retailer near you that carries our products!