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Tips To Keep Your Flower Garden Flourishing In The Summer Heat
By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS
A bad heat wave can cause outdoor plants to wilt and their leaves to dry out, change color, or curl. Luckily, there are ways to help your flower garden survive a sweltering summer.
Delay fertilizing your plants until temperatures start decreasing. More nutrients encourage plants to begin new growth, which is more vulnerable to damage from excessive heat.
It may seem sensible to water your plants more when the weather’s hotter, but it’s important to check if the soil is drying out before watering, or you could easily overwater.
The water can also evaporate before reaching the plants' roots if you water in very hot weather. Instead, water very early in the morning or in the evening when it's cooled down.
Water the soil directly under your plants rather than over the leaves to ensure the water gets to the roots, and cover the soil with a layer of mulch to keep it moist and cool.
Create shade for your plants with cardboard or a bedsheet, or insert a large umbrella in the soil. Make sure not to block their airflow and uncover them again in the evening.
Avoid pruning your plants except to remove dead leaves or blooms to help them conserve energy. Don’t propagate or transplant them until temperatures remain below 90 degrees.