How to Protect Your Plants During Hot Weather
- Water early in the morning before the worst heat of the day hits.
- Water thoroughly. Make sure the the water gets down to the roots or comes out
of the bottom of the pot. Most overhead lawn watering systems aren’t on long
enough for your annuals and perennials. It’s better to water more one time per
day rather than just a little several times per day. - Check pots and containers twice a day. Make sure the the water comes out of
the bottom of the pot and that the entire root ball is wet! - If possible, on super hot days, move your containers into a little bit of shade.
- Mulch your garden beds with possible with a couple of inches of hay, straw,
leaves , grass clippings or mulch. This cools the roots and holds moisture in. - Shade netting helps if you can do it. It protects tender tomato blossoms, etc…
There are great YouTube videos on hanging shade netting. - Cut off old flowers and buds and extra long stems to encourage new blossoms.
You can also harvest fruit like tomatoes once they are showing a bit of color and
let them mature in your home and pick zucchini when they are younger – this will
encourage a healthier and less-stressed plant. - Use slow release fertilizer on your plants to keep them healthy. We use and sell
a product called Osmocote. It’s simple and easy to use and will not stress your
plants. During really hot weather (90 degree days) do not use additional liquid fertilizer on vegetables and fruits. Resume liquid fertilizer when temperatures drop a bit. - Good luck and stay cool!
