Those first few glimpses of the summer sun do the garden wonders. And then, things start to get too hot. At the peak of summer or during a heatwave, the sun can be too intense, even for plants that need hours of direct sunlight. How do you protect your landscaping during a heatwave? We have tips for you below, and, as a bonus, many will also help keep your garden healthy while you’re on vacation.
1. Protect Your Landscaping by Retaining Moisture
High heat conditions condense water right out of the soil, especially the first few inches, and the water here is most critical for keeping fragile plants alive. Anything you can do to help the soil retain more of its water will help the plants. Well before a heatwave, you can seek to improve the organic matter in the soil to keep moisture. During a heatwave, you can lay down mulch, which blocks the sun and keeps more moisture in the soil.
Having soil that better retains moisture will also reduce the need to water your plants, which means they can go longer periods of time without your care while you’re on vacation.
2. Block Direct Sunlight
Plants need light, but when they are getting too much of it or too much heat you can cause damage to the plants. You can prevent wilt, scorching and plant death by blocking the sunlight. Technically any method of blocking the light that doesn’t trample the plants will work, so you can get creative with this. Some of the best options include:
- Hanging blankets from a laundry line over the plants.
- Planting umbrellas or solar screens into the dirt over the plants.
- Buy dedicated plant shade cloth and hang them over plants, especially trees and shrubs.
- Use gardening row covers to temporarily cover plants in the sun.
Maintaining your lawn & garden all season long can be a daunting task but at Lawrence Park Complete Garden Care we can take on the maintenance work for you! Contact us today to learn more about our lawn & garden maintenance services.
3. Water in the Morning, Always
When you water plants while the sun is high in the sky, you risk burning the leaves. This is especially true during a heatwave when the damage can be so severe as to kill the plant. It is more important than ever to water plants deeply in the morning, so the water has time to drain before this. You may find that in heatwaves plants need more water. In this case, you can add a second watering in the late afternoon or evening, once the sun is less intense.
4. Relocate Plants When Needed
Plants that are in pots, or plants that will not suffer too much from relocation, should be placed somewhere out of the direct sunlight. This also works if you are going to be away for a few days on vacation.
Hire an Expert to Protect Your Landscaping
Do you need help keeping your garden well-maintained? The team at Lawrence Park Complete Garden Care can help. Reach out to us today.
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