Depending on your location, summer temperatures can rise to levels that plants cannot tolerate. As soon as the thermometer starts to rise, our main concern as growers is how this will affect our plants. will affect our precious plants worries us. So, in this article we are going to explore ten tips on how to keep your garden cool and healthy, even on hot, sunny days.
1. Action before reaction – useful tools for your garden in summer
Be prepared for the summer, or a heat wave is forecasted, how? Make sure your plants have had access to sufficient water, a useful tool for this are automatic watering systems. You can set them to water two or three times a day to keep your plants hydrated. Another useful tool to combat the heat is a mulch. Have soft, airy fabrics on hand that provide shade.
2. Watering your plants in the summertime
We have already mentioned that watering and keeping plants hydrated is important. On these hot, dry days, water your plants in the evening, preferably after sunset. This is because water will evaporate quickly during the central hours of the day. By watering so late in the day, the plants can absorb moisture during the night. Always water by aiming at the soil around the stem, not the leaves of the plants, as some species develop mould or fungus easily when leaves are kept wet for a prolonged period of time.
3. Mulching, a key gardening technique for the protection of your soil
Mulching is a technique that has many advantages for your garden. This technique consists of applying a layer of plant material on the soil.
Mulching can provide the following benefits:
• Nourishing the soil as the organic matter decomposes.
• Prevents weeds.
• Better water management.
• In winter, can protect the soil from frosts.
• Prevent the fruit of creeping plants from rotting due to moisture.
But did you know that it can also be useful in hot weather? By mulching, we keep the soil moist and cool. This means a more pleasant environment for the roots and the plant in general.
4. Mowing the lawn in the summer, what to consider?
Don’t let the grass dry out by cutting it too short. Set the mower blades to 4 centimetres and don’t mow the lawn more than once a week. When you need to cut it, do it early in the morning or in the evening when the sun’s rays are not too intense.
By reducing the number of times, you mow the grass and mowing when the heat is less intense, you will reduce the stress on the grass and allow it to recover better, making it less likely to dry out and eventually die.
5. Protect pot plants from radiated heat
Depending on the materials used, potted plants can overheat quite quickly. Especially black plastic pots absorb heat easily, causing the roots of the plants to burn. Root systems are kept cooler by placing plants in terracotta pots. Terracotta pots breathe, retain less heat, and absorb moisture, a great combination to keep your roots fresh this summer. You just need to consider that you will need to water more frequently during hot, dry periods.
In summer, always ventilate the greenhouse by opening a window or door, both day and night.
6. Provide shade to your outdoor plants
In connection with the above point, if you grow delicate plants whose leaves can weaken and get burned during hot, sunny days, cover them. If you don’t have many plants, moving pots around can be an option. But when your garden is an orchard, or they are planted in the ground, this is impossible.
So, in this case, it is best to cover the plants with a large, light fabric (supported by poles) or place a canopy over them, keeping direct sun off them. Place covers or awnings on the windowpanes of your greenhouse or use translucent glass to avoid extremely high temperatures.
7. Study the location of your plants.
We recommend, when possible, to move the pots and plants out of the sun during the central hours of the day. If the pots are very large it may be a good idea to put a wheeled stand underneath. Raising the pots off the ground is also a good option if the soil of our terrace or garden gets too hot. By simply placing a plate upside down underneath the pot, we will be separating the bottom of the pot from the hot soil and protecting our roots.
Another tip is to avoid placing outdoor plants close to walls. Walls transfer heat to the plant when exposed to high temperatures.
8. Use fertilisers but do it wisely. What to consider when fertilising your plants in summer?
Time to give your plants their summer food? Be very careful when using granular fertilisers, which hardly dissolve during hot, dry periods. Liquid fertilisers are generally easier to use as they are added with the water, just check that you are not over-fertilising now that your plants may need more frequent watering. One thing you can offer your plants is B’cuzz Silic Boost, which strengthens the protective layers of the plants’ leaves, so that moisture hardly evaporates during the hottest periods. It also helps to strengthen plant stems, making them sturdy and less prone to breakage.
9. Don’t prune!
Wait for cloudy days before pruning evergreens, such as Choisya ternata, because sunlight can burn their leaves. Pruning them means additional stress they will have to deal with in addition to heat stress.
10. Enjoy the good weather in your garden
Often, on warm summer days, you can pick and harvest all kinds of great fruits and vegetables: currants, apples, pears and lettuces, various kinds of greens, herbs, and even edible flowers such as marigold, borage, and lavender, and cut beautiful flowers too! If you have given your plants and trees a nutrient-rich feed in spring, such as the famous Bloombastic or Rokzbastic, your garden will respond with abundant harvests this summer.
Don’t let the heat spoil them, pick them up! In general, heat accelerates the ripening of fruit and vegetables. You should be careful as they may be overripe from one day to the next.
A good spot in the shade
Nothing to pick or harvest yet? You have already applied all our tips and your plants are safe from the heat? Then, just go out and enjoy the good weather with an ice-cold drink in hand! Too hot to sit in the sun? Next winter remember to plant a flat-topped tree or any other tree with a leafy canopy to sit under; the shade of garden umbrellas is not bad, but the shade offered by trees is always much cooler – in both senses. 😉
