Beating Summer Plant Stress
Star-Tip 1017 Gardening Tips for successful and beautiful Landscapes and Gardens
High summer temperatures, strong winds, drought and flooding rains are as hard on our
plants as they are on us! Take extra care to protect your plants when extreme conditions
arrive.
Summer can be a very enjoyable time of year. Vacations, fishing, iced tea, hiking,
hammocks and other fun things come to mind. Unfortunately, bad stuff like severe heat,
drought and flash flood storms often come our way as well. To help your plants resist heat
and drought stress, try the following:
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When to Water
Summer Fertilization
Pesticides – Summer applications
Summer Pruning
Staking
Protect Yourself
When to Water - Water early in the morning and apply a layer of mulch to help
keep the soil cool and prevent evaporation. Old carpet strips or layers of newspaper
between rows help retain moisture and slow evaporation in vegetable gardens.
Summer Fertilization - Don't fertilize plants during times of extreme heat or
drought. It will only make things worse! Using fertilizers during excessively hot, windy
periods will cause the plants to produce tender growth that is burned off immediately, and
puts the plants under even greater stress.
Pesticides, Summers applications - When necessary, apply pesticides early in the
morning or at sunset. Using them during the hotter part of the day will most likely result in
increased plant stress and an increased heat stress level for you. Wash off aphids and
mites with strong streams of water and use BT Worm Killer to deal with the ugly tomato
hornworms and caterpillars. (top)
Summer Pruning - If your plants show signs of leaf scorch and sunburn (they will
burn just like we do), don't prune the damaged growth until the temperatures cool in the
fall. The old growth may look ugly, but it gives the undergrowth and stems much needed
protection from direct sun.
Staking - In areas subject to frequent storms and heavy rains, be sure to stake
trees and tall shrubs to stop them from getting beaten flat or popping out of
supersaturated soils. Make drainage channels around gardens and flower beds to stop
plants from being "drowned". Too much water is actually worse than not enough. Plants
also need to breathe just like we do...
Protect Yourself - One last thing - while tending to your plants in summer, don't
forget yourself. Wear a good garden hat, use gloves and sunscreen so you don't get fried
and drink plenty of water!
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www.StarNursery.com
Copy Provided courtesy of Star Nursery