How to Insure your Yard & Garden Survives Late Summer Heat

Member

By Dusty Mills, eHow Member

Article Rating: (9 Ratings)

Facebook
Twitter
StumbleUpon
Email
Print
Share

KEEP YOUR PLANTS LOOKING GOOD THRU SUMMER HEAT

With July underway, many of us will experience high temperatures where we live. The heat is hard on we humans, but for the lawn and plants that live outside, the extreme high temperatures can mean death. There are a few things we can do to help insure that our landscape makes it through the long, hot days of late summer, and now is the time to start these simple but important steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Hose & water source
Old bed sheets
Paper bags

Step 1

LAY A SLOW RUNNING HOSE AT THE BASE OF YOUR TREES OR PLANTS

The key to insuring that your lawn and plants survive the hot heat of late summer is water and perhaps shade. Plenty of water is essential but it's the way that you water that will allow your landscape to flourish. Many of us have sprinkler systems, but that alone will not be enough water when the temperatures in the nineties or higher. You have to really soak the ground, make sure that the water is actually getting down to the roots so that the plants and grass have the water they need to survive. Here's a simple test to do to see if your giving your plants the water they need.
Step 2

THE TREE HAS SUCKED ALL MOISTURE FROM THE AREA, KILLING THE GRASS.

Water an area like you always do, with the sprinklers or with a hose and a nozzle. When your finished, take your finger and lightly scratch the ground. If the ground under the scratch mark is still dry, your not giving the ground enough water. When soil becomes very dry it takes time and alot of water to really wet it again. Most water will only wet the surface, therefore never getting close to the roots of any plants. When it's very hot and you see a plant(s) getting limp or droopy, that plant is not getting enough water. The key is to lay the hose at the base of the plant and turn it on very slow. Allow the hose to act like a drip system, to really wet a area over a period of time.
Step 3

AN OLD SHEET WILL SHADE YOUR TENDER PLANTS FROM THE HOT SUN

If you find a plant in distress in your yard, first lay the hose at it's base and really get the area wet. If you notice that the leaves have gotten burnt, you may want to cover it for awhile. Giving plants some shade when it's very hot is beneficial, it will keep the plant from burning again and will help keep the moisture in the ground. I use brown paper bags for small plants and for a large shrub I drape it with an old sheet. Anything will work as long as it keeps the sun off the plant until it recovers.