Don’t forget to give your plants extra care during the summer heat
MetroCreative
Val Sesler, Penn State Extension, Fayette County Master Gardener coordinator, recommends watering your container plants every day during the heat of the summer.
MetroCreative
When summer turns up the heat, don’t forget its effect on your plants.
This time of year, plants need extra attention. That includes making sure they have enough moisture.
“Water is very important in the heat of summer, especially with container plants,” said Val Sesler, Penn State Extension, Fayette County Master Gardener coordinator and interim area Master Gardner coordinator for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. “You may need to water every day or twice a day if they’re in an area where they get full sun. If plants are under a roof on the porch, they will get some rain but not enough.”
Sesler said you can test for dryness by putting your finger into the soil about an inch deep and checking for moisture.
“I, personally, would water my container plants every day in the hot weather,” said Sesler. “It varies but the hotter and more humid it is, plants dry more quickly. If it’s cooler, they can still dry out. Plants will transpire — when the leaves go through photosynthesis, they give off carbon dioxide and water. The hotter, the more they do that.”
The best time of day to water plants is early morning.
“The leaves have time to dry in the sun so they don’t get disease and it prepares them for the heat,” said Sesler. “It’s best to water them at ground level — water the ground, not the leaves. You don’t want disease. When there’s water on the leaves that sits there, there’s a tendency for disease.”
One issue is that plants often exhibit the same symptoms from being under-watered and over-watered, such as wilting. If you’re unsure, check your soil.
Plants that are in the ground tend to do better in this heat, whether flowers or produce.
“Plants in the ground get rain water,” explained Sesler, but she noted that plants in raised flower beds need more water than those in the ground, and that all plants could use extra water sometimes. “I water my garden about twice a week when it’s hot or there’s no rain.”
If you have dead flowers, Sesler advises to remove them from the plants.
“Remove the flowers that are starting to die, either with scissors or pull them off with your fingers — anything that’s dead or dying or looks diseased,” said Sesler. “If they look diseased, don’t put them in the compost pile or on the ground. That encourages disease, especially with vegetables like tomatoes.”
Sesler observed, “Annuals will do better when you pull the dead flowers off. Perennials — they do what they’re going to do. But if you pull the dead flowers off, they will look better.”
You might want to add mulch around your plants.
“One inch or two,” said Sesler, adding, “Mulch is great for tomatoes. They get some disease from the ground that’s caused by a splash when rain or water hits it. Mulch protects and holds moisture. It also cools.”
Indoor plants may also face problems in summer due to air conditioning.
“Air conditioning takes humidity out of the air so plants may need more water,” said Sesler. “I know people who put their plants in the shower so they can get water and humidity.”
When temperatures turn cooler, you can cut back on the water.
“Plants won’t need as much,” said Sesler. “You don’t want plants sitting in water.”
Sesler advised when selecting plants for your home to pick those in the area’s plant hardiness zone. Perennials that do well in this area include coreopsis, black-eyed Susan and purple coneflower while annuals include geraniums. She said local nurseries usually offer plants that grow well in this area.
While plants can suffer in heat, they can recover.
“If you take care of them,” said Sesler, “they’ll be fine.”