Gardening in a Heat Wave

Moss rose thrives in hot summers

The high temperature here today was 107. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 106.  The forecast for the next week shows highs of 100 or above every day.  Well, that's summer in Kansas -- thank God for air conditioning!

Heat like this, especially over an extended period, is really hard on the garden (as well as people, animals, utilities budgets, etc.)  There are a few things a gardener can do to help their plants make it through this kind of weather.



The first thing we think of is of course to make sure plants have enough water.  In hot weather, plants transpire, losing water to the atmosphere. It is important though not to just water everything a little.  It's best to water deeply and less often. Watering in the morning is best.  If you water in the evening, and water remains on the leaves overnight, plants are more likely to develop fungal diseases.  Soaker hoses offer an ideal way to water; with the water soaking slowly into the soil you lose less to evaporation during watering.

There are products available such as Soil Moist that, mixed into the soil, are supposed to absorb water, then re-release it to your plants as they need it.  It also helps to have plenty of peat moss, vermiculite, and/or compost mixed into the soil.  These help the soil retain more water.

Using mulch around and between plants helps keep moisture in the soil rather than evaporating in the heat.  Many sources suggest using 2-3 inches of mulches such as straw, shredded bark, or compost.  Some gardeners use layers of newspaper.  Shredded paper would work, but does tend to blow all over.

It also helps to keep weeds pulled from garden beds and planters.  They use up the water and nutrients your plants would otherwise have available.

Plants do best if they are chosen carefully for their location--are they plants that do best in full sun, partial sun, or shade?  What is their hardiness zones; both for cold and for heat?  Plant tags and garden catalogs often give a great deal of helpful information on plants.  One of my favorites for this is High Country Gardens. Based in New Mexico, this company's catalog is very helpful for selecting plants by watering needs and hardiness for drier climates.

Even plants that ordinarily thrive in full sun may find it too much in this kind of weather, and might appreciate a little shade during mid-day.  A gardener can use shade cloth or even an old bed sheet pinned or clipped above plants to give them a bit of relief during the hottest part of the day.

I use some of all of these approaches to try to keep my garden going and growing during these times of extreme heat.