GARDENING: HELP PLANTS SURVIVE A HEAT WAVE
Electricity supply/generators and budgets permitting — we can indulge in air-conditioned bliss to rejuvenate exhausted spirits but, out in the garden, the battle to survive gets tougher each year.
Protecting vulnerable plants from extreme heat is important if you want them to survive and thrive. Watering them simply isn’t, in many cases, enough; they need to be shaded from the burning rays of the sun — and from any associated hot, dry winds, too.
If vulnerable plants e.g. ferns and other assorted ‘soft-leaved’ plants — roses, tomato vines, petunias, carnations, chrysanthemums, etc, — are in pots/containers then it is simply a matter of moving them to partial or full shade. But if they are being grown directly in the ground then erecting strategically-placed, strongly secured, shade-netting, or contriving shade out of discarded bamboo blinds, old bedsheets/old curtains or something else usable that you have lying around, is highly recommended. It may not look ‘picture perfect’ but it is just for a relatively-short period of time and it makes more sense to tolerate contrived shade than to knowingly allow all of your precious plants to be burnt up in the heat.
As temperatures soar, it is time to switch into summer plant care mode and ready your plants to survive the heat
Wise watering is extremely important too: do not waste water by morning watering because as soon as the sun is up, the precious water begins to evaporate and is gone before plants have time to benefit. Water around sunset, so that everything in the garden has the night hours in which to drink its fill.
Whenever possible, recycle dishwashing water, shower water, clothes-washing/rinsing water for garden use: straining it through fine muslin first to remove any ‘bits’ is recommended. It is important that no harsh chemicals and absolutely minimal soap is used in any process from which water is to be recycled for garden use.