Summer is often heralded as a relaxing time, until the high temperatures hit. Unpleasant for everyone, heat is a killer, lending an ominous, stifling sense of foreboding as soon as you step out. While gardeners have the luxury of an air-conditioned room, outdoor plants do not. Some plants fare relatively well under conditions of extreme drought; others are completely decimated. 

Heat can be especially hard to deal with for the urban gardener, faced with relentless heat waves and the hottest temperatures on record. Once temperatures reach 86°F, plant growth slows. Intense heat can lead to withered foliage, desiccation, and prevent crops from fruiting. In other instances, crops will bolt, their texture becoming astringent. Here’s how to combat this year’s heat wave. 

 

1. Apply Mulch  

Mulch is not only for decoration – it can protect your plants from extreme temperatures and shade plant roots. Apply 2 – 4 layers of organic mulch to the soil. Avoid using too much mulch, as it can stifle plants and prevent rainfall from percolating into the dirt. 

2. Water Smartly    

Watering in the heat of the day is an exercise in adversity. However, there’s ways to lessen your toil. When it comes to watering, few methods are as reliable as this irrigation system, designed to conserve water. Simply snap the connectors for an easy installation – it’s able to support multiple beds, leading to further efficiency. Check soil moisture frequently and try to water in the morning or evening. Stay diligent in your watering, as sudden or excessive watering can cause your plants to split and crack, especially if they haven’t been watered for a while. If you want to further streamline the process, consider this retractable hose, which saves you from the nightmare of tangled hose. 

3. Grow Heat-Tolerant Plants   

It’s not a good idea to grow fussy plants that abhor the heat, no matter how beautiful they are. Choose native or drought-tolerant plants that have adapted to extreme temperatures. Crops that love hot weather include Sunray tomatoes, amaranth, squash, peppers, and watermelon. Look for variants that have been selectively cultivated to be heat-resistant and are quick to mature. Avoid growing large plants on trellises – a surefire way to moisture loss. Diversify your plant selection with tough, established perennials, drought-tolerant lavenders, and aromatic herbs to improve overall appearance and resilience. 

4. Avoid Taller Raised Beds        

Raised beds have many benefits, but they are not equipped to handle scorching heat. In-ground beds are more preferable because they don’t dry out as quickly. Urban gardeners gardening in a limited amount of space might want to opt for this 11-inch, height-conscious bed. Sunken gardens, particularly waffle gardens, can help gardeners grow crops in arid regions. 

5. Provide Shade  

When the bright-hot sun hangs high in the sky, it certainly seems like it’s planning a scorched earth campaign against your plants. Wilted plants and yellowed foliage – a preview for the summer months – are an indication that your plants are crying out from the heat. Place your garden in a place that receives afternoon shade, which can reduce temperatures by 10°F or more. Some gardeners utilize shade cloths (start with 30 to 50 percent shade cloth) to shield their plants. Another way to provide shade is to concentrate shade-dwelling plants like ferns, hostas, and hydrangeas together, a measure that increases the moisture content. 

6. Improve Soil Health                

Healthy, well-drained soil rich in organic matter aids plants in tolerating drought. The core of organic soil is compost, which isn’t always easy to come by. With Vego’s kitchen composter, you’ll have a reliable source of compost on hand. The best part is that it’s odor-free. Add your fruit and vegetable peels, scraps, plant matter, and even pet food scraps, then add a little water and a Vego tab. In 9-12 hours, it transforms that waste into high-quality, ready-to-use compost.

7. Don’t Push Yourself  

No one wants to work on the garden during extreme temperatures and risk the blazing sun, but sometimes, tending to your plants is a necessity. If you must, remember to come prepared with a cool drink (water is fine but flavored beverages can give you extra motivation), a garden bag to hold your essentials, and an all-in-one hori hori knife. Some tasks, such as fertilizing, are not necessary and can be set aside. 

8. Don’t Prune    

When plants are under heat stress, don’t prune them, even if they appear unsightly. Pruning can expose them to sunburn, exacerbating the situation. It also promotes new growth, which leaves it vulnerable to the heat.  

9. Replace Hard Surfaces  

If you’ve ever passed by a bed of black slate, you can practically feel the heat emanating from it. Solid surfaces like brick, concrete, and crushed stone absorb and retain heat, resulting in ‘heat islands.’ Permeable materials like light-colored gravel, on the other hand, help reduce heat, providing respite from disastrous temperatures. On a similar note, focus on cool palettes of pale, muted colors, which improves the ambience and is cool to the touch. 

10. Layer with Plants    

Create an intricate layer of plants by carefully layering them, starting with trees whose branches intertwine to cast shade. Layering is not only for beauty – it subtly lowers the surrounding temperatures, improves air flow, and increases transpiration. Next is the understory, where mid-sized shrubs and ornamental grasses supplement the shorter plants. The groundcover layer acts as the support: low-lying plants such as creeping thyme are placed underneath to elevate and enhance the surrounding foliage. Climbing plants like passionflower and yellow jessamine are wrapped around trellises, adding vertical interest.