Extreme heat wave

[cschiavoni]

What measures, if any, do yo all take during heat waves to protect your plants? I'm in zone 6 and as a first time gardener with an awful lot of plants (flowers, vegetables, fruits, and herbs) all starting to bloom I'm nervous as we enter our first major heat wave of the summer. Daytime temperatures are expected to hit 90-97 F and nighttime lows will likely stay above 70-75 F. My plants are all in containers but I don't want to bring them inside away from the sun unless it's necessary.

Just want to hear what others do in the heat. Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

Mulch, mulch and more mulch

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Get up really early and water before it gets hot. I'm up at 5:00 am just to water every thing good.

 

[mahmoud]

or water just before sunset so the plants can consume water all night without it being evaporated

 

[Chuck]

All of the above true

 

[Beth_B]

I have always done deep watering in the very early mornings. The water hits the soil early and doesn't spend all of the cooler night slowly evaporating and causing fungal problems (not uncommon where I live.) It soaks in right away to the deep ground which is where you want it.

And upon googling, that seems to be the consenus: water early in the day. But maybe that depends on the individual conditions.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

When it starts to get humid out watering in the morning is the best time for me.

 

[Chuck]

Watering at sunset will lead to fungal problems especially if the plants leaves are wetted. But if you cannot water in the morning it is much better than the alternative of watering in the heat of day

 

[Corzhens]

We just had a drought early this year that lasted until early June. You may be shocked to see our water bill that soared to more than double the usual consumption. That is because we water the plants at least twice a day - one in the morning and another in the late afternoon. Watering the plants just once a day will create wilted leaves especially for small plants like lettuce which has tender leaves. And the watering takes time, we make sure the water had seeped in under the soil.

 

[IcyBC]

We have had a few hot days here too, so I gave my containers of herbs and flowers extra water early in the morning! Though I love summer, but the scorching temperature gave me a headache.

 

[atlmom5]

I water my plants early in the morning (6:30 a.m.). They get a really deep soaking, even though we've been getting some rain here, it really isn't enough for the plants. We're actually experiencing a drought here in Georgia.

So make sure you mulch and water the mornings. Your plants will surely thank you, and not to mention you'll love being out in the garden before the heat of the day.

 

[Vinaya]

You should never water your plants when the sun gets hotter. Always water in the morning or evening. You should also make sure to use insecticides in your plant because all types of insects take refuge in plant during the hot weather. If you can manage provide a shade to your plants during the day time.