5 rules for caring for a garden and a vegetable garden in the heat

Recommendation points

• Rule one – watering, watering and watering again
• Rule two – provide shadow
• Rule three – mulching
• Rule four – temporarily abandon fertilization
• Rule five – do not rush to remove withered or sunburned leaves and shoots

We all look forward to summer, but the weather is often too hot. And if we can hide in an air-conditioned room, then the plants have to wait out the heat outside. Our tips site will tell you what you can do for your garden and vegetable garden during the period when summer temperatures hit records..

Rule one – watering, watering and watering again

One of the main problems that plants face in the heat is a lack of moisture. And here you can definitely help them. Hoses, watering cans, sprinklers, drip irrigation, to which the portal devoted a separate article, are your constant helpers on hot summer days. Follow these simple rules:

• Water it early in the morning or before sunset; it is impractical to do this at noon. Yes, and it is undesirable for you to be in the sun among the beds;
• Water must penetrate to the roots, surface watering will not help;
• It is better to water less often, but abundantly, than simply spray the plants every day;
• Plants in containers, pots, pots need to be watered every day. If the earthen lump in such containers dries up, then in the future it will allow moisture to pass freely, practically without delay. Don’t let it happen!

Rule two – provide shadow

It is very harmful for plants, like you yourself, to be in the heat in direct sunlight. Green spaces are also burned. Therefore, the simplest awnings made of lightweight fabric, light-stabilized film, white spunbond (agrotextile) and shading, light-protective films will help you protect the plants. In the morning and in the evening, such a canopy or simply the fabric laid on the beds can be removed, folded back, creating shelters only at the very peak of the heat. By the way, initially the beds can be placed so that at noon low-growing plants are in the shade of fruit trees or higher plantings.

Rule three – mulching

Sun protection is needed not only for leaves, but also for plant roots. Therefore, mulch in the heat is a must! It will also retain moisture, preventing it from evaporating too quickly, and will not allow the soil to warm up to a critical temperature. The thickness of the mulch layer should be more than 7 centimeters, this will provide reliable protection.

Rule four – temporarily abandon fertilization

In the heat, plants spend all their strength on survival. And they simply cannot absorb the fertilizers completely, the composition will remain in the soil and may even cause harm. Therefore, even natural fertilizers made according to folk recipes, without chemicals, are inappropriate to apply in the heat. Better wait until it gets cold.

Rule five – do not rush to remove withered or sunburned leaves and shoots

Yes, the first reaction to twisted, yellowed or stained leaves is to immediately remove it all, cut it off! However, external damaged leaves will protect all others from the sun’s rays. In addition, drooping leaves can still “come to their senses”, recover after watering or the end of a hot period. So take your time.

Important! If the leaves droop, but after watering and sunset, they rise again – this is normal, everything will be fine, the plant will recover completely. In addition, any leaves that have remained green can also be left in the hope of recovery. The main thing is that the stems themselves, the trunk of vegetable crops – tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers – are green and pliable. This is an indicator that the plant has not completely disappeared and it is not worth getting rid of it yet.