Tag Archive for: heatwave

How to Help Your Plants Survive a Heatwave

Heat proof garden plans are easy to put together. Forecasts of a heatwave in the desert may seem a rather foreign concept when temperatures in summer are routinely over 100 degrees. However, when temps are predicted to be 110 degrees and over, plants in landscapes that normally handle hot weather without complaint, can suffer.

Mastering the Art of Creating a Heat-Proof Garden

beautiful desert garden

preparation for heat proof garden

Preparation is Key: Heat-Proofing Your Landscape

The best preparation for heat-proofing your landscape begins before summer. Plant fuss free plants that really handle the expected heat well. However, with the imminent arrival of a heatwave, here are two tips that will help your plants survive.

Provide extra water by irrigating shrubs and groundcovers in the early morning hours for an extra 1/2 hour when temperatures are forecast over 115 degrees.

1. Strategic Watering for Extreme Heat

Provide extra water by irrigating shrubs and groundcovers in the early morning hours for an extra 1/2 hour when temperatures are forecast over 115 degrees.

Plants can uptake water more easily in the early morning as opposed to being watered during the day.  During the heat of the day, plants have to devote much of their resources to handle the stress of the heat and cannot uptake water efficiently. Therefore, it’s best to water early in the morning so that they are replenished with water and ready to face the excessive evaporation that will occur with temperatures over 115 degrees.

*It’s important not to overwater plants, so if the heatwave lasts more than three days, skip a day between providing extra water.

shade sheilding for heat proof garden

2. Shielding Plants from Intense Sun during Heatwaves

Provide temporary shade for heat susceptible plants such as hibiscus or roses.

The sun’s intense rays are even more focused during a heatwave and can cause stress to the plant itself, including sunburn damage.  This is especially true for plants that receive hot, western sun or in areas that receive reflected heat.

For shrubs and groundcovers, leaves may wilt and turn brown in response to a heatwave.  Even cactus and other succulents can suffer sunburn or other heat stress, which often reveals itself as yellowing.

Temporary shade can be provided using sections of shade cloth.

lawn chairs placed on top of plants

In a pinch, a lawn chair can work to add a welcome spot of shade for a plant.

Old sheets tied to posts, chairs or trees can also provide temporary shading until the heatwave subsides.

using a garden hose to lightly mist plants

3. Evening Cooling: Misting Your Way to Resilience

Lightly mist plants in the evening to cool them off. A light sprinkle of rain does wonders for cooling things off. However, when monsoon rains aren’t forecast, a light sprinkle of water from your hose can provide temporary cooling for your plants. Additionally, this helps to increase humidity levels, which is helpful to prevent them from our dry climate.

Note, when you do this, the goal isn’t to water the plants at the base, but rather to wet the foliage. Be sure the sun has set before misting your plants as the water can intensify the sun’s rays. I like to use this rain wand to mist my plants – it also is great for container watering.

a heat proof garden

Managing Heat Waves

Heatwaves can be particularly challenging to endure, both for humans and the flora around us. These periods of intense heat and elevated temperatures can induce discomfort and stress for plants, which can ultimately affect their health and vitality.

However, the key to effectively managing heatwaves lies in proactive preparation. Implementing strategic measures in advance can significantly mitigate their adverse effects. One of the most prudent approaches involves thoughtful planning, where the selection of native plants that are adapted to the local climate becomes crucial. Native plants are naturally better equipped to handle extreme heat and drought conditions.

Stay Cool Indoors: Coping Personally in the Heat

When faced with a scorching heat wave, keeping your plants cool is important, but keeping yourself cool is a top priority. Here are four strategies to help you stay refreshed:

  1. Stay Hydrated: Drink ample water throughout the day to keep your body well-hydrated. Proper hydration helps regulate body temperature and prevents heat-related health issues.
  2. Embrace Air Conditioning: Seek refuge in air-conditioned spaces, whether at home, work, or public places like shopping centers or libraries. If AC is unavailable, use fans to circulate air and create a cooling effect.
  3. Dress Wisely: Opt for lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made from breathable materials. Light colors reflect sunlight, reducing heat absorption and allowing your body to release heat more efficiently.
  4. Time Outdoor Activities: Plan outdoor activities during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late afternoon. Avoid midday sun, when temperatures peak. If you need to be outside, use hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen to shield yourself from the sun’s direct impact.

In the meantime, my favorite tip to escape the heat is by hibernating indoors as much as possible 🙂

Want to learn more about how to create, grow, and maintain a heat-resilient garden? Check out my new book!

Protecting Your Desert Garden From a Heatwave

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Protecting Your Desert Garden From a Heatwave

Protecting Your Desert Garden From a Heatwave

Summers in the desert garden is hot. That’s no surprise. However, there are periods within these hot months when temperatures climb higher than normal. Because of this, we do need to help protect our gardens from the effects of a heatwave.

So, what is considered a heatwave in the low to mid-altitude desert? As a rule, when the mercury edges above 110 degrees F. During a heatwave, they can even go close to 120 degrees – ouch!

Thankfully, there are things you can do to help prepare the plants within your garden right now.

Here is my #1 tip…

Water your plants deeply the night before three – four day span of 110+ degree are forecast. This is in addition to your regular drip irrigation schedule.

The goal of this supplemental irrigation is to water deeply. This allow the soil to stay moister for longer, which will benefit your plants.

Under normal circumstances, I water my plants for 1 1/2 hours. However, in preparation of a heatwave, I water 2-3 hours. Plants will need more water in order to deal with the extreme temps and the extra water that will be lost to the atmosphere through their leaves.

Don’t do this every night, only every 4 days or so during a heatwave.

My second piece of advice…

Provide temporary shade for young plants in your landscape as they are more susceptible to stress from a heatwave.

This is because they don’t have a well-established root system to uptake much water and sparser foliage, so there aren’t many leaves to shade other parts of the plant.

Shade cloth is useful for protection lasting over several months. But for short-term shade during a heatwave, you can use burlap, sheets, an umbrella, or even place a patio chair over a susceptible plant. Uncover plants once temperatures are within the normal range.

Hot temperatures are a fact of life during the desert summer as are heatwaves. But, implementing one, or both, of these tips will help the plants in your garden.

For more tips for heat-proofing your garden, check out Heatproof Garden: 5 Amazing Tips.

5 Tips for a Heatproof Garden

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Preparing Your Garden for a Heatwave: 5 Essential Tips

Have you ever wondered how your plants fare in the scorching heat of summer? Is your garden equipped to withstand the punishing temperatures that a heatwave can bring, whether you reside in the arid desert Southwest or more temperate regions? In this guide, we’ll explore how to create a heatproof garden that thrives even during the hottest days of summer.

What do your plants look like in the middle of summer?  Do they thrive despite the hot temperatures?  

Or do they look more like this?

Heatproof Gardening tips

Assessing Your Garden’s Heat Tolerance

Before we dive into our tips for heatproofing your garden, it’s crucial to understand how to recognize the signs of heat stress in your plants. During the hottest part of the day, take a stroll through your garden and keep an eye out for wilting leaves, as well as leaves turning yellow or brown – all telltale signs of heat stress.

5 Key Strategies to Heatproof Your Garden

Here are five essential strategies to help your garden not only survive but thrive in the face of scorching summer temperatures:

1. Embrace Native and Climate-Adapted Plants

Heatproof Gardening tips

Selecting native or climate-adapted plants is a foundational step in creating an attractive, low-maintenance landscape that remains beautiful year-round. These plants possess unique characteristics that enable them to withstand local climate conditions, including extreme summer heat. Learn how plants like Langman’s Sage and Mexican Honeysuckle adapt to thrive in the heat.

All too often, we find ourselves with landscapes filled with plants. These plants often have large leaves and struggle to survive the hot, summer months.  This results in unattractive plants that we work hard to help sustain them until cooler temperatures arrive. Usually, these plants are best meant to grow in climates with less extreme heat.

Plants Adapt to Change

Langman's Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae)

Langman’s Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae)

Let’s look at an example of an adaptation that this Langman’s sage. The adaptation enables it to handle full sun and 110+ temperatures without undue stress.

Notice that the flowers have small hairs.  So do the leaves, giving them a slightly grayish cast.  These tiny hairs help to reflect the sun’s rays, which lowers the temperature of the leaves and flowers.

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) and Shrubby Germander 'Azurea' (Teucrium fruticans 'Azurea')

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) and Shrubby Germander ‘Azurea’ (Teucrium fruticans ‘Azurea’)

Small Leaves Help

Another way that plants have to handle the heat is by having small leaves. This limits the amount of water lost, which helps them to deal with hot, dry temperatures.

Here in the desert Southwest, there are many native plants that are used. There are also plants from Australia and other arid regions, which have similar climates.

2. Harness the Power of Shade

Heatproof Gardening tips

Introducing shade into your garden offers respite from the relentless sun, benefiting both plants and your home’s overall cooling. Discover how to provide just the right amount of shade by strategically planting trees that offer filtered shade. This allows enough sunlight for other plants to flourish.

3. Master the Art of Deep and Infrequent Watering

Heatproof Gardening tips

Plants need water to survive, and not surprisingly, they need the most in the summer.  However, we often water them too often and shallowly for it to do much good.

Shallow watering keeps roots close to the surface of the soil. There the soil temperatures are hot and the water dries up quickly.

Deep Watering is the Rule

Water is essential for your plants, especially during summer, but not all watering methods are created equal. Learn why deep watering, encouraging deep root growth, is far more effective than shallow watering. Discover how to gauge the depth of your watering and why early morning is the best time to hydrate your plants.

“Plants that are watered deeply and infrequently are better able to withstand the heat.”

Shrubs should be watered to a depth of 2 feet and perennials and groundcovers to 18 inches.  You can determine how deeply you are watering by inserting a piece of rebar down into the soil (right after you have finished watering) to see how long you need to irrigate.  On average, 2 hours is the length of time to irrigate to the desired depth.  

An Online Course to Help You Understand Desert Garden Needs

In my online class, Desert Gardening 101, I teach my students that watering deeply is as important as the time of day that you water. The best time to water is early in the morning.  Watering plants in the afternoon is not as useful since plants allocate their resources at that time toward surviving the stresses of the heat and so they do not take up water as efficiently.  

4. Mulch for Cooler Soil and Moisture Conservation

Heatproof Gardening tips

Mulch plays a crucial role in heatproofing your garden. It helps regulate soil temperatures, keeping them cooler during the summer while conserving moisture – essential for plant health. Explore unconventional mulch options, including fallen leaves, pine needles, and even fallen flowers, and learn how they can enhance your garden’s well-being.

A bonus is that they also help to prevent weeds from taking root.

Heatproof Gardening tips

Be Creative with Mulch Components

Let’s take a minute to rethink our definition of what makes an excellent mulch.  

While shredded bark and wood chips may come to mind, did you know that fallen leaves, pine needles, and even fallen flowers can also serve as a mulch?  That is how nature does it.

Be Cautious with the Leaf Blower

So, the next time you are tempted to whip out your leaf blower, how about directing it toward the base of your plants where the leaves and flowers can serve as a mulch?

They will also help to improve the soil around your plants as they decay.

5. Opt for Succulents and Heat-Tolerant Shrubs in Containers

Gardening tips

Tip for Heatproof Garden

While growing pretty flowers in containers is relatively simple in fall, winter and spring-summer can be another matter entirely.  Often, it can be hard to grow flowering annuals in pots throughout the hot summer.

The reason for this is that the soil around the roots of container plants is hotter than if grown in the ground.

Critical Top Soil

This is especially true for the outer 6 inches of soil which heats up in response to air temperatures and the hot container.  As a result, annuals can wilt and struggle to produce flowers in summer.

Succulents are a great way to enjoy attractive container plantings throughout the year, not just in summer.  Their ability to store water is what makes them an excellent choice for containers.

Gardening tips

Tip for Heatproof Garden

If you want to grow something else besides succulents, how about trying heat-tolerant shrubs? Bougainvillea does great in pots as does lantana.

Gardening tips

Tip for Heatproof Garden

Caring for Heat-Stressed Plants

Another tip for containers is to leave them empty in the summer months and wait until fall to plant them.  

When thinking in terms of growing plants in containers in hot climates, bigger is better – at least 2 feet wide at the top.  The larger the pot, the more soil and therefore, more insulation for the roots from the hot outer zone.

So what can you do if you do have plants that are struggling in the heat – particularly during a heatwave?  

Other than replacing them, you can provide them with temporary shade such as a patio chair strategically placed so that it protects it against the afternoon sun. A light spraying of water over the plant and surrounding area in the evening can help reduce the temperature – don’t do this when the sun is out, or you may burn the foliage.

How to Help Your Plants Survive a Heatwave