With the level of intense heat this summer, plants and soil alike are also being adversely affected. The intense heat wrings any moisture from the ground and kills microbes in the soil that would have been beneficial for plant growth. This creates patches of dead plants and cracked soil, which ruins the landscape. That’s why you have to be mindful of taking care of your landscape by making use of the following tips to prevent summer heat stress.
Water The Ground and Plants Frequently.
To maintain the health of your plants during the summer heat, you’ve got to frequently water them. This should cool them down and prevent drought by allowing the roots to dig deeply. During peak summer heating, you can also water the ground to prevent cracking and encourage some grass to grow to protect the soil.
Provide Some Shade.
Smart landscapers should provide some level of shade to the plants to avoid heat stress. This shade can be in the form of planting large trees or using netting and patio shades to cover plants that aren’t heat-resistant.
Avoid Heavy Pruning.
Part of gardening and landscaping is the act of pruning. Basically, cutting off branches to make a plant a shrub, a certain shape, or to prevent overgrowing into sensitive places like electric lines or buildings. The act of pruning stresses the plants, and combining it with the heat, you’ll quickly find the plant wilting.
Adjust Your Irrigation Schedules.
One tip you can make use of to avoid heat stress in your landscape is by adjusting the schedule planned out for irrigation. You should base it on use bases for the particular plant and the weather conditions. If the temperature in a particular plot is high, you can direct water to it, and you can adjust the work schedules so that it coincides with just before peak heating.
Use Plants That Can Tolerate the Heat.
One could also make use of plants that are heat-resistant to an extent. Plants like Zinnias are strong, hardy and love lots of sunlight while still maintaining their vibrancy. These qualities make it less likely to undergo heat stress, which makes it the perfect plant to be in your garden during summer.
Test The Soil.
Remember to conduct a test on the soil to know about its available nutrients and pH balance. These tests can determine the water content, informing you still need to water the plants. Also, if the soil is alkaline or acidic, additional heat will disrupt this pH balance and result in a heat-stressed garden.
Fertilizers and Mulching.
You cannot only provide the soil with liquid fertilizers to regain the nutrients that have been sapped from the soil by heat, but you can also apply Mulching. This will not only protect the ground with decaying leaves and plants but also help fertilize the soil.
Signs of Heat Stress.
- Stunted growth, especially after heavy pruning.
- Wilting of leaves.
- Leaves begin to lose their greenish tint for a yellowish one.
- Spots with leave scorch.
- Less flowering and fruit production.
DIY jobs can be fun when you have the time, but getting a professional like GCS Outdoors to help prevent heat stress on your landscape is the best choice and saves you the time you need to focus on. Contact us today for your lawn care service!