STARKVILLE – Starkville Town and Country Garden Club has prepared several tips to help prepare your yard and garden for extreme heat.
“Most Mississippians don’t look forward to weather in the high 90s; however, we do need to prepare for it,” said Lynne Strickland, president of the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club and a master gardener. “Protecting plants from extreme heat takes careful planning during the selection of plants suitable for our area as well as proper maintenance throughout the year.”
Most plants sold in local garden centers are selected because they will grow and do well in our climate. However, heat waves with prolonged periods of abnormally hot weather can wreak havoc on plants and trees over time.
Here are some tips from garden club members for preparing your plants for extreme heat:
■ Watering – Water your plants deeply and early in the morning. This helps the plants have time to drink lots of water, which enables them to stay healthy over the course of the day. Using slow drip watering system is also beneficial.
■ Shade structures – When possible, move potted plants to shady areas or create shade structures using shade cloth or other objects to reduce the sunlight and heat the plant receives.
■ Thicken the mulch – Add about two to three inches of a lighter colored mulch to protect the soil, reduce the heat and retain the moisture in the soil.
■ Fertilize less – Reduce or stop your fertilizing to stop the flush of growth and to reduce the plant’s water consumption due to the increased growth.
■ Hold off on pruning – Do not prune as much during a heat wave because it will expose more of the foliage and plant to blinding heat and light.
“Our best recommendation is to not procrastinate,” said Strickland. “Get out there now and move plants and containers around to shadier locations and add extra mulch. You will be happy you did.”
The Starkville Town and Country Garden Club strives to improve the knowledge of its members through monthly educational programs, regional workshops and the sharing of information and resources among club members and the community.
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