advisory
July = heat
advisory July = heat
July is here, so it is time for our yearly reminder that the heat is brutal this time of year! Not only for you, but for your plants!! Even with plants carefully picked for our climate, the brutally hot days can take a toll on our plants. They will need extra care and attention to make sure they have enough water to get them through heat waves. When it is this hot out sometimes we hide inside in the a/c but with this weather it is important take a walk through your property, perhaps with a hose in hand, and give your plants some extra love!
Thom has some tips for keeping your plants safe in these higher temperatures:
Recent Installs:
*NOTE FOR RECENT INSTALLS:
If you have new plants that have recently been installed, they are even more vulnerable and will definitely need to be watered multiple times a day as long as a heat wave remains.
*Note if you have sod that has been recently installed it will need to be watered constantly in heat!!
water
Even established plants and shrubs need to be watered.
Thom says: For watering, it is always better to give a long trickle than a quick shot of water. If you are watering in the heat of the day, add water to the ground and not the leaves!
Thom also says: “You have to be one with your plants."
DON'T FORGET TO WATER:
ANNUALS
PERENNIALS
SHRUBS
GRASS/SOD
TREES
from this list, annuals will need the most water
Irrigation:
If you have irrigation set up for your plants, that is a good place to start but your irrigation timers are set up for normal weather and so even with irrigation our plants will need extra water for the month of July and probably August as well.
Thom says: To water longer, rather than more frequently. For example if your irrigation timer is usually on for 20, increase it to 30.
Fertilizer:
Thom says: To add liquid fertilizer to annuals and perennials. The liquid fertilizer you buy should be high in potassium phosphorus. In the liquid fertilizer configuration the last 2 numbers should be higher than the first.
Fungus:
Thom says: That in this heat to watch for fungus and pests. Fungus grows more rampantly in extreme heat.
Thom says that this is the most important:
Keep an eye on your landscaping, if your plants are looking dry, weepy, or tired, they probably are!
Of course make sure you take care of your pets and loved ones in this heat as well! The official GreenRoots mascot Keith loves to sun himself in the heat, so we’ll be watching him closely as well…
Be safe out there! And take care of your plants, your pets, and your loved ones!
