Summer heat is inevitable. The occasional rainfall may bring some relief for a few days, but what are we doing to protect the plants in our beloved gardens on our balconies and rooftops from the scorching heat? Along with taking care of ourselves during this hot weather, we must also look after our plants. Rubel Islam Akand, Managing Director of A R Green Garden, has shared some essential tips on how to care for plants during the summer.
Choosing the Right Place for Your Plants
When creating a rooftop or balcony garden, choosing the right location for your plants is essential. To protect them from the scorching sun, place them somewhere with adequate light and airflow but without intense, direct sunlight. Taking care of potted plants is particularly important during hot weather. First, move the pots away from areas exposed to harsh, direct sunlight.
Creating Shade
Install green shade netting in your garden to protect plants from intense sunlight. You can build a frame using iron or wood and cover it with dense wire mesh, thick plastic netting, or specially designed shade cloth available in the market. Old bedsheets, used window curtains, or wooden canopies can also serve the purpose.
Whatever material you choose, make sure the cover is positioned at least a few inches above the plants. When properly installed, these covers can block approximately 50 percent of sunlight, helping keep the plants cool.
Placing Smaller Plants Beside Larger Ones
Plants can be friends to one another. Large, sturdy plants growing in rooftop garden beds or half-drum containers can provide shade for smaller plants and leafy vegetables. You can rearrange your garden layout to take advantage of this natural shading technique.
Learn to Recognize Plant Problems
If you can quickly identify which plants are suffering from the heat, you can take timely action to protect them.
Plants with broad, fleshy leaves may begin to dry out under intense sunlight. Their once-bright green leaves may gradually become pale. Rough brown or yellow patches on leaves and stems can also indicate different forms of sunburn. Leaves may curl, bend, and dry out. Excessive heat can also cause leaves, flowers, and fruits to drop prematurely.
As soon as you notice these symptoms, take the necessary steps to protect your plants before the damage becomes severe.
Mulching Around the Base of Plants
Regularly remove weeds from your garden and apply mulch around the base of your plants. Mulching is particularly beneficial for retaining soil moisture and keeping the soil cool. It can help preserve approximately 10–25 percent more moisture.
You can cover the soil surface around your plants with materials such as water hyacinth, dry fallen leaves, cleared weeds, grass clippings, rice or wheat straw, compost, and well-decomposed kitchen waste.
When mulching around plant bases, vegetable beds, and fruit gardens, start applying the mulch about 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) away from the base of each plant. The mulch layer itself should generally not exceed 2 inches (5 cm) in thickness.
The Right Time to Water Plants
The best time to water plants during summer is early in the morning, before the sun becomes too intense, or in the late afternoon or evening, when the heat has subsided. Never water plants during the peak hours of intense sunlight. If you have an automatic sprinkler system that sprays water like rainfall across the garden, use it at night.
However, avoid giving plants more water than they need, even during hot weather. Always check the soil before watering. If the soil is still moist, additional watering may not be necessary.
Along with watering the base of the plants, you can also lightly spray water over the foliage in the late afternoon when conditions are suitable.
Grass-covered areas of the garden generally do not require much watering during this period. Even if the grass becomes slightly discolored due to the intense sunlight, it will likely regain its green, fresh appearance when the monsoon rains arrive.
Avoid Repotting for Now
When a plant remains in the same pot for many years, its roots may eventually fill the entire container. As a result, its growth may slow down, and flowering and fruit production may decrease or even stop altogether.
In such cases, the plant can be removed from its existing pot and transferred to a larger pot or drum. However, this process, known as repotting, is also best avoided during periods of extreme summer heat.
Pruning Branches and Foliage
Except for jujube (ber) trees that have recently finished fruiting, avoid pruning the branches of other plants during periods of intense summer heat.
However, diseased or dead branches can be pruned when necessary.
Be Careful When Applying Fertilizers
Although fertilizers provide plants with essential nutrients and meet their nutritional requirements, this is not an ideal time for regular fertilizer application. Excessive heat can make fertilization harmful to plants, especially when chemical fertilizers are used. It is best to avoid chemical fertilizers during this period.
If necessary, you can use organic fertilizers instead. Examples include dried cow dung manure, vermicompost, banana peels, onion and garlic peels, used tea leaves, and powdered eggshells.
Take Precautions When Spraying Vitamins and Pesticides
During this period, it is better to avoid spraying vitamin-based plant nutrients, such as Flora and PGR, as well as pesticides.
However, fungicides such as copper oxychloride and Mancozeb may be applied every 10–15 days, where appropriate.
By following these precautions, your plants can better withstand the stress caused by extreme summer heat. These simple practices will help keep your garden green, fresh, and vibrant, just as it was before the scorching weather arrived.
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