Temperatures are reaching 108F today here in Palm Springs, the highest temperature so far this year. The feature picture was taken yesterday after I made some adjustments to provide shade. Here are some things that I do to protect my plants from the sweltering heat.
Yesterday I adjusted the shading of my garden and the position of plants to prepare for today’s 108F weather. This picture was taken early in the evening.
SHADE: Increase the amount of shade that your tender plants get. The desert sun can be specially brutal and will cause severe leaf burn. By observing the movement of the sun thought the day, you can adjust your shade sail (or similar device) to protect your plants from direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, which here in the California desert is around 3 or 4 pm. Choose a shade device that will not block out all sunlight, but will let through a certain percentage of it. There are specialty fabrics for that purpose in any large hardware store. I like Easy Gardener Sun Screen. That way, you don’t get your precious leaves burnt, but they still get life-giving sunlight. I ensure my desert garden receives direct morning sunlight, and dappled light through the rest of the day. My big tomato plant is placed directly under the shade and is producing profusely. The sweet Italian and hot peppers, however, sure seem to enjoy a greater amount of direct sunlight. I have them raised higher than the other plants for that purpose. On the other hand, I had to move my sunflowers away from the sun, to my great surprise. They were getting severely burnt by the Sun. Again, the desert Sun is brutal!
WATER: Quench your plants’ thirst early in the morning and in the evening. I find that I need to water my garden twice a day once summer approaches – even if in the morning, before I head out to work, I only have time to give it a light sprinkle or mist. Avoid watering in the heat of the day! A certain amount of wilting is normal, but if the plants don’t spring back once the sun is down, you may have to investigate the issue. A great and simple irrigation system for the desert, which I’ve been reading about, are the ollas. You may also get them here. I’m looking forward to experimenting with those and reporting back!
CONTAINERS: If you are growing your plants in containers as I do, make sure the size is appropriate. Smaller containers will dry out very fast, whereas with larger pots, the soil can retain moisture much longer. I try to use the larger pots I have available for any of my plants. Sometimes that means having to transplant and adjust. If you use geopots, smart pots, or similar fabric pots, beware of their fast evaporation rates. I avoid using them for salad greens, but my peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant love them. Placing them in saucers (which you can do yourself by reusing empty soil bags) is of immense help.
SOIL: This is not for all plants, by as a general rule, I try to use moisture-retaining soil.They are available by many brands. In my experience, they do make a difference in slowly releasing moisture to the roots. Plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes and peppers) don’t seem to enjoy moisture-retaining soils very much, but I’ve had good results with using regular potting soil in the bottom (for faster drainage) and moisture-retaining soil on the top. Same with the okra plants I’m growing.
MULCH: Keep the soil from further evaporation by adding a protective layer on top. Due to our specially intense sunlight, I use organic bark chips. They are very hardy! They will also protect the top of the soil from the erosion caused by all that frequent watering.
AUTOMATED SYSTEMS: Home garden drip irrigation systems can be quite affordable. Depending on how handy you are, you can even build your own! It will save you lots of time and guarantee a steady delivery of moisture to your dear plants. Myself, I don’t have one. But I have a patio misting system on a timer set to start during the hottest times of the day. Since I have a backyard enclosed in walls, it does an amazing job at creating a micro-climate and lowering the temperature, which in these parts can get to 120F! Of course, I must be very mindful of water waste when using the mister, so I only resort to it when there are huge increases in temperature.
TIMING: Well-established plants which have well-developed root systems are much better at withstanding harsh daytime conditions. So time the planting of your garden accordingly. If you have seedlings or recently potted plants, be sure to give them extra protection. If container growing, bring them inside to your cool home and expose them to the elements gradually!
These are some of the things I do for the well-being of my green friends during periods of extreme heat. As with all gardening, be attentive to what your plants are telling you. Getting to know each one, their characteristics and requirements, will be very useful in your decision-making. More resources can be found below:
http://www.wikihow.com/Protect-Your-Garden-During-a-Harsh-Summer
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2012/07/how-to-protect-your-garden-during-a-heat-wave/
Crazy Beets 