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Your You Bet Your Garden Cool Plant Tips for Hot, Hot Weather

1. Keep that precious moisture in your soil with one to two inches of compost, shredded fall leaves, pine straw or other non-wood, non-bark mulch on the surface.

2. Water in the morning, when the plants are most receptive.

3. Don’t water at the height of the day; the plants are closed up tight to retain what moisture they already have and most of the water you add will be wasted.

4. Evening watering is okay if you water at the base of your plants; don’t wet their leaves in the evening.

5. Water lawns deeply and only once or twice a week; more often than that and you’ll keep the roots shallow and drought-vulnerable. Deeply and infrequently watered lawns have roots that extend down four feet—that’s a water reservoir right where you need it most!

6. Don’t cut lawns during a dry heat wave; wait until the weather breaks.

7. Don’t cut lawns shorter than three inches; four inches is even better.

8. And don’t feed any grass other than zoysia over the summer. Bluegrass, rye and fescues are damaged by summer feeding.

YBYG 2010; extra website bits for hot weather
© 2010 Mike McGrath