Post-Heatwave Care 101
It's been 40+ degrees for 5 days now and in some regions, it will continue to be scorching for another 2/3 days.
So our gardens are not looking extraordinary, in fact they look terrible and sad and parched and scorched.
But instead of crying and yelling and pleading and watering in the middle of the day, let's discuss a plan of action.
1. FIRST AID
✂️⛔ Do not trim or prune or tear off the dead leaves.
The double stress of water/heat stress multiplied by tearing off of their leaves will be what will kill the plant.
The plant will usually recover more quickly – from either frost or heat damage – if you let nature take care of itself.
✂️⛔ Do not fertilize in summer, especially if plants are struggling with heat or drought.
(Pots are different > they are only get the nutrients we give them, so they have to be fertilized during the growing season. Check which nutrients which plant needs before dumping the whole bag in the pot :)
💦 In a drought, the watering is the key.
Mature shrubs will probably survive a drought, but if your shrubs look as if they are suffering, water them (mature = planted 9+ months ago, with 2-3 seasons in their roots)
Shrubs planted this year will need regular watering until their roots grow enough to access the water deeper in the soil.
- ⏰ Water early in the morning or late in the evening.
- 🎯 Water new plants or plants which need it > no need to water everybody
- 🌱 Direct the watering at the roots of the plants > no need to waste water with the ambiance spray, it isn't helping.
If a plant continues to struggle in a position, even if you’re watering it, try putting it in a pot for the rest of the summer, then re-planting in the autumn.
This is what I had to do with the Sequoia sempervirens Adpressa that I had given to my man as a gift- the sun just kept scorching the young leaves and there was no way to save him. He lives inside now - hopefully it will allow for him to gain some strength by August.
2. PREPARE
As the temperatures begin to drop, the time for reinforcing our defenses has arrived.
Announcements from the French government indicate that we may have another heat wave in the end of July - so let's learn from our mistakes!
There are a few things we can do during the summer:
- Add chunky mulch in hot weather
- Poke a finger into the soil > if it is dry as a bone, water deeply. We are trying to build up their resilience and strengthen their root systems
But there are more impactful things to be done in the winter:
- If you mulch in winter, your borders will hold water better in summer
- Choose appropriate plants for each space
- Drought tolerant plants exist for sunny and shady locations > the less you consider their origin, the more you will have to care for them.
Mediterranean plants, such as lavender, are also usually considered drought tolerant. But this year, when we hit 42°C three days in a row, our Lavender ‘Alba’ started to wilt and we absolutely watered it - deeply, in the darkness lit only by the moon.
In Conclusion...
There are three important principles of garden watering.
- Mulch your soil
- Plant the right plants for the conditions
- Check the soil before watering
As we move forward in time and water is not just occasionally restricted but actually becomes scarce, we may enter a world where we use 'Grey Water' for plant irrigation.
What is Grey Water?
It's the runoff water from your sink/shower (not toilet).
So most grey water contains soap and the roots don't respond well to the sodium in the soap.
But if that is all there is, the mature plants can talk it for a little while.
Collecting water before and after you soap up can also bring you a few watering cans full of water. Just some food for thought.
Stay hydrated, stay green 🌿