It’s the heat of summer. You look out onto the deck, and all of the tomatoes look like they’re taking a nap. Their leaves are drooping sadly. Yes, the summer heat is hard on plants, but it is particularly challenging for container plants.
Most plants rely on good soil to stay hydrated in the summer time. Good soil is soil that contains plenty of air pockets. Water trickles into these pockets and plant roots move into them as well. When the weather is warm, the plants can reach deeper into the ground and draw up moisture.
Garden plants also rely on the shade of buildings and the dappled shade of trees to stay cool. During the day, the angle of the sun changes. This means that shade moves throughout the garden, providing respite for the plants.
Container plants may not have these advantages. Their soil depth is limited, and the quality of potting soil varies. Potting soil is designed to stay light, so it does not have the moist compost and mulch of garden soils. However, this means that it does not retain moisture very effectively.
Container plants also have more limited sources of shade. On the deck of a high rise apartment, there may be no trees in sight. This means that an exposed plant gets the brunt of the summer heat and water evaporates quickly from its soil.
What can you do to help your plants in the summer time?
Water frequently, at least once a day. For plants that use a lot of water, you may need to water two or three times a day. Yes, this includes your tomatoes and squashes! It also includes larger plants like potted trees that might have a relatively small pot relative to their size.
Mulch your soil. A layer of mulch on the soil helps keep moisture in the soil.
Keep your plants in pots that trap moisture. Terracotta pots are beautiful, but they do lose moisture through the porous material. Plastic and wood pots do not lose moisture as quickly.
The larger the pot, the more the plant can reach down to find pockets of moisture in the soil. Place your plants in large pots if possible.
Provide shade when you can. If you can tuck plants into an area of the deck that is shady for part of the day, the plants will thank you!
How do you keep your container plants well-hydrated in the summer?
Image courtesy of Michael Law.