GARDENING BY THE MOON
HEAT ADVISORIES AND YOUR PLANT MATERIALS
Submitted by
Dr. Robert E. Moon
August, 2018
All the recent heat advisories have not only been hard for each of us, but those high temperatures have been creating harsh conditions for all of your trees, shrubs, container plants and turf. All plants respond to this by using more water. To counteract these harsh conditions for your plant material and especially if you have new plantings, is to provide extra water!
Hand watering can be a very effective way of adding extra water effeciently to your plants. You can add water only where needed without wasting a large volume of water. Focus on watering trees, shrubs and container plantings first. Respond by adding extra water as soon as you see wilting or you observe the first sign of burned leaves to prevent leaf scorch.
Turf can tolerate and recover from drought easier than your other plants but even hand watering can benefit turf if you have the patience to stand out in your yard with a water hose and provide extra water.
Good luck! There can be another 6 to 8 weeks of this hot weather, but fall is coming with cooler weather, hopefully. However, this is Texas!!!