By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener
It’s hot. Very hot.
It’s dry. Very dry.
It’s windy. All the time.
The temperature in my car seems to always be over 100 degrees, the air conditioner in the house runs almost nonstop day and night, and the feral cats are so hot that they’re stretched out on the porch to get out of the blazing sun. I’m seeing the beautiful green grass beginning to turn yellow and crunchy, and the flowers are getting droopy during the heat of the day. There are cracks in the yard. What can I do to help?
Tips on dealing with heat:
- Create shade for plants that are heat sensitive by building a frame with lumber over the bed. Cover the frame with wooden slats, window screens, fabric, or shade cloth to protect plants from the sun.
- Plant sun-loving plants to cast shade over plants that need some shade every day. Some examples of taller plants are corn and sunflowers.
- Plant cultivars that are heat sensitive on the shady side of a building, next to taller plants or shrubs, or under trees.
- Add 2-3 inches of organic mulch around the plants to keep the soil cool. Examples of organic mulch that are good to use are pine bark or wood chips. Other types of mulches can make the soil hotter.
- Be aware of hot areas such as walkways, patios, and driveways in the landscape because they can raise the temperature of the soil around them. Use heat-tolerant plants that won’t grow in other areas of the landscape in those “hot” areas.
Tips on dealing with dry weather conditions:
- Plan ahead for dry weather. Plants develop shallow root systems when they are watered frequently, and this makes them vulnerable to dry weather conditions. Instead, watering slowly, deeply, and less often encourages deep root growth and causes the plants to search for moisture in the soil.
- Use compost as an amendment to help the soil retain moisture so plants benefit from watering and rainfall.
- Keep color in the landscape by planting drought-tolerant flowers that are either native or adapted native plants or Texas Superstars®. Examples of annuals are gerbera daisies, caladiums, coleus, periwinkles, sunflowers, portulaca, marigolds, and zinnias. Examples of perennials are firebush, Gold Star Esperanza, lantana, phlox, salvias, verbena, black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, primrose, and yarrow.
- Help the soil retain moisture by adding a 2-3-inch layer of mulch to the beds.
- Consider xeriscaping some areas in the landscape. Growing drought-tolerant plants that are full of color from flowers, foliage, and bark makes an attractive landscape that can survive during hot, dry times.
It is easy to see that some tasks can help with both problems – dealing with the heat and dealing with dry weather conditions. These are tasks to tackle first to make improvements that will help with both heat and drought.
Texas Home Landscaping lists these water-wise practices:
- Choose plants carefully. Select plants that require little water and thrive in the dry summer climate.
- Group plants with similar water needs. Put plants that require the most water near the house where water sources are more accessible and put drought-tolerant plants further away from the house.
- Mulch plantings. Adding a 2-3-inch layer of mulch reduces evaporation by keeping the soil cool and sheltering it from the wind.
- Create water-retaining basins. Make a soil mound around the plant’s drip line and use it to direct water to larger plants.
- Plant in the fall. New plants will have cooler weather during winter and spring to become acclimated before the heat of summer.
- Limit lawn size. Reduce the size of the lawn by adding beds, borders, and less thirsty plants.
- Water in the morning. Water when the morning temperatures are lower, and wind is calmer to lessen loss to evaporation.
- Adjust watering to conditions. Water less during cool weather and turn off the automatic sprinkler timers during rainy periods.
- Install, monitor, and maintain an irrigation system. A drip system can conserve water, but remember to check and adjust the equipment regularly to be sure it is operating efficiently.
What am I doing in my landscape?
- I’m watering plants in flower beds and pots early in the morning.
- I planted hardy annuals for color and have been very pleased with the results. This year I planted annuals such as vinca—the Cora variety, which is a Texas Superstar®—pentas, blue daze, and dew for color. I also planted hardy perennials such as salvia greggii, daylilies, and irises plus Gold Star Esperanza, Texas sages, dwarf crape myrtles, abelias, and yuccas. They are all surviving!
- I have added mulch to some of the beds, and I still have more mulch to put in the remaining beds. Right now I have four pallets of mulch in the driveway and will be adding it to the rest of the beds in the landscape.
- I will be adding more perennials and shrubs this fall. The Big Country Master Gardener Association will have its annual Fall Plant Sale in October, and I will purchase more plants that will survive and thrive in our area.
The Fall Plant Sale will be held in October. The online sale will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7 and will end at 12:00 noon on Friday, October 9. Online orders will be picked up on Friday afternoon. The in-person sale will be held in the Modern Living Mall on the Expo grounds on Saturday, October 10. It starts at 8:00 a.m. and will end at 12:00 noon. Watch for more information on the Plant Sale and the plants that will be available in my next article.
BCMGA offers several education programs each month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the South Library Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is offered again at 10:00 a.m. on the second Friday of the month at the Main Library in Heritage Square on S. 1st. Watch the BCMGA website and Facebook page for the topics and dates of these monthly programs.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you’ll visit our website at bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on Facebook, and check out our training presentations on YouTube. We are here to help you.
Until next week, happy gardening!