Plant Survival Guide for Summer in Arizona
The heat and the dryness are brutal this time of year. You may be thinking, "What does that have to do with my plants?" The answer is: a lot! It's important for Arizona homeowners to know how to care for their plants during these intense summer months. In this blog post, we'll go over what you need to know about watering your lawn and garden during the hot summer months as well as some tips on how to protect your plants from sunburns, leaves turning brown or yellow, and more. We will also discuss some options for keeping your greenery looking lush even in the hottest temperatures. Let's get started!
Switch Your Irrigation to Summer
Now that it’s summer, you need to water more often and at different times because your plants need more water during these hot months.
The hot sun is like a water stealer, and your plants need all the water they can get. Water before the morning light comes up so that your plants don't become dry in these hot summer months or at night after the sun goes down. The timing of watering is important because of two concepts that affect your plants–transpiration and evaporation.
Transpiration
Did you know that flowers sweat? This process is known as transpiration. Water will leave three times faster than they can take it back in through their leaves during the summer months, which causes them to "sweat."
Evaporation
Evaporation is just the surface-level water that evaporates. It matters because our clay ground here doesn't absorb moisture quickly, and we need to have as much absorption as possible before sunup or after sundown.
Because of this, we recommend watering plants well before the sun rises. The sunrise starts earlier and sets later during summer, so if sunrise is at 5 am, then 3:30 am is an ideal time to water.
Don’t Promote Growth
Plants are just as clever about surviving in this hot desert climate as we humans. They don't want to waste energy on creating flowers, so they pull back when it's too hot and take a break until the heat cools down again.
That’s why it’s very important to not fertilize plants during the summer! Not only does this increase plant growth during times when the weather doesn’t provide enough rain but also increases heat stress on these delicate little things - which can potentially damage a lot more than just their appearance by putting increased pressure on their systems with no way to cool down due to lack of water.
Make Proper Adjustments for your Plants
If you have a pool area that is filled with tropical plants, it can be difficult to protect them from the sun. You should make sure they're protected by purchasing a temporary screen mesh and staking in place when needed. If there is intense heat (above 3-5 days of over 108 degrees), then this will provide some relief for your plants who are struggling to stay alive!
If it gets above 108 degrees, start watering daily. If you see that your plants are starting to die, then start watering twice a day (once in the morning before sun comes up and another when sun goes down). Most of the time people just need to water their plants every two- or three days during summertime, but it changes during these times of intense heat.
Choose Wildflower Desert Design as Your Backyard Design Professional
These are the recommendations that we would give you if you work with us. Want to talk plants?. If you want to bring your landscaping dreams to life, we can help by creating a professional landscape design and install plan.
Here’s how it works:
You Dream – Think Big! Let us show you your dreams.
We Design – Our 3D rendering provides a true realm of reality.
They Build – We are here to fully assist you in choosing the right contractor for the job.
For more questions about your landscaping needs, contact us at Wildflower Desert Design. Call us today for a FREE consultation!