Hot Weather Gardening

Posted by Jamie McIntosh Jul 21, 2008

I’ve been spoiled by our long and glorious spring. Above average rainfall combined with below average temperatures caused my garden to look like an English cottage garden paradise. Now it seems that this paradise has morphed into Hades.

The hot Midwestern wind blows across the landscape, scorching it like a hairdryer. Billowing clouds gather in the late afternoon, but the scant precipitation they offer doesn’t even soak the ground beneath the shade trees. The butterflies are oblivious to the heat, but the bronze fennel I planted to serve as a host plant for swallowtail larvae is succumbing to a spider mite infestation. I’ve planted the right plant in the right location, but some of my drought tolerant plants aren’t living up to their reputations. The coneflowers beside my mailbox looked grayish one day, and the next time I took notice, a few were ready for the compost bin.

As with any extreme weather, not all garden occupants will come through the season unscathed. If there are a few high maintenance plants you’re weary of tending, you might “accidentally” forget to water them this summer, so you can replace them with a new shrub or flat of ornamental kale when temperatures cool.

Any plants with succulent, fleshy leaves, like ice plant or sedum, should be able to survive 90-degree temperatures with no supplemental watering. Other drought-tolerant stalwarts, like Russian sage, won’t slow down in the heat. Help the rest of your flower and vegetable gardens cope with summer heat waves with at least an inch of water each week. Replenish your organic mulch, as it breaks down quickly in hot weather. Reserve organic pest control sprays for milder temperatures, as sprays can burn foliage in temperatures over 85 degrees.