Do deadhead flowers. Cut just above a leaf when deadheading flowers. Deadheading means cutting off spent flowers. Once a flower dies, a plant will use a lot of its stored energy to produce a seed head. By removing flowers after they bloom, the plant will use energy for leaf, stem and root development instead of seeds. Deadheading helps to improve the appearance of the flowering plant for the rest of the summer, especially if it is a one-time bloomer. If your flowers re-bloom all summer, then deadheading is a way to clean up the flower and encourag
e new bud set. You should be deadheading our perennials for another good reason – building food reserves for next year. By deadheading you are removing any flowers that later may be setting seed and in doing so use up food reserves. While we love our flowering garden plants,
left to go to seed may mean that we will be finding seedlings in unexpected places. A common re-seeder in a perennial bed is coneflower. Unless you know that those spent flowers do not contain viable seed, do not compost them. One consideration for leaving those seed heads will be if you are “birder” and want to at attract wildlife into your yard.You might even get a second bloom!
DO water containers. Plants growing in pots, planters, and other containers will dry out quickly in the heat. Water early in the day so water can soak in and be absorbed. Your plants may wilt in the midday heat, but if the soil is still damp, they will recover once out of the sun. This go
es for the plants in your garden beds too. Always apply water at the base of the plant (the root zone) whenever possible to reduce the chance of leaf disease and other soil-borne pathogens affecting your plants.
DO avoid heat stress! Drink beverages that contain electrolytes, wear sunscreen, a hat, and gloves that breathe. Take breaks indoors or in the shade where you can cool down.
DON’T cut your grass as often. During the hot month of July, our cool-season lawn grasses become dormant meaning they slow down their growth rate due to high temps. Mowing 2 to 2.5 inches can stress grass plants and remove too much of the grass blades that shade grass plant crowns and reduce burn-out (when our lawns become brown). Mow your lawn higher — 3 inches or more — to leave more green grass for photosynthesis and to shade your grass plants from the hot summer sun.
DON’T fertilize your lawn. Fertilizing during this time of slow growth can force grass plants into active growth — something you want to avoid during hot weather. Keep your lawn watered and give it a break during hot weather. Temps will cool down in August and grass plants will start growing again.
DON’T apply herbicide. Herbicide can become volatile (turn to gas) when applied during extreme heat. The gas can drift and harm non-targeted plants. Product labels will indicate safe temperatures for application. Always follow the label of any pesticide. In the meantime, remove insects and place in a container of soapy water. Weed by hand or using a weeding tool.