Heat wave gardening

How to survive the heatwave and still keep a garden in shape.

Avoiding Heatstroke in the Garden

With the temperatures soaring throughout much of the North American continent, there is much talk about heat stroke. This is definitely a time to say - 'survive without me', to the garden. That doesn't mean you have to do nothing in the garden, but the barest minimum will suffice.

Put soaker hoses on your plants and set them (or overhead sprinklers if you have no soaker hoses) going in the morning, when the dew is still wet, and the moisture has a chance to sink in. Water your garden early in the day or late in the afternoon, never midday. If you have any weeding that has to be done, do it early in the day too. Retire to an air conditioned area afterwards and make sure that you drink plenty of water. Even at 7 in the morning, the heat, coupled with humidity, can cause you to dehydrate. Wear a hat to protect your head and the back of your neck from overheating.

Leave all heavy weeding and maintenance until the heat wave breaks and it is safe to go out into the garden for a longer time.