Marianne's Response

How to Help Plants in 110 Degree Sunshine

Hi Marianne, I have your book “Tips fpr Carefree Lanscapes’ ! So helpful. Weeeeeell, I redesigned dug and planted half of my front yard flower beds this May and June 2021 after 25-odd years of valiant mistakes and, lately, neglect. How was I to know we’d have a weirdo heat wave in western Washington in June with three days straight of over 100 degree sunshine. I chose what I expected to be full sun loving perennials and shrubs, working around old stumps and much loved volunteer violets, love in the mist, queen anne’s lace and mullein as well as hanging-in-there old shrubs like rosemary and forsythia. I fear there could be lots of heat damage! I am still watering-in my new shrubs and perennials and they were gasping, wilting, and swooning during the heat wave. Bad timing to put in a new landscape. Could you write a column to address this heat wave catastrophe? I can’t be the only one with possibly damaged plants, despite my extra-watering reviving them from wiliting daily. I want to help my darling new plants. Thank you! I read your column in The Olympian newspaper.

Posted by Nancy Thomas on June 29, 2021

Marianne's Response

Hang in there the weather should be cooling off soon! (Also thanks for reading my book and columns.) A few ways to help new plants survive the heat are to mulch, shade and water. Use woodchips as a two inch deep mulch on top of the soil to keep it cool and seal in moisture and that is the mulch. Drag out umbrellas, sheets draped over tall stakes or even lawn chairs set over short plants to provide some shade during the hottest part of the day. Finally, water in the morning and evening when it is cool. The tops of your new plants may turn brown but the roots should survive and there is time for your plants to put on some new growth before winter. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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