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Index : Plant Problems - Cultural
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- 13. Reviving Summer Stressed Plants - Top
- This has been an unusually long, hot summer. Plants wilted under the scorching sun and heat of June and July. The monsoons have finally arrived, but don't seem to be bringing that much rain. Still there is hope that the rains will come. Now is the time to count the losses and begin the recovery process.
Don't waste time nursing plants back that are too far gone. How do you know? If leaves are scorched brown and stems and branches are dry and brittle, it's too late. Probably the plant was in the wrong place. Moisture loving plants in dry places, shade loving plants in sunny spots all spell disaster.
If you replant the same species, find a shady spot under the canopy of a tree. Planting on the north sides of the house or other structures such as fences or walls will not provide sun protection. In June and July, the sun is nearly overhead and shadows cast from walls are practically non-existent. Actually, east sides of structures offer better protection. Significant shade is cast to the east from mid to late afternoon.
For sun loving plants that require lots of water, like roses and hibiscus, make sure they have enough drip emitters to water the roots. One emitter might be enough to start a one and five gallon container plant, but once it's grown a seasons worth, add more emitters.
There still may be some life in summer scorched plants. Before you pull them out, check the stems and branches for life. Scratch the stems with your thumb nail starting at the ends and moving down to the plant base. If the scratching reveals brown, dry wood, keep moving down the stem. When you reach live wood, it will be green or cream colored and moist. Cut these dead branches off, just above a side branch, side shoot or dormant bud.
Pruning encourages new growth. Be prepared to provide some extra water for the plant when new growth appears. For soils that have become hydrophobic, sheading water, apply a mild soap solution. Mix up a teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in a gallon of water. Use this solution to wet the soil. The soap breaks what's known as surface tension of the soil. This is what repels water, causing it to shed off without being absorbed. One application is enough. Once the soil has been wetted, it should be kept moist.
Hold off on fertilizing plants until September or October. It's still too hot, and the sun intensity to great to fertilize plants. Salts in fertilizers can burn plants when they are under stress for moisture.
Although the humidity of our monsoon season is uncomfortable for us, plants love it! Humid air provides plants with a break from the normal drying effects of our desert climate. Because plants loose moisture through pores in their leaves, this moisture loss is reduced when the surrounding air is more humid. More water held in the plant means less moisture stress, even when the temperatures are high.
With increased humidity also comes the increased likelihood of fungus diseases. This is especially true of plants that are watered overhead, such as lawns. If foliage of plants must be wetted during irrigation, do so in the early morning. Morning sun quickly dries off foliage. Never water at night. High humidities at this time of year may prevent the foliage from drying until the next morning, allowing fungus diseases time to start growing.
Finally, to help summer stressed plants recover, apply mulch. Replenish any decomposed granite that has washed away or become thin. If you have bare soil around landscape plants, cover it with a 3 inch layer of forest mulch. Garden plants can be mulched with compost, straw, pine needles, newspaper several sheets thick, or even old pieces of carpeting.
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Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on August 6, 2000
- Updated: April 20, 2001
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