Medicine Hat gardeners take on the heat: Tips to save your plants from wilting

She says determining soil conditions is a good place to start. Those with sandier soil may need water every two or three days, whereas clay-heavy soil can retain water longer. She also recommends watering in the morning to avoid evaporation.

Kusler says adding mulch to the top layer of a garden can also lessen water loss. Many greenhouses give away free cocoa fiber that can be used as mulch on annual gardens.

For plants in pots, Kusler recommends moving them into the shade if possible, and drenching the soil twice a day. She also adds that if you find yourself with a wilted plant, it may not be a lost cause.

“I’ve had plants that look like limp raggs. Just soak them a lot of times. Soak them once and then wait a half an hour and then soak them again and kind of do it repeatedly to get that moisture back in them. Some (plants) are more tolerant than others, but they will come back from wilting, don’t just give up immediately,” Kusler says.

Here are some other helpful tips for keeping plants healthy in the summer:

Potted plants should be soaked until water is trickling out of the bottom.
Brown-eyed susans, rudbeckias and zinnias are the most hardy annual flowers, able to better withstand drought and heat.
Sometimes flowers will wilt in the day to protect themselves, and will bloom again at night.
Young or newly planted trees need more water than more established trees.
Avoid poplar trees as they need a lot of water to maintain.
When watering your garden water at ground level instead of on top of the foliage to avoid evaporation.

by Lisa Parent

Medicine Hat gardeners take on the heat: Tips to save your plants from wilting

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