There are more than 400,000 different land species of plants on Earth, and many of them can be found in your yard. Plants are great to have in your yard since they can add personality and color to your property, but sometimes, they can be very difficult to take care of. This is especially true if there is some weather change that affects a plant's growth or perhaps even damages or kills it.
So, how can you protect your plants against weather changes throughout the year? Keep reading and learn more about the different steps one can take for protecting your plants from both excessive heat and cold.
When the weather starts to get hotter and hotter, your outdoor plants might not be prepared for the heat. Of course, some plants are much more resistant to hot weather than others, and they might even thrive in the heat. On the other hand, some types of plants may wither and even die if you don't give them special attention during the hotter months.
If you think some of the plants out on your lawn are starting to take a turn for the worst due to the summer heat, there are a few things you can try to make sure your plants stay healthy. The first step of plant care is the most obvious: you need to keep your plants hydrated.
You should avoid watering your plants in the middle of the day. This is because the sun will start drying out the water as soon as you add it to the soil.
So, the plants won't have enough time to get themselves hydrated. Instead, it is best to wait until the evening or night to water your plants. That way, the sun will be out of the picture, and the temperature will drop somewhat. Then, your plants have all night to suck up that water.
Another way to protect your plants from the hot sun is to use a shade cloth. A shade cloth is exactly what it sounds like: it is a cloth that you can set up over your plants so that they're not in direct sunlight. That way, the sun won't have a chance to burn the delicate leaves of the plants, and the temperature around the plants won't get as hot either.
Putting your plants around shady areas such as fences is also a good idea. For example, if you put some plants up against a tall fence like a wooden fence, the fence will provide the plants with some shade for a good portion of the day. That way, you won't have to worry so much about your plants getting too hot or dry.
Cold weather can be just as damaging as hot weather when it comes to plant maintenance and health. If the temperature happens to drop all of a sudden or it happens to frost, your plants might end up stunted, or they might even die. The first thing you need to do is keep track of the weather forecast and frost dates.
Weather forecasts should tell you all about the probability of frost or if there is any chance of a drop in temperature in the days ahead. If so, you can prepare your plants ahead of time.
The best thing you can do is buy some row covers for your plants. A row cover is a polyester piece of cloth that is designed to cover a long row of plants. This piece of cloth will insulate the plants and keep your plants from getting covered in frost.
Keep in mind that the cloth should not touch the plants directly as it might end up crushing them. Instead, the cloth should be propped up with something such as poles or other objects. It is especially important to use these coverings at night since this is when temperatures tend to drop.
You can take the coverings off when the sun comes out the next day, so the plants have a chance to warm up and photosynthesize. If you don't have row covers, you can always use some towels or old shirts to cover your plants in a similar way. Besides covering your plants, you should also plan ahead and keep your plants along your house, a fence, or another barrier.
For example, if you keep your plants along a wall or a fence, the cold wind won't have the chance to affect your plants. Also, the plants will be more insulated if they are in a smaller and more enclosed area. Keep this in mind before you plant anything.
Keeping your plants protected from weather change can be difficult, but it's not impossible as long as you plan ahead. During the summer, make sure you keep your plants hydrated and out of direct sunlight by using shade clothes. During the colder months, make sure that you protect your plants from frost at all costs by covering them with cloth and positioning them in more enclosed areas if you can.
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