Extreme Heat, Wilting Leaves, and Overwatering

10 years ago

Hi All,

Like a lot of others in the West, here in Utah starting in on our 2nd week of daily 100+ temperatures. Yesterday I think we peaked at about 105.

I have moved all my sunloving veggies (toms, peppers, eggplants) in my little patio so they are getting morning sun from about 7 am until 10:30-11:00 am and a bit of filtered sun in the late afternoon and the ones that can tolerate more shade to where they get some morning sun and then filtered afternoon sun. Right now, at almost 10:00 am it is about 85 in the shade and almost 100 in the full sun.

I have all of my veggies in 5-1-1 mix in various size containers. Toms, peppers, and eggplants are minimum 5-gal up to 10.

I'm trying to balance their need with sunlight without them getting fried, which is proving tricky.

They are still setting fruit, which I'm thrilled about, since I didn't know if they would in this heat.

Sticking my finger in the container down to the 2nd knuckle, the container soil is staying moist and cool, which is great, but at the same time, the toms, eggplants and peppers are looking all droopy with sad, wilting leaves from the heat.

My question for you experienced gardners out there is do I water them to help them perk up, even though the soil is moist and cool, or let them perk up on their own as it cools down? My 5-1-1 drains very nicely, with very little, if no, perched water, so would it be possible to overwater them since the soil still seems to be moist?

Any advice would be great appreciated.

Thanks!

Laura

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
10 years ago
Almost impossible to overwater the mix you describe. With that kind of heat/sun I would be keeping them watered/drenched daily. I use wooden skewers to test soil dampness down to about 12".
0
Wrekkless
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi Ed!

Yeah, I've been using the skewers like you suggested previously. They come out damp and cool, but plants just look so sad and droopy anyway. (I stuck my finger in just to double check actual coolness/moisture with my own senses). Before, you might remember my soil was drying out so quickly, and then I readjusted with more peat, and now it is staying moist nicely for a couple of days even in this heat...but the plants are still wilting and drooping. My instinct is to give them a drink, and they perk up when I do, but just didn't want to overwater them, killing them with 'kindness' :)
0
Related Discussions
You can OVER water in extreme heat....P.S
Q
Comments (14)
First off..Hello Andrew and you are welcome... Mn_citrus..I would have to guess it may be all relative depending on many factors? I hope I am alright to assume that many here kind of know what is too hot for their plants and how they are affected. If not, then they need to be more in tune with their plants, the containers they choose to use, and most of all the mix they grow in. Also how their containers can heat root sysytems compared to more stable temps for trees in the ground. How often to water, how fast their mixes dry out and what color the pots are used are all important factors to vital root health. For some, just the temps alone into the 90's can over heat roots such as mine, and then to have pots in full sun at those temps in black containers can bake roots like mine. Root rot usually occursin the winter for some. But root rot in the summer is invariably blamed on poor drainage and overwatering too. I wonder how much root death from overheating may also contribute to the summer root-rot phenomenon. (It's almost ironic that it's recommended to place Bonsai affected by root-rot in the shade after treatment - part of the cure?) Even some of the winter occurrences of root-rot may have had their origin in summer heat killed or damaged roots. (Now, there's some interesting studies to be performed). And finally, I think it's fair to say that high summer temperatures and placing certain plants in full sun throughout the growing season probably have some negative effect on a plants roots. Precautions such as midday shading and watering to cool down the containers might be in the best interest of plants, especially many of my Bonsai and Citrus. (I may even rethink the layout of my growing area and move some trees to more shade in the deep summer). Tamela..No problem...:-) I would water my plants if they were drying out that fast...For those plants that sit in damp mixes even after hot weather for days, I would be very careful is what I am saying... Mike
...See More
Zucchini leaves getting extremely pale
Q
Comments (6)
Hi thanks for the messages.. it's actually continues to be quite strange. I did lay off the watering for a few days and I used a probe and just watered again when it registered 'dry'. My girlfriend is convinced that the plant isn't yellowing/pale, but she's wrong. :) I'm posting some photos. The most interesting photo is the one that shows several immature Zucchini that have not yet blossomed. Notice how several of them are normal colored, but the one at the bottom of the photo is *bright* yellow as well as the one slightly behind it. It's odd, because i'd say that 35-40% of the immature Zucchini are coming out that color, yet the other Zucchini are just fine. Even the flower on the yellow ones are odd-colored. Almost white and reddish. I've already harvested 3 fully healthy, dark green Zucchini, and one of the photos I'm posting show's another that's about to be harvested (a little over 7 inches). What do you guys think?? Is it a disease? An odd DNA mutation that's causing some of the Zucchini to come out without pigment? Are they healthy to eat? Thanks!
...See More
Extreme Summer heat
Q
Comments (1)
Join the club, gwhext; you are not the only one with hydrangeas stressed out and-or partially dried out. Even at the Dallas Arboretum they are suffering. Some of those dried out stems may still leaf out so I would just let them be until around mid-May 2012 to see if anything happens. Expect some leaf out from the base when stems dry out. If you just cannot wait to tell if the stems are dried out or not, prune them in 1" or 2" increments but stop either when you get to the bottom or when you hit green. Make sure the shrubs are well mulched, with 3-4" of mulch as this reduces the amount of waterings needed. So instead of watering twice a day say, you may need to water every "X" days instead. But I think you are watering too much (twice a day). If your soil drains well, that may be ok but otherwise they could develop root rot due to the clay soils so just be careful. Oakleafs will croak if left in wet soil for too long periods but mopheads are more forgiving. You basically do not need to water if the soil is already moist when you insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4". If they wilt -as mine do- during the day, that is ok. It is a form of defense mechanism and they usually recover by next morning. Water if you see an extreme looking wilting episode; otherwise check the soil moisture using the finger method. About 1 gallon and half per watering should be enough. When the temps go down and stay down, you can go down to about 1 gallon of water per watering. If the shrubs are getting sun past 11am or so, consider moving them to a more shaded location or temporarily using shade cloth. You can wait until winter to move them since the plant will then be dormant and it will be less stressful for the plant. Expect poor bloomage in Spring 2012 as result of all of these problems. Rebloomers may be in better shape; blooms from old wood may be toast but blooms from new wood in late Spring should be fine. Of course, I am assuming we do not go thru another repeat of 2011 next year. And that we get some rain and water rationing does not get worse... Good luck, Luis
...See More
How in the world do you cope with potted plants in extreme heat?
Q
Comments (21)
This is my 3rd summer here at my new place and I recently bought one of those 9ft patio umbrellas (best thing I could have bought for out there). Since my patio is tiny (10ft deep and 17ft wide) when the umbrella is up, it takes up about 1/2 of the patio area and has been a big help providing some shade for the citrus that are facing SE and S. I can put it up and down depending on the temps to provide sun on cooler days and some shade on the hotter days. I do have to remember to put it down when there is rain forecast so that some of the other shrubs that fall under it can get some rain! I am just about convinced that the umbrella has also helped to keep my 3 container lilacs from burning up in the sun (they are behind the citrus facing SE & S). They (especially "Miss Kim") are usually crispy this time of year. Since I don't have a water spigot out on the patio, I have a good 50ft retractable hose that I attach to my kitchen sink and when unrolled, will run it from the kitchen in the front, to the back to get to the patio, which gives me about 15ft left once the sprayer end is outside. It has been perfect for deep watering (it takes me 1/2 hour to hose water everything out there). I also got one of those rolling plastic 3 gallon sprayer tanks that I can use to spot-water some of the smaller pots that dry out faster (e.g., a hanging million bells facing SW). What you describe is why I gave up on regular petunias. They just burn up. I have a white plastic urn out front by the door that I have put rubra grass in. The first year I was here, I tried petunias and verbena with the rubra - supposed "full sun" flowers, and they burned up. Last year I tried some dusty miller with the rubra, and they did a bit better but then they don't usually flower until their 2nd year, and they croaked over winter because of ice from the house overhang. This year I am trying some portulaca with the rubra and they have done quite well so I may end up with that combo in the future. My front faces full SW and stuff out there in a pot in blasting heat really struggles.
...See More
edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
10 years ago
OK, so it must be the heat that's making then wilt, it's the only thing I can figure. Have never had healthy plants wilt in the sun when they had water to drink, but then again have never experienced the kind of heat you all are getting these days. Sounds like a bit of shade is the best remedy :-)

Just a thought.....it's interesting that they perk up when you water them. I know that sometimes when my mix feels a little damp, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's alot of water available for the plant to drink. I can picture a healthy tomato plant in your conditions drinking at least 2 gallons of water per day.
0
sharonrossy
10 years ago
I agree with Ed. Last summer when we had excessive heat I had to water at least twice a day or the plants looked droopy. I also do a weak liquid fertilizing when I water and alternate with a granular fert also.
0
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
Do a test on one of the movable plants.
When the plant is wilting in the sun but the mix still feels moist, move it into the shade for 15 - 30 minutes. If it perks up without water, then clearly the issue is the direct sun...rather than a need for water. I've done this "test" with several friends and family members to convince them not to overwater their plants.

We've had four days over 100F (108F on Saturday, 106F on Sunday), and I haven't watered my #5 containers of 5-1-1 since Friday morning when I fertilized. I find that if I keep the containers shaded from that intense mid-afternoon sun, my peppers won't droop. I just angle nursery flats on the southern side of the pots.

Josh
0
gjshawk
10 years ago
I live in the same type climate that you do. I'm in Western Colorado, in Fruita. All my plants remain outdoors in full sun even in the high heat (we've hit 108). The one's in containers are in SIPs, and as long as I keep the reservoirs full the plants take the heat just fine. They are thriving. Others are in raised beds with Mel's MIx and are also doing fine. I haven't mulched or shaded or anything. I think water is the key. By the way, my containers basically have Mel's Mix in them too.

the attached photo is from about a week ago. As you can see, the container plants are fine, and in the background the raised bed veggies are good too. Best of luck with yours!
0

Extreme Heat, Wilting Leaves, and Overwatering

Comments (6)

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28

Wrekkless
Original Author

Related Discussions

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28

sharonrossy

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

gjshawk

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Extreme Heat, Wilting Leaves, and Overwatering

Comments (6)

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28

WrekklessOriginal Author

Related Discussions

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28

sharonrossy

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

gjshawk

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Wrekkless
Original Author