Your garden can't escape the heat. How to make sure your plants don't die
Austin already broke a heat record for the month after the temperature never dropped below 82 degrees on June 15th at Camp Mabry, the warmest low temperature in June on record.
BUDA, TX (KXAN) -- The June heat wave continues in Central Texas with no end to the triple-digit temperatures on the horizon.
Austin already broke a heat record for the month after the temperature never dropped below 82 degrees on June 15th at Camp Mabry, the warmest low temperature in June on record.
If you're worried about your plants in this heat, or are already seeing signs of distress, you're not alone.
If you're just starting a garden or would like to add to yours, Texas A&M AgriLife has a list of "Texas Superstar Plants" that it calls both strong and stunning.
For the rest of us just trying to keep what we already have alive, KXAN talked with Moon Valley Nurseries Regional Manager Steve Hall about best practices in the heat.
Tom Miller: When the weather gets this hot, what is the biggest risk to our plants and our trees?
Steve Hall: The biggest risk is typically an improper watering schedule. A lot of people tend to underwater or overwater this time of year and not maintain consistency. More people kill their plants with kindness than anything. So maintaining a good consistent, smart schedule is important.
Tom: How do you find that sweet spot between over-watering and making sure you don't under-water?
Steve: You read the tree, right? You see what type of characteristics the leaves are showing, the trees will kind of talk to you. If they're being under-watered you'll see some grayscale in the trees, you'll see kind of a loss of color in the foliage. (With) over-watering you'll see heavier amounts of yellowing leaf drop. Don't water mud, and you're usually okay. But once we start getting into these 100-degree temperatures, it gets a little tougher. That's where maybe contacting experts will go a long way.
Tom: Are there certain plants that are really going to suffer in this heat versus others that are more designed for it?
Steve: A lot of it is about maintaining the proper type of plant material for the region that you're in. Don't just throw a cool-looking plant in your yard because you think it looks nice. You can do that, but you can expect a higher level of maintenance.
Tom: You said fruit trees are some of your most popular. How do you keep those alive?
Steve: A lot of it with fruit, it's more about how you disperse the energy, so you can't let it get too overgrown. You got to maintain proper trimming and pruning. If you're unsure of how to maintain it and fertilize it, you can do a deep soil injection that will give the tree all of the nutrients that it needs right away. It's a lot less maintenance for you and trying to keep up with what's going on.