The heat wave rolls over Germany. In order to get plants, flowers and herbs through the heat wave and summer drought with as little damage as possible, hobby gardeners have to act. FOCUS Online says what you have to consider now in extreme heat.
Temperatures above 30 degrees and prolonged periods of drought can damage gardens.
Watering is an important remedy for heat. But water is only of limited use if the soil is not able to absorb the water well. Therefore, you should regularly loosen the bed soil around the plants with a rake.
The loosening means that the moisture is retained longer because the loosening interrupts the so-called capillary system of the soil, explains the Federal Information Center for Agriculture. This is a kind of canal network that was created when previous irrigation or rainwater seeped away.
The water not only flows through these natural channels into the ground, it can also easily evaporate from deeper layers of the ground through the openings, according to the experts.
An old gardener’s rule says: hoeing once saves watering three times.
Alternatively, you can reduce evaporation in the bed by covering open soil with a layer of mulch.
A good time to water on a hot day is late at night before sunrise. This is when the ground is still coldest and comparatively little water evaporates. Specifically, the Federal Information Center for Agriculture advises watering around 4 a.m.
If you can’t get out of bed that early, you can also water late in the evening – but then preferably only after sunset. This is still better than during the day, although this can attract snails.
When in doubt, however, some water is appropriate at any time when plants are already hanging their heads.
Plants that have very large leaves do not like being in full sun. “If the temperatures get really extreme, I can put a sheet or something similar over it,” advise consumer advocates.
Plants in bucket pots that need some shade can be placed under a tree.
Stylish garden cupboard: This is how design and style keep things tidy
Some plants are actually naturally used to heat and intermittent drought.
Hobby gardeners can clearly see their resilience. “In order to reduce evaporation, their leaves are often strikingly small to needle-shaped and leathery to hard,” says the Federal Information Center for Agriculture. Examples include thyme, rosemary, yucca (yucca) and oleander (Nerium oleander).
If it is too hot, you should refrain from mowing the lawn – not in principle, but at certain times of the day. Hobby gardeners should use the evening hours for this.
At temperatures above 30 degrees, the soil dries out too quickly. Ideally, the lawn should be cut to a height of at least six centimeters in hot and dry conditions. Usually a height of four centimeters is common.
You should also avoid mowing after a thunderstorm or summer rain. Conventional lawnmowers cannot deal with damp stalks and cut the lawn irregularly.
Overseeding helps against bare spots in the lawn that remain after the winter due to drought or occur during heat periods in summer.
Seeds that are suitable for the location must be selected for this. However, reseeding can only take place before the onset of rain. In any case, the seed should not be left on dry soil for too long, otherwise the spot will remain bare.
Thunderstorms usually follow the heat.
Very large plants on the balcony can act like a sail in a storm. A strong gust of wind is enough to knock overhanging balcony boxes
Garden experts recommend taking a short walk around in bad weather to check that nothing can tear off or fall down and, if in doubt, still needs to be secured.
If you are still looking for a great garden house, you can look at www.designatgartenhaus.de.
