Experts explain how to keep plants alive during Oklahoma heat wave

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Many Oklahoma gardens are trying something however inexperienced during the triple digit temperatures. Experts instructed KFOR to keep the plants alive, gardeners may have to change up their routine.

“Everything is suffering,” mentioned Darrell Pothorst, Nursery Manager of TLC Garden Centers.

“They really just are trying to survive,” mentioned Linda Vater, a celeb gardener.

Vater and Pothorst mentioned watering is vital during this newest heat wave. The identify of the sport is to be environment friendly and conservative.

“The best time to water is generally when it’s cooler outside. So, early in the morning or late in the evening,” mentioned Pothorst.

“If you watered later in the afternoon, there’s too much transpiration,” mentioned Vater. “So, you could literally water and that water just blows away in the wind or immediately evaporates.”

Vater and Pothorst mentioned the place you water can also be key.

“Most plants right now will get the most bang for their watering buck if you do it right at the root zone,” mentioned Vater.

“The goal is just to make it to where the foliage is not wet with the sun beating down on it, because those little water droplets are like magnifying glasses and they will burn the foliage,” mentioned Pothorst. “If you have a sprinkler system that is rotating and hitting the foliage every day or every other day, that will cause damage to the foliage.”

Vater suggests utilizing a hose, irrigation system or an in-ground irrigation system that has a devoted bubbler head proper on the base of the plant. Pothorst suggests a soaker hose.

“It makes it a lot easier on you. You can just put it out there, let it run for a couple of hours, saturate that entire area really good,” mentioned Pothorst. “Then go out there and turn it off and you’re good for a couple of days.”

Vater and Pothorst mentioned you need to keep away from spraying the plant from the highest. Vater mentioned in the event you’re making an attempt to cool it down, wash off the leaves, or spray away pests, keep your foliar watering to the morning.

“If you do foliar watering in the evening, then it doesn’t dry as quickly and that’s when it can stay on the plants, on the leaves, and that’s when you may run into mold, fungal problems, disease problems, things like that, that thrive in wet conditions,” Vater mentioned.

The specialists mentioned if the plant has been planted inside the previous yr, it hasn’t had time to develop deep roots and wish additional care and water. Potted plants and hanging plants may even want to be watered extra often.

“They have less volume of soil that contains water from which they can draw,” mentioned Vater.

“My pots at home, I’m really having to water every single day,” mentioned Pothorst. “They dry out so fast, especially with the wind.”

Over and underwatering might be exhausting to differentiate. They each have yellow or dry crispy leaves. Pothorst mentioned the easiest way to decide in the event that they want to be watered is to transfer the mulch away, stick your finger within the dust close to the bottom of the plant, then pull it out. If your finger is considerably clean-dry, the plant wants watering. If your finger is soiled, wait a few days.

Vater and Pothorst mentioned proper now plants and lawns are not looking for to be fed with fertilizer. That shall be higher and extra environment friendly within the Fall.

“They don’t need a nudge telling them right now to work harder in this heat to produce more blooms or fruit or lush new green turf,” mentioned Vater.

“If plants do happen to go through and put off new growth, right now, that new growth is going to be so tender and so soft, it will just fry in the sun,” mentioned Pothorst.

For that very same motive, the specialists need you to put away the pruning shears until you’re chopping away lifeless foliage.

“You want to cut that back to the base and give it a fresh start,” mentioned Vater. “But I would be careful about pruning anything like evergreens or some shrubs.”

“A lot of deciduous trees you can prune right now, like oaks and elms and things like that. But when in doubt, I would probably say wait until fall,” mentioned Pothorst.

While the plants might not be hungry, some pests are. Right now, Vater mentioned she’s seeing spider mites, white flies and bud worms.

“If you have lots of buds that just never come into flower and they look tattered or they look kind of like they’ve got holes in them, chances are a Bud Worm is their culprit,” mentioned Vater.

Vater mentioned your first mode of assault shall be to bodily choose off the worms or spray them with a hose. If that doesn’t work, attain for natural bug spray.