As the summer heat intensifies, your plants may be trying to send out SOS signals, but what are they? While it can sometimes be obvious that your plants are struggling from excessive heat, that’s not always the case. To help you decipher if your plants are a little stressed out from the summer sun, we’ve tapped experts to share the signs—plus what to do to bring them back to life.
Wilting or Flagging
Wilting is one of the most common signs that your plants are a little stressed from the sun. According to Wendy Overbeck Dunham, director of horticulture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, wilting (also known as ‘flagging’) happens when “a plant is losing water faster than its roots can take it up, even if the soil is moist.”
But she says not to panic: Most of the time, plants will perk right back up once the temperature cools. “Before reaching for the watering can, check the soil. If it is dry, water deeply early in the morning,” she says. “If it is still moist, give the plant a little time and see if it perks up in the evening.”
If they aren’t perking back up and the soil still feels dry, Annette Hird, horticulturist and gardening expert at Easy Urban Gardens, says it’s okay to water them twice in a short period to get the moisture levels back up.
Curled Leaves
Along the same lines as wilting, curling leaves are another sign of heat stress. “This can help plants reduce water loss by limiting the surface area exposed to sun and wind,” explains Dunham. If the leaves stay curled after the heat wave passes, it might also be a sign of pests or disease, she notes.
Scorched or Crispy Leaf Edges
When heat becomes excessive, plants can actually get burned, resulting in scorched or crispy leaves. “This usually points to heat, drought, or too much sun,” says Dunham.
When this happens, she advises watering the plant deeply and relocating it to a place where it gets more afternoon shade. “Damaged leaves will not turn green again, but the plant may still recover,” she says.
Hird agrees and says that using a shade cloth can be helpful if the plant is unable to be moved or you just really like its current location.
Lack of Vibrancy
One sign that Stein says is easy to miss is a change in your plant’s color. He says that when plants are stressed from heat, they can “go from a vibrant green to a dull, lackluster appearance, which is often undetected by most.”
“If the plants recover their normal vibrant appearance in 24 hours, all is good,” he says. “If the color does not return, the plant will have to be cut back to help the plant recover.”
Slowed Growth
When plants are focused on surviving, the last thing they are thinking about is growing. For that reason, slowed growth is another sign that your plants are taking a hit from the summer sun.
Dunham says to focus your efforts on consistently watering the plant, and to hold off on fertilizing until the heat is less intense. “Fertilizer encourages plants to push new growth, and new growth needs more water to support it. When a plant is already stressed, that extra demand can make wilting and leaf scorch worse,” she explains.
Premature Flower or Leaf Drop
Another sign of summer heat stress is when plants start to drop their leaves or flowers before they naturally would.
“This helps plants reduce stress by shedding what they cannot support,” says Dunham. “It is a little like decluttering, the plant lets go of the extras and focuses on the essentials.”
Just continue to water the plants, she says, especially if they are in containers or have been recently planted, and adds that for flowering plants, blooming should improve once it cools down.
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