It’s already summer- that time of the year when you need proper hydration and protection from harsh sunlight. You can find respite in AC and fresh fruits but what about your beloved garden? It’s not just you who suffer in the scorching heat; your plants take a lot more brunt of the harsh sunlight and rising temperatures than you do.

As summer arrives and you hear news about record high temperatures and wildfires, it’s time to think about your darling lawn. You need to plan how plants in your garden are going to survive and thrive in this season. You may think about replacing your Petunia, Cineraria, Calendula, and Chrysanthemum with Portulaca, Gomphrena, Calliopsis, and Lily but that’s not just enough.

You can’t turn the sun off but you can make sure that your plants receive proper hydration and care. And if you don’t want summer heat to take a toll on your lawn, it’s essential to follow some summer lawn care tips. So, to help you keep your garden green and dense, here are a few tips to keep your plants hydrated and flourishing this summer.

Pick Summer Plants

The first thing you need to do is to select native plants that are drought tolerant. The regional plants and crops can best adapt to your area’s weather and their root can go deep to suck in the water. The plants that bloom in summer can survive the rising temperature and don’t need any extra care all year round. You may also have succulents that require very little water. There are some vegetables such as cucumber, pumpkin, eggplant, and watermelon that are best to plant this season.

Proper Irrigation System

Your garden needs a proper watering system in all seasons but in summers it must be in top condition. As the weather gets warmer, you might need to water your plants more often. It’s best to have a drip irrigation system even if you have drought-tolerant plants. In this system, there is a drip line for every plant around its root zone which ensures that water reaches right into the root ball in the soil. The system not only waters the garden efficiently but also saves water by preventing any runoff. Another important consideration is when and how often to water the plants. You don’t need to water plants too frequently and the amount of water needed depends on your climate and the time of year. As far as timing is concerned, it’s highly recommended to water plants early in the morning to minimize evaporation.

Use Mulch

If you want to protect the soil from direct sun rays and reduce evaporation, add mulch on the soil. With the help of dried grass clippings or wood mulch, it is possible to shade the soil from sun exposure and keep it moist for longer. There are various types of mulch but for best result, choose light-colored mulch which can easily reflect the sunlight. Wood mulch is also a good option because it is organic and breaks down over time. When it decomposes, it will add compost to your soil. In addition to this, mulch is also useful to prevent the growth of weeds which take water away from the plants.

Provide Shade to Your Plants

For the regions that receive high temperature and scorching sunlight, gardening requires some extra efforts. At the time of planting shrubs and crops, you need to look for a shady area. You may even locate your garden in the yard with permanent shade. In addition to this, you can also use shade covers. If you don’t have a shade cover, you can use old window screens to cover the plants that are in direct sunlight. The right way to shade the plants is keeping the cover several inches above the plants to block around 50% of the sunlight.