Flowers take an essential part in human’s lives as they are found to play an important role in our lives. They work great as ornaments and also have beneficial health effects since plants help in the purification of the atmosphere. Flowers also bring joy to our loved ones when they receive them as gifts.
But whether they are growing in the garden, in pots or as cut flowers, they need adequate care in order to last longer. Since most flowers are fragile, they can get damaged when exposed to extreme temperatures like heat. That is why this article will be talking about ways to take care of your flowers when it is hot outside, especially during summer.
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Water often
To replenish the moisture loss from the soil, make sure you water the plants daily, especially on hot days. For the most part, most flowers require similar care on hot days, with the exception of potted plants or ones that have been recently planted. For potted plants, ensure you water them up to two times per day during summer. Douse the plants until the soil is wet. If you want to ensure that your flowers get water during the day when you are not home, use water granules that release water bit by bit into the soil over some hours.
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Avoid waterlogging
Do not flood your flower plant with water. This can also stress the plant up rather, just damp the soil well enough. You can gently use your fingers to feel the soil to see if it is properly soaked to meet the water requirements of the plants. If your flower plant is in a plastic container, you should consider perforating the container so that excess water can flow out through the holes.
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Mulch the soil
Removing weeds from your garden helps the plants to grow better because there will be less competition for water and nutrients. When the weeds are gone, you should add some pine straw or mulch to the soil in order to keep moisture in and warmth out. Therefore, applying a layer of mulch (about 2-3 inches) will help moderate valuable water in the soil and cool the soil during the hottest times of the day. Keep in mind that mulching while at the same time monitoring dampness does not discredit the need to water regularly.
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Prep the flowers with fertilizer
Not all plants have similar requirements for fertilizer, so confirm the requirements of the flowering plants before you give them fertilizer. It is essential to use fertilizer such as Osmocote, which release nutrients slowly. This will help set up a decent nutritional base before the summer heat arrives. There isn’t generally any specific fertilizer meant for use during summer, with the exception of utilizing some liquid feed to promote flowering and great development during frequent watering.
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Check the nutrients in the soil
It is important that your flowers get a sufficient amount of nutrients in order to grow well. These nutrients include macronutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus et cetera and micronutrients like calcium, rubidium, magnesium et cetera. All these can be obtained from either compost manure or fertilizers. Do regular soil test so you can keep track of the nutrients available in the soil for your plants.
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Keep them under a shade
Avoid keeping your flowers in a place that it will directly face the sun. Placing your flowers in such a place will only increase transpiration. That is, loss of water through the leaves which will later result in wilting and eventually death of the plant. This is why you need to choose a garden spot with evening shade and morning sun. The evening-long stretches of daylight can be super brutal on plants. If you can, move your plants into the shade. The flowers and leaves will stay healthier as they are able to retain moisture during the day. Your plants will be so glad.
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Utilize East exposure
Some plants dislike being under the shade. And since the sun is hotter in the afternoon than in the morning, if your flower loves part sun, it is recommended to expose them to the morning sun. This means that you need to place them in an east exposure rather than a west exposure.
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Space them out
Specialists suggest proper spacing in between flowers in the garden so they won’t be competing for nutrients and water.
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Create artificial air-conditioning
This can be done by installing an air conditioner around your home or office to keep the environment cool. This might be a little bit expensive but it will go a long way to help your flower plant survive heat stress.
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Take care of pests
Pests can kill flowers, especially one that is heat-stressed. So, it is vital that you keep them from assaulting your garden. You can forestall some bugs by removing weeds from your garden. You can also put traps and barriers in place. A few pests that you ought to know about include gnats, whiteflies, aphids, mites, and bugs. If your plants under attack, you have to utilize pesticides to kill the pests. You can likewise remove the most affected plants in order to prevent further spread of the pests to other healthy flowers.
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Treat plant diseases
Diseases are very harmful to the flowers, just like pests. Most plant infections are brought about by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. A few plant diseases that you ought to know about include white rust, ovulinia petal blight, bacterial leaf spot, and anthracnose. You can inhibit fungal diseases by avoiding overwatering, particularly potted flowers. Meanwhile, you can avoid viral and bacterial diseases by utilizing clean pruning and weeding tools. If your plants get contaminated with a disease, you have to utilize suitable chemicals to eliminate microbes causing the diseases. You should search for the best virucide bactericide or fungicide based on the disease.
Conclusion
As indicated above, you need to put in some work if you want to take good care of your flowers, though it is easy to do the care practices. If you are starting a flower garden before or during summer, be sure to use this guide to make your garden flourish and enhance the look of your house.
