How to protect your plants when the heat hits

Posted on June 29, 2021

The heat starts very early in the morning during a heatwave.PHOTO: Radio-Canada / Emilie Dessureault-Paquette

When it’s very hot in the early hours of the day, it becomes all the more important to water early and thoroughly, says Calgary Horticultural Society director Natasha Guillot. Bring your watering can as close to the ground as possible and let it go so that the soil is thoroughly wet, she specifies.

For some plants, such as coriander, the first heat causes them to bloom and it is unfortunately too late. We can then consider replacing them with other plants or vegetables more tolerant to heat. Small Parisian carrots, round carrots, we can plant them where we had our spinach, our radishes or our coriander, suggests the horticulturalist.

Another way to beat the heat is to provide shade, especially for vegetables that prefer cooler weather, such as beans. Natasha Guillot points out that we can then use the same covers used to protect our seeds from frost in the spring. They can also be used to protect against hail or strong winds.