Summer heat waves, which were observed in Ukraine in August, are becoming more frequent. But it can be alleviated by your own garden, even a small one. However, garden plants themselves need protection from extreme temperatures.

Express asked experts how to care for them. They shared basic tips and named three plants that will do well even in extreme heat.

Create shade

Any shade reduces the temperature of the ground if compared to open areas. Therefore, the most sensitive plants should be given protection from the heat. This can be provided either by plants with spreading crowns or by special canvas canopies that are installed on wooden stakes. Cardboard boxes or old pallets on stakes can be used as a last resort. The main thing is to protect the garden.

Do not mow the lawn

It's best to keep the grass on your lawn at least 7.5 centimeters tall in the heat. Such grass casts shade, which helps to retain moisture in the soil. This will also keep the grass from burning out.

Plant heat-resistant flowers

As we head into the summer season, make sure you have at least a few heat-tolerant plants in your garden. These could be:

• cacti or other succulents;
• lavender;
• velvets.

These will make the garden look great and will help prevent the ground from overheating.

Do not fertilize the plants

Feeding plants during a heat wave is a bad idea. It can increase heat stress and even damage and kill them, as the absorption of moisture and nutrients is impaired in such weather. Fertilize when temperatures return to normal only.

Water generously, but not too often

A mistake many gardeners make is watering the plants in the heat too much. This can do more damage than letting the ground dry out. It's better to water shrubs and other garden plants every few days. Try to do it in the coolest hours like early morning or after sunset. Then the roots will have time to absorb the moisture before it escapes into the sun.

Use mulch

The biggest risk to plants during extreme heat is dry soil. To keep as much moisture in the ground as possible, experienced gardeners recommend using a layer of mulch. It should be laid around the plant, leaving a circle with a radius of a few centimeters around the place where the stem grows from. You can use a lot of different variants of mulch like crushed bark, stones and even dry lawn grass.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL spoke about curly plants, which will be the perfect shade for the garden.

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