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The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch

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Monday, July 15, 2013

Gardening

Lessen the Desert Heat Stress — For Your Potted Plants, At Least

Posted By Marylee M. Pangman on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 12:37 PM

In the midst of our extended summer heat wave, here are a few tips for keeping your plants happy and health:

Marylee, The Potted Desert
An Empty Palm Tree Bed

Keep your water bill under control: Check your irrigation system for leaks.

Keep your beauty growing: Be sure your tender annuals are getting enough water.

Don't assume anything: We need ½" of rain to be safe in turning off the irrigation for any length of time. Your pots will need water again in two days. Don't forget to turn it back on!

Marylee, The Potted Desert
After - yes it is summer!

Here's additional information on roses in the desert from the Mesa East Valley Rose Society.
• "With this almost unprecedented heat, be careful to keep roses watered adequately. Water more frequently and increase the quantity to compensate for the extremely high temperatures they have to cope with.
• Water the night before or even one or two days before high temperatures are forecast so there is available soil moisture that the plant can pull from.
• After a day of extreme temperatures, water your roses the evening. Make sure the surface soil is moist as well as the deeper soil in the root zone. This will help cool the soil and assist the roses to recover. Roses with readily available soil moisture stand a better chance of surviving from the day’s heat and also prepare for the next days high stress temperatures.
• We have to be proactive and water ahead of roses showing stress. When we see roses stress from inadequate water it is too late…..some or the entire bush will likely die"