Taking Care of Your Container Plants in the Summer

The rainy weather may have brought cooler temperatures this week, but make no mistake, summer is on the way! Last week’s temps should serve as a reminder for the scorching heat that North Carolina summers will bring. As you focus on staying cool and hydrated in the summer weather, don’t forget to think about your container plants too! After all, you wouldn’t want to spend a whole day in the scorching heat without drinking any water, would you? Just like humans, potted plants need to drink. Check out these tips so you can make sure that your container plants stay hydrated this summer.

• Check your container plant daily. Heat will dry out the soil much faster than normal, so check the soil daily to make sure it doesn’t get too dry. Use the finger test!
• Water deeply and slowly. Short and light watering won’t allow the soil to absorb the moisture, so water deeply and slowly to make sure that your plant is able to soak up as much water as possible.
• Know how much water your plant needs. Succulents and drought tolerant plants will be less needy than annuals and vegetables. Newly potted plants will also need more water than established plants.
• Water in the early morning or late evening when it is cooler so the sun can’t evaporate the water before it can soak down to the roots
• If you’re going on vacation for more than a couple of days, have someone check your plants for you to make sure that they don’t dry out while you’re gone