During the heat of summer even plants who like full sun may need a little break. If it has been in the 100’s for a few days, like it has here in Southern California, the plants will be starting to show the stress.
Your first impulse may be to water them more. Sometimes that helps if the plant was dry to begin with. But turning your garden into a bog could make things worse. Instead, try a little temporary shade.
Here are a few cheap, do-it-yourself ideas for shade in the garden:
Staple some shade cloth to the back of a small fence: This is a little piece of wooden fencing left over from a project. I used a staple gun to attach a small piece of shade cloth to the back. Your could also use twist ties, zip ties, twine or string.
The cloth is fastened at the top and down the sides.
The ends of the fence are longer, so I can push them into the soil. Voila! My rose is protected from burnt canes.
Another option is to build a small square frame and attach the shade cloth onto the frame. Either attach a foot for the frame to lean on, or rest it over your plant (if it is strong enough).
Or, use cuttings from trees or spare wood to make a makeshift frame. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just something to hold your cloth.
Use up extra tomato cages: A pretty spring umbrella fits into the top of the cage for a quick patch of deeper shade. You need to attach the handle of the umbrella to the cage so it doesn’t fly away!
You could also weave shade cloth, leftover fabric, cut up plastic bags or wrapping paper around a tomato cage.
Or get creative and slip an old t-shirt over the cage.
If the plant is too big to fit under the cage, just place the cage between your plant and the late afternoon sun. The goal here is to keep the sun off your plants during the heat of the day. If it is only for a few hours it should give your plants a break and should help.
Cover your existing fencing: This is a small wire fence covered with a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store.
You can cut it to fit without guilt. Have some fun and use colors or patterns that fit with the theme of your garden. The cloth needs to be attached to the fence. Poke a hole in the tablecloth to tie it to the fencing with zip-ties, wire, string or use clothespins, even a stapler, or tape.
If you don’t have shade cloth use fabric, old sheets or a cut up old shirt. Garden flags or fun lawn signs can come in handy for shade too.
You need shade too. Don’t forget to put on some sunscreen while you’re out there in the sun.
Good luck and happy gardening!