Don’t Miss These Tips for June
in your Desert Container Garden
Extra Tips as June Starts Topping 100°F 
- Signs of Stress and Sunburn
- Root Bound Soil or Plants
- “Blast” Your Plants to prevent pests and disease
Learn to Diagnose a Sign of Stress
Continual Wilting is a sign of Stress. Follow these tips to make sure you respond to the plants’ needs.
- Make sure the plants are getting enough water in the early morning hours.
- If you see wilted leaves in the afternoon, don’t rush out with the hose – check to see if the soil is still damp. If it is, it is heat wilt.
- Plants with broad flat leaves are more apt to experience this afternoon stress in sunny areas in the summer. Such as Sweet Potato Vine!
- Using the mist setting on your hose nozzle, mist water on the leaves (make sure the hose water is not hot) and they should recover by morning.
- Don’t worry about burning your leaves with the water mist. In our dry air, it won’t rest there long enough to cause any concern.
If the plant is still wilted in the morning before watering, it might be root bound. If the plant(s) has been in the pot for a few years, this is the logical conclusion. If it is a new plant, did you clean out all old roots at the bottom of the pot before planting?
Root Bound Soil or Plants
Now is not the time to change out the soil in the pots. It will add too much stress to the already stressed plant. Try to dig around the outside of the root ball and remove anything easy to pull out – old soil and even some roots. Add fresh soil and keep the pot well watered until fall when it is safe to repot the plant.
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“Blast” Your Plants
I always teach people in my classes to jet spray their plants as often as possible.
Read this post to learn why I insist on this habit and why it’s not so scary to do.
Happy Potting!
Thank you for sharing on your social media! ~~~~~ Marylee
June’s Checklist
>> No matter what – fertilize with your water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks! (Everything except succulents that is)
Post On Your Fridge!
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