Plants In The Hot Weather

This week gave us some good examples of how plants react to hot weather.  Multiple days with heat indexes over 100 degrees has been enough for the plants to show typical stress symptoms of growing conditions that are not optimal.  Up to this point of the season, aside from being a little wet, the weather has been very conducive to growing plants that we do.  This allowed us to maintain a very healthy plant - one that can withstand a stretch of temperatures like we have had this week.

 The Salvia that is in the circle drive in front of the clubhouse has had fantastic color all season.  This week the blooms have slightly faded in color.  Some petals have even fallen off.  We have been diligent about keep moisture available to the plant, but the heat has been too much stress.  This is a particularly unique situation on the property due to its location.  This bed is in the center of a circle of asphalt which exacerbates the hot temperatures.

This picture shows the temperature of the asphalt adjacent to the planting bed.  134 degrees!  The radiant heat from the drive is too much for the flowers to handle.  Thankfully, we only receive these temperatures for stretches at a time.  Once a few days of cooler temperatures set in, the plants will have a chance to recover.  And, hopefully, present the vibrant color it had earlier, before another heat wave comes through.  It's summer in Chicagoland, so we are bound to have a few of these stretches.  It helps us to appreciate the cooler stretches even more.