This Texas heat can spell death to plants. How do you keep them alive?
Drought conditions in Texas are placing green thumbs on anxious alert — the raging heat can mean life or death for their beloved plants.
Keeping all things hydrated, including humans and pets, is a priority as thermometers in the Lone Star State continue to spike to record highs. Plants also need much needed hydration to survive the stress drought conditions bring. Texas is facing one of its worst droughts in years with more than half of the state facing abnormally high to exceptional conditions.
Here’s how drought conditions can affect your plants:
How do drought conditions affect plants?
The definition of a drought is a period of abnormally low rainfall, and having a diminished water supply can adversely affect your ability to keep plants alive and healthy.
For plants, water is the essential ingredient for life and without it biological processes like photosynthesis are reduced, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. This can mean diminished root and plant growth.
A common condition related to extremely dry weather is called drought stress, which happens when water loss from the plant exceeds the root’s ability to absorb water, interfering with the growing process.
Another factor hindered by dry weather is transpiration, the way a plant moves water from its roots to the remainder of the plant and throughout its leaves. Transpiration is how the plant cools itself and how minerals are dispersed throughout the plant from the soil.
Determining how long it takes for a drought injury to affect a plant depends on the stage of plant growth and species, water-holding capacity of the soil and environmental conditions. Plants growing in firmer clay soils are likely to be less susceptible to drought stress than one planted in a sandy soil with lower water-holding ability.
Other plants that may be susceptible to drought stress are newly potted and poorly established ones, due to a limited root system, according to Texas A&M.
Even after drought conditions have lessened and things are on the upswing, it may take months or even years for a plant to repair damaged root systems, according to Texas A&M.
Beyond direct drought conditions, plants facing stress are more open to insects and diseases since its in a weakened state.
How can I take care of my plants during drought conditions?
Keeping plants well watered is just one of several steps to keep plants healthy during extreme heat and dry conditions. Here’s a few tips from One Green World on plant care:
- Watering- Watering plants in the early morning hours when temperatures are low is key, along with another round in early evening if the greenery needs it. Potted plants will likely need to be watered at least twice a day and trees could use deep watering a few days a week.
- Mulch- A layer of organic mulch helps keep soil temperatures low, retain water and keeps the weed population down.
- Shaded areas- Moving potted plants out of the sun and into shaded areas can help with cooling off. Plants in plastic black pots are more susceptible to getting hotter, since its color absorbs heat.
- Shade cloth- A shade cloth is made of polyester and used to protect plants from the heat and sun. The cloth would be good to use on younger plants who aren’t use to extreme conditions.
- Leaves- Plant leaves wilt as a defense mechanism during extremely hot days. Wilting shrinks the plant to provide less surface area for sunlight, limiting transpiration. If the leaves do not perk up after watering, it may be a sign that water is needed.
What plants are drought-tolerant in Texas?
For National Native Plant month in April, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden highlighted a few Texas native plants that are drought-tolerant, meaning the ability to survive and thrive in dry conditions
Native plants have several advantages over other plants, for one they’ve adapted to soil, rainfall patterns and wildlife in a specific area. Due to those factors, native plants need less water and lower upkeep compared to newer species. Here’s a few native plants the garden highlighted:
- Lacey oak- The small to medium-sized tree can grow as tall as 35 feet, and that’s ideal for suburban lots. The tree’s leaves pop with peach color in the spring, turn blue-green during summer and go back to peach in the fall.
- Red yucca- For use in full sun and reflective heat structures like driveways or sidewalks, the red yucca is a solid native plant choice. The plant forms stiff and fleshy narrow leaves, with coral-red flower stalks that attract hummingbirds.
- Autumn sage- This plant forms a rounded shrub about two feet tall and just as wide. Its bark peels off in large strips. Once planted, the sage is drought-tolerant with pruning the only maintenance required twice a year.
- Turk’s cap- This plant is a must-have for plant shade. It grows two to four feet tall and about two to three feet wide. Its red petals resemble a fez-like hat and bloom from late spring until frost. The plant grows in sand, clay or limestone soils.
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum- This tree puts on its best show in April with large four-inch wide clusters of white flowers that make it look like small wedding bouquets. It grows well in full sun, has low water requirements and tolerates dry soil.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 4:36 PM.
