The stress that plants have to go through can be magnified by the heat, humidity, and drought in summers. If you have a rooftop garden, then heat can get pretty intense for your plants. But there are techniques that you can adopt to get your plants out of the heated situation and reduce the stress of summer.

Cover It Up

When the heat gets intense and the sun shines at its best, the shade comes to the rescue. You can easily turn down the heat by covering your rooftop garden vegetables with cloth, window screens, fencing, and other materials. To protect your plants from sunscald, cover them with any shade-providing material but ensure to allow some space for your plants to breathe.

Water Supply

It goes without saying that your plants need a little extra dosage of water when they’re soaking in the extensive heat of the sun. Deep soakings are better for your plants in the hot summer months than shallow watering. 
The best time to water your plants is early morning, as the evaporation rate is less. Water will be available for your plants when they need it during the hot part of the day. Water your plants 2-3 times a week or whenever they look dry. 
If you have a terrace vegetable garden, then it is advisable to install a proper drainage system. Stagnated water can cause damage to your building. You can even use a drip irrigation system for watering your vegetable rooftop garden. 
Drip irrigation will help you to water your garden in the most efficient way. The water will directly get delivered to the plant’s root area, in the right amounts, at the right time. 
Learn everything about building a terrace garden from scratch in India.

Mulching

Mulch serves multiple purposes, one of which is keeping the soil moist and cooler. Mulching also reduces evaporation, the supplemental water you give will stay for longer and will be effective. 
A surface mulch of wooden clippings, grass clippings, compost, leaves, (the list goes on) will help you keep the temperature of the soil cooler and suppress the growth of weeds.

Containers

Planting your vegetables in containers will make your life easier. You can move your plants to the area that receive less heat during the hot months of summer. You can even use Grow Bags to grow your vegetables as they absorb less heat and keep your plants cool.

Read our detailed container gardening guide to make the most of your gardening space.

Soil Texture

Soil that is rich in organic matter has the capacity to retain more water. The organic compost in the soil acts like a sponge and releases water to the plants more effectively. Improving the texture should be a continual process and a long time goal. Organic compost makes good organic matter. Plants growing in your terrace garden may require more nutritional soil to grow than your regular gardens. 
Here’s how to make Organic Fertilizer At Home.

Nutrients

A regular supply of nutrients will keep your plants healthy and ensure that they’re able to beat the summer heat as well as the freezing winter months. Regular application of organic fertilizer will give your plants all the nutrients they need to stay healthy and happy. 

Use these tricks to save your plants from excessive heat. Grow your vegetables by grabbing high-quality, heirloom seeds from AllThatGrows today!