Local business owner gives tips on how to keep plants healthy amid high temperatures | Lehigh Valley Regional News

EMMAUS, Pa. – Think you’re the only one struggling in this heat?

Thomas Bull, the owner of Herbein’s Garden Center in Emmaus, says on hot, dry days especially you really have to keep an eye on your vegetable garden.

His first tip is pretty obvious.

“Being very diligent with water is important,” Bull said.

But like a lot of things, timing is everything.

“Best times are in the morning and evening, avoiding those hot sunny times of day,” Bull said.

“If you’re watering leaves during a hot time of day, water almost acts like a magnifying glass, really concentrating heat on leaves,” Bull said.

If your plants are starting to wilt, definitely time to water. And when you water, concentrate the stream on the roots.

Straw and mulch can also help maintain soil moisture by preventing evaporation.

Bull says some plants really like the heat, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Others, not so much, “things like lettuce, soft leafy things,” Bull said.

But like humans, too much direct sun can be problematic for plants that like the heat and don’t.

“If you are gardening in containers and you have the opportunity to cover your plants to a shaded or covered area, that’s ideal,” Bull said.

If they’re grounded, “there are products which will shade and cover your garden during the day,” Bull said.

Bull says this year the biggest issue he’s hearing about from gardeners is fungus.

“Because we are getting a fair amount of rain, hot and humid, perfect for fungus to grow,” Bull said.

If you see it, he suggests getting on a preventative maintenance program with fungicides.