The projected high that will likely topple records for this date in Sacramento is 108 on Saturday. Worse, it may not get below 70 at night.
In the face of such imminent and plant wilting heat waves, consider a rule of thumb when preparing: It’s easier to keep soil wet than to get it wet, meaning if your watering schedule isn’t set to deliver water till Sunday when the blast furnace is behind us, your plants will thank you for accelerating your watering schedule in advance of this advancing heat wave. Give them a good soak, not just at the base of the plants, but throughout the bed they occupy. Today. And if you aren’t already doing so, mulch the ground in the beds heavily with straw or leaves to retain moisture and keep roots cool. If you wait till the heat wave hits to water, not only will your plants hate you, but you’ll hate yourself for dragging the garden hose around the yard when it’s 85 degrees at 10AM. Get out there now and make sure your garden soil is moist. If you wait till soil is dry, the water you apply will tend to run off the surface and not get down into the root zone where the plants will need it.
Fortunately, this century-mark heat will pass in a few days. Let’s hope it doesn’t foreshadow a replay of July, 2006 when the sun strung together 11 straight days over 100 degrees. I remember it well… It was the summer before our wedding, and I was working outside to repair roof rot and painting the exterior walls to prepare Rachel’s house for sale that September. My hands burned and the paint dried as fast it was applied. Not fun for me. Not fun for plants.
