Heat is arriving very early this year, with a marked spell already affecting much of the country. In the garden, these unseasonably warm temperatures have consequences: soils dry out quickly, young plantings suffer, pots dehydrate and some foliage can be scorched within hours. Before damage sets in, a few simple actions will protect the most vulnerable plants and help the garden cope better with this period. Here are 10 practical tips to apply now to protect your plants from heat.

1. Create shade to protect plants and vegetable patch

Place a shade cloth during daytime over plants least tolerant of heat such as ferns, hostas, impatiens… during the hottest hours. In the vegetable patch, a simple wooden crate will effectively protect lettuce, spinach and young seedlings.

2. Be very attentive to plants in pots!

Check pots morning and evening and water moderately but frequently, once or twice a day. Gather pots in shade to protect them from heat as much as possible. Feel free to place a saucer under pots, removing it once the heatwave has passed. Finally, sprinkle a water retainer on the surface of the compost to allow longer intervals between waterings.

3. Fork over soil before watering

This breaks the hard, impermeable crust at the surface and thus allows better penetration and distribution of water into the soil.

4. Water late evening or early morning to maintain a humid atmosphere

Concentrate watering during coolest hours of the day (morning until 8am or evening from 8pm); this saves 10–20% water compared with watering in mid-afternoon and creates a humid atmosphere that foliage appreciates.

5. Fit a rose to watering cans and hose ends

Water dispersed in fine droplets will not run off the surface and will penetrate more effectively to the roots.

6. Avoid wetting foliage and concentrate water at soil level

This also prevents scorch, often called the "magnifying-glass effect", which is caused by thermal shock between cold water and hot foliage.

7. Apply mulch at the base of your plants

Mulch to a depth of 6–8 cm to keep soil cool, prevent evaporation and allow water to infiltrate down to the roots. Additionally, in case of heavy storm rain, mulch cushions the impact of falling water and greatly reduces run-off.

8. Deadhead spent flowers

So plants do not waste their resources unnecessarily. Use pruning shear to remove old flowers and, in cases of severe dehydration, cut every other flower.

9. Leave weeds in place!

Cut flower stalks to prevent weeds from setting seed, but leave foliage in place. Weeds form a vegetative cover that protects soil from sun rays and thus from evaporation.

10. Prune branches of perennial plants and dahlias to reduce evaporation

Some perennials used to abundant water grow too vigorously and, when water becomes scarce, they slump and suffer. Using a shear, trim bushy summer-flowering perennial plants (the well-known Chelsea Chop) such as asters, phlox, Lysimachia or dahlias.