Those plants I was so proud of, then left out in the hail, have now gone through a trial by fire. It's been a hot couple of days and I have them out on my deck (west side of the house). They're marked "full sun," but when I looked at them today at noon-ish, they were burnt to a crisp! WTF?
(This is them pulled back inside the house for their own protection from the freakin' elements.)
I seem to do OK with houseplants, but I can't seem to win with outdoor plants. :(
Again, I predict the mint and rosemary will do OK. The thyme will probably recover. The parsleys and basils are toast. (Sorry, Susan!)
8 comments:
JR and I aren't sure where they really mean 'full sun'. We tried it in Chicago, Houston and here and in each instance, the plants did not survive - go figure. Now we plant 'full sun' in partial on the patio :)
"Full sun" means when the plant is planted. That is to say, it is in the ground. A pot dries out in full sun very, very quickly, as your poor plants have witnessed. Especially if the pot is a clay one. These are the worst. Plastic is not too far behind.
The dirt in the pots dries and and the roots can't hack this. In the ground ground the roots are just fine and the plants' stems and leaves can manage.
So you're saying the damage didn't happen in the last few days of intense heat. It actually happened several days ago and the stems and leaves are only now reflecting the damage?
Oh, no. The pots would dry out in one day. The plants would wilt the next, and dry out completely by the end of the second day.
plus I imagine on your patio the sun is reflecting off of the two walls that surround it - thus making your patio an even warmer area than the temperature dictates. This is what happens on our driveway cause the sun reflects off the two sides of the house that surround it and it melts the ice/snow much faster than other drive ways without the side entry garage. Just a thought anyway . . .
No, I think you're right, MG. Afterwards, I remembered that the vinyl siding there is a bit heat warped (always wondered what specifically did that). I'm beginning to think it's just what you described.
That explains why I have to water my plants so much. I have the "self-watering" type of pot, where you put water in the bottom and add more when it's gone. During the summer I have to add more every day.
Awww, poor plantlings!
I have horrible habits with watering containers and usually manage to kill them too. I have a timed sprinkler system for the lawn. LOL
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