If any of your plants seem to be dying off this August, mainly because of the excessive heat or rain in some parts of the country, the experts say to take a “wait and see” approach rather than immediately attempting to remove the dying foliage, buds or stems. Each of our flower plants have a proper time in their growth when it is healthy to deadhead or prune them back.
Some people feel that plants will try to grow back whenever you cut them back. If they’re struggling, however, because of excessive heat or an over-abundance of rain, this attempting to revive them could stress them even more and bring on their total demise. There is such a thing as a plant going into what’s called summer dormancy to try and save itself. The China Aster is one such plant.
As a side note, if it is high temperatures you’re fighting, it is okay to provide extra water for them. It is surprising how fast some of the plants suffering from the heat will bounce back.
If you do lose a plant or two during these tough times, do not attempt to fill in the space it occupied in your garden at this time of year. Autumn and Spring are the best times to plant, not when we’re experiencing some harsh late summer weather.
We’re nearing the end of our summer and its summer garden problems, so continue to enjoy our flowers for as long as we can before Autumn is upon us.
