MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A combination of hot temperatures and high humidity is hitting the Twin Cities and punishing our plants. But there are ways to protect them.

The most important thing to do is water frequently, because plants are extremely thirsty right now.

“They’re losing moisture, and you need to replenish them,” said Susie Bachman with Bachman’s, Inc.

Bachman talked of tender-loving care for your plants in these extreme conditions.

“When you water, you want to water at the base or at the pot of the plant,” she said. “So, the water really goes down to the root system.

You know you’ve watered enough when the water drips through the bottom, through the drainage holes. Water actually needs to get 4 inches down.

“You want a long, slow watering. The top 4 inches should be moist when you dig down deep. That’s going to saturate the soil, get the water to the roots, and not just evaporate to the wind,” she said.

You should do it twice a day, when you go to work in the morning, and when you come home at night.
You also need to fertilize your plants.

“So you’d want to fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer,” Bachman said. “Normally comes with a little scoop inside, so you usually put one scoop to two gallons of water.”

Bachman recommends fertilizing more often now, since you’ll be watering more often.

“Fertilizer will provide nutrients to the plant that leach-out when you provide excess watering,” she said.

She also recommends fertilizing when it gets cooler like this coming weekend.

Furthermore, put mulch on top of your plants, because that will help them retain moisture when the sun is beating down. Pull all the weeds, because they’re just competing with your plants for all the moisture.

Your tired flowers and green-friends should perk right-back-up once they get the necessary food and water.