Why does it look like my plants are dying in the middle of the day? After a few hours in the south florida sun
by soldieroscar
Why does it look like my plants are dying in the middle of the day? After a few hours in the south florida sun
by soldieroscar
18 Comments
Its because of the sun. A lot of the time people say “full sun” but oh buddy not full florida/TX sun. It dries them up quickly.
Grow bags dry out pretty fast also. Add a thick layer of mulch and water deeply. You may want to move them to an area that gets some afternoon shade.
You can also put mulch over the soil to help keep in moisture and keep them cool
Do they perk up later when they’re back in the shade again? I’m in South Texas and it’s just normal for plants to wilt in the middle of the afternoon like this. Even if they have enough water in the soil, it’s so hot that the water transpires from the leaves faster than the roots can take it up.
If they don’t perk up by evening, then you need to water them. Grow bags also just dry out faster.
The ideal location for veggies in a hot climate like this is a spot where they get full sun in the morning, but then shade in the afternoon. If you don’t have a spot like that, try putting up a shade structure of some kind.
Mulch ‘em, they need it bad.
Also peppers weep during hot days and then spring back to life in the evening. Just make sure they have enough moisture to spring back
You need a 40% shade cloth so they don’t get burned in the sun
Get a moisture meter. Keep them well over 50%.
Mulch them. I use fabric grow bags and a few fabric beds. They’re great for things that don’t like soggy roots. But the sun will bake the moisture out every time because they dry out so quickly. I like pine shavings like you use in animal stalls for mulch.
I was just out misting my plants because the first few days of really hot sun always wilts them. The mist drops the temperature a few degrees but doesn’t stay around.
My garden gets sun from sun up to sun down. The only time it seems to bother them is when they’re newly planted and/or the temps get over 90 degrees. Peppers usually grow out of it.
If they bounce back in the evening, they’ll be fine. Just water regularly.
You should get some later of mulch in there. Even straw will hold in moisture. Depending on temps, they probably need water twice a day. I’d also consider setting up a shade screen or moving them near a tree where the sun comes through but they still periodically get bits of shade.
Because it’s hot af lol I have to shade my plants in the summer. It’s just too hot for them to get almost 12 hours of full sun
Why is that poor tomato in the tiny pot?
because its nuclear out right now 800 mb high pressure system 97 degree temp insane intensity = nuked plants
our growing season is sep – may btw
Soil looks dry asf. I’m in Florida to. Don’t be scared to over water
You will have to definitely keep them moist as everyone else is saying. I am not trying to be a debby downer but here in Texas it is too late in the season to start summer crops of nightshade. The heat is coming and peppers and tomatoes won’t successfully pollinate come June because of daytime and nighttime temps are too consistently hot and humid. Idk about Florida’s climate much but that may be the case for you? BUT if you keep them growing strong you should get a nice harvest in the fall once temps start dipping below 90°F again. The best part about containers is you can control their environment so that’s nice. If they start flowering and drop all of the flowers before fruit set, that’s probably what’s happening.
South Georgia here, your plants are taking full sun during longer periods of the day so they will begin to cook. To mitigate it some you can try putting up a Sun Shade tarp/cloth. It’ll keep some of the direct heat off the plants but give you enough sun to keep your needed sunlight for growth. Just remember to monitor your watering times to early morning or late evening otherwise the plants will boil .
These bags dry out super fast too – no matter how much you water. I switched to self watering containers for most of my plants last year and it made a massive difference- just purchased these self watering trays for the bags & hoping they do the trick: [https://a.co/d/0gwJdIvm](https://a.co/d/0gwJdIvm)
https://preview.redd.it/iwtwj4thpd0h1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c31b2f469e97a1058db0da3ea86388affbc77630
I am also in South Florida. This year, I added these adorable little umbrellas for shade on my less heat tolerant plants to extend their life a bit. So far, so good.
Bonus points for also doubling up as fun summer themed decorations.