The “dog days” are here, with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity.  The only dog I know (and love) who has it easy during the dog days of summer is the Georgia Bulldog’s beloved mascot, Uga XI. He gets to while away the dog days, sitting on a bag of ice in a temperature-controlled dog house! But I digress… 

Who wants to stir and go outside to garden right now? The dog days of summer are often defined as a time of hot, humid and stagnant weather, marked by a lack of progress. How true! In ancient times, the term “dog days” referred to the star Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. Ancients believed that this bright star was so hot that it actually added to the heat of the sun to make the summer sizzle.

Gardening in this miserable heat focuses on just maintaining the status quo. This is not a time to start new projects! July and August are months to protect your plants (and yourself) from the debilitating effects of too much sun and too little water.

Protect Yourself First: In late summer, it doesn’t take long for the sun to take its toll on your body. Heat-related illnesses are common, can be deadly, but are preventable if you take the necessary precautions. Before going outside, slather your skin with at least one ounce of sun screen and put on light-weight and light-colored loose clothing, including a hat and garden gloves. Spray your clothes with a bug spray that contains DEET to deter mosquitoes and ticks. Work in the garden early in the morning before the sun is overhead and temperatures soar. Keep hydrated! Drink water every few minutes even if you don’t feel thirsty. 

Know the signs of heat-related illness. Early signs of trouble are dizziness, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating and fainting. Heat cramps cause painful muscle spasms with heavy sweating and thirst. Heat rash or “prickly heat” produces blister-like red spots. Heat exhaustion includes many of the symptoms listed above, with the addition of loss of coordination, cool, moist and pale skin, dry mouth with thirst and a fast pulse.  The treatments for these problems are to stop working, drink cool water slowly, loosen clothing, remove hat, rest by lying down in a cool place, splash cold water on your body and apply talcum powder to any heat rash.  

Heat stroke is considered a major, life-threatening illness. Symptoms include dizziness, confusion, headaches, nausea, vomiting, reduced sweating, fast pulse and breathing, convulsions or coma. The first response is to call 911.

Protect Your Plants: Plants suffer from the heat just like we do. Add extra mulch around your plants to shade tender roots and help retain moisture. Plants and lawns require about one inch of water a week. It is better to water deeply and less frequently than to just give plants a light sprinkling more often. Try to avoid spraying water on leaves to avoid fungal diseases. 

Your plants don’t want to have to compete for water from weeds, so when you are out early each day, take a few minutes to weed around plants. As you weed, look for signs of insect damage and disease. If you must spray to combat insects or disease, spray early in the morning before the sun is overhead or the leaves may burn.

Late summer is not a good time to prune or fertilize existing shrubs and trees or plant anything new. Pruning and fertilizing encourage new growth. Your plants just need to rest, and don’t want to deal with a growth spurt that will require additional energy. The best time to add new plants to the landscape is during the fall months after the weather cools.

Container plants have different requirements than those in your landscape. They may need to be watered daily during the hot summer. If container plants look bedraggled, pull out the old and add a few new annuals to brighten up your pots and take you through the fall months. Deadheading spent flowers and adding water-soluble fertilizer every ten days or so will keep blooms coming until the first frost.

After following these simple tips, just kick back with a cool glass of lemonade and watch the butterflies! You and your garden will stay healthy and rested until cooler days arrive.