It’s been the coldest and soggiest season I can remember in our neck of the woods, but within the last couple weeks the whether has finally made a course correction and gotten extremely hot.
Just like it takes us humans time to acclimate to a sudden increase in temperature and UV intensity, our special plants need a minute to adjust as well.
You may be alarmed to see some rather concerning issues with your cannabis plants when the heat hits after a period of cold and damp; such as leaf cupping aka “taco leaf”, wilting, or even burnt leaf tips. So here are a series of tips to help keep your plants thriving in hot summer weather:
Plant in the ground: Although outdoor container gardening offers convenience and mobility, if at all possible, put your plants in the earth. They will be able to withstand much higher temperatures by keeping their roots cool and having ample room to stretch out in search of moisture. An added benefit is that you will be grounding your plant’s bio-electric field to Mother Earth which has many scientifically proven benefits to plant health and vitality.
Fabric Pots: If planting in the ground isn’t an option, breathable fabric pots such as Infinity Pots, or GeoPots will allow the root zone to get adequate oxygen and stay cool. This will require more frequent and thorough watering, however, so be advised of that.
Use Large Containers: The smaller the container, the more heat will be transferred into the root zone. When temperatures climb above 30c/86f and the sun is beating down on black plastic nursery pots, roots can quickly become steam cooked in their containers. By using big containers (10 gallons is an absolute minimum for large plants) you will provide a much greater insulating layer of soil to keep things cool. If you can source white or light colours pots to reflect some of the sun’s intensity, even better.