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Deer Park WA

Most of you probably already have strategies for keeping your new leaves from frying in the hot sun so I thought it might be fun to hear what ya'all do to cope with 100+ sun.

Here is one Dani and I use if all else fails and the new leavs still fry! Leave tertiaries on the secondaries to replace cooked leaves and trim them off after filling in the "hole". Supposed to have record high temps early next week and already have lost a few leaves due to sun scorch.

6/23/2021 8:47:23 PM

Fullerton, California

I use 30% shade cloth and patio chairs to cover the tips. I think the sun is little more intense down here on the 33.87* I've grown through 110*+ days with little problems but then again most of my plant grows over my lawn which keeps the surface temps down. In the old patch I would put white sheets on the ground under the new growth. Want to see something scary, take a surface temp on one of those 100*+ days.

6/23/2021 10:06:21 PM

Grittyville, WA

Interesting that the lawn is such a big help. I've noticed that fresh grass clippings can help for an afternoon. If you spread an inch thick or so around/under the vulnerable leaves it will take a few hours to evaporate out the water and this gives somewhere for the heat to go. It really will help.

6/24/2021 2:31:49 AM

Bethlehem CT

I will turn the sprinklers on during the hottest hour of the day.

6/24/2021 8:01:57 AM

Centennial Colorado

20% shade netting and constant misting for 10% humidity and 100 degree heat. Also, chairs over pumpkins and main vine tips. I also live at 5900 feet above sea level. If more humid plants don't burn as easily.

6/24/2021 9:11:51 AM

Grittyville, WA

If they get damaged & try leaving the leaf stalks the leaf stalks store a lot of water/nutrients/energy. It will help them recover better I think. Try removing just the damaged portion of the leaf but leave the stalk and not make a cut that opens the top of the stalk. Half the weight of the leaf is the stalk. It sounds strange but I think it doubles the damage to the plant to remove the leaf stalks in addition to losing the leaves.

6/24/2021 11:33:01 AM

Grittyville, WA

If you were to cut all the leaves off the entire plant and look at the plant the plant from the side you'd see that the stalks and stems alone will make the plant still appear green. (Unless it's a yellow trait plant then maybe not so much.)

6/24/2021 11:38:51 AM

Grittyville, WA

So, I figure in addition to storing energy, they may create some too. Sorry for the excessive posting.

6/24/2021 11:41:53 AM

Syracuse, NY

I think you're onto something, Gritty, as usual; I've been 'trimming' my seedlings for years to make them more manageable before they go out into the patch, meaning that I literally chop off the seed leaves and the first true leaf or ANY that are or will be causing me a headache as far as leaning, twisting, flopping in the upcoming breeze etc., etc., and I also do just what you said by removing half or more in a random pattern the outermost portion of the leaf and within about 2 days, the rest of it doesn't even miss that foliage. It almost seems this year to be INCreasing the growth rate of 7 plants I still have in a window...like dogs pawing at the door to go out to run---eg

6/25/2021 2:58:33 AM