Top Tips to help your plants survive summer:

• Re-locate all heat sensitive plants into shady well ventilated area's
• Remove dead leaves and flowers from plants
• To ensure water is absorbing into the potting mix, move back the top layer of soil to see how moist it is underneath. If it is too dry, try adding some wetting agent to increase the water holding capacity
• Replace dying winter and spring annuals with summer flowering petunias and pinks
• To help reduce heat stress, re-pot plants into bigger pots. This will help increase the water-holding capacity around the roots
• Water pots more regularly and apply a layer of Sugar Cane Mulch, Lucerne Mulch or Tea Tree Mulch to help retain moisture
• If conditions are too extreme in your garden bed, try planting some of your favourite vegies and herbs into pots. If it is too wet, you can move them out of the rain, or if it is too hot, move them to a sheltered area
• Watch your potted plants closely for nutrient deficiencies and top up slow-release fertilisers when necessary. The combination of heat and regular watering causses nutrients to leach very quickly
• Avoid watering during the heat of the day or you will lose precious water through evaporation
• To avoid stressing the plants when transplanting them, plant early  in the day into a good quality potting mix, then water well

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