8 Ways to Protect Your Garden From Heat Without Running Up the Water Bill

A mulched vegetable garden with temporary afternoon shade helps protect roots and reduce moisture loss during extreme summer heat, allowing gardeners to conserve water while keeping plants productive – Shutterstock

A heat wave can turn a productive garden into a collection of wilted leaves surprisingly fast, but cranking up the hose is not the only solution. A few changes to shade, soil, watering habits, and plant placement can reduce heat stress while helping every drop of water do more work.

This involves protecting the moisture already sitting in the soil instead of constantly replacing what the sun takes away. That approach can help vegetables, flowers, herbs, and young plants get through hot spells without turning the garden hose into the household’s most enthusiastic water consumer.