Folks, in Boise, we are more than a week into 100-degree weather and looking at the possibility of two more weeks of this. Plus, we are inundated with smoke from wildfires. This situation is occurring across the Mountain West region.

Our plants suffer in this atmosphere. They have trouble doing their job: “transpiration.” Transpiration is the process where plants exhale water through the “stomata” of their leaves. Particulates -smoke particulates – block the stomata.  There isn’t much we can do about blocked stomata, but we can keep our plants thoroughly and deeply watered. 

You may also consider shade cloth “shelters” for parts of your garden. I use bamboo stakes, clothespins, rubberbands, and 30% shade cloth to create a canopy over the growing area. It protects the plants from scorching but lets enough light in for vegetables to grow well. 

Let us know how you are coping with the summer heat in your garden.