7 Tips to Protect Your Garden in a Heatwave
Mia Lopez
Published Apr 05, 2026
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6. Baby Your Seedlings
Newborn plants will be the most vulnerable to extreme heat. With this in mind, if you have to prioritize which plants to pour your energy into, coddle your seedlings. Get them properly shaded, mulched, watered and weeded before the sun can hurt them—and before your more mature plants take the heat hit.
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7. Listen to Your Plants
When your plants are overwhelmed by the heat, they’ll try to tell you! If the edges of the plant’s leaves get brown, dry or crispy, it may be sun-scalded. If the leaves of more sensitive plants are curling upwards to make little cup shapes, the plant may be thirsty. And if a plant is wilting, it could be parched or else naturally responding to the heat.
To determine if it needs more water, check it early in the morning after the night has cooled it. If it’s still wilted, it needs a drink. And don’t forget to look out for these signs of overwatering.
Finally, be sure to manage your expectations of your garden in a heat wave. Fruit and vegetable production will likely drop as the plants focus on survival. But don’t worry: it’ll typically pick up again once things cool off a little more.
