4 Tips for Protecting Your Garden from Extreme Weather
Extreme weather events pose significant challenges for gardeners, but there are effective strategies to safeguard your plants. This article presents expert-backed tips for protecting your garden from harsh weather conditions, including heatwaves and other climate-related stresses. From strategic watering techniques to creating resilient microclimates, these insights will help you maintain a thriving garden in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
- Water Strategically During Heatwaves
- Create Microclimates for Rooftop Gardens
- Adjust Watering Schedule for Hot Days
- Plan for Resilience Against Extreme Weather
Water Strategically During Heatwaves
Hi,
I'm Chrissie - a lawn care specialist / gardening expert working for Online Turf, a turf, soil & compost supplier with nearly two decades of experience growing our own turf & providing gardening-themed content & advice.
Heatwave:
The obvious piece of advice is to water your lawn! The heavier you can water during a heatwave, the better. Leaving a sprinkler on for an hour might not cut it - you'll need to make sure the moisture is fully soaking through to the ground below, which you may find a hose is better for.
Water in the morning & evening before the sun is directly overhead so that the ground has time to soak up the moisture before it is evaporated by the sun. Don't apply any fertilizer during a heatwave, as the nitrogen in the fertilizer can burn onto your lawn in the sun.
Also, the longer you leave your grass to grow during a heatwave, the better. Short, scalped grass is more susceptible to developing patches from the sun, and longer blades can help shade the ground from the sun, lowering the evaporation rate.
Frost:
Don't mow or walk on your lawn during frosty weather - the turf is in its dormant period, and you can stress the lawn by trying to mow or with heavy foot traffic.
You should have given your lawn & plants a fertilizer in the late autumn to boost your soil in preparation for frosty conditions, so your garden should see through the frost no problem.
Make sure you're regularly clearing your lawn of debris during frost and snow to encourage airflow to your lawn and lower the risk of developing snow mold.
Heavy Rain:
This is normally beneficial for your garden, as it's very hard to overwater a garden, unless you have poor drainage. You should aerate your soil so that you can make sure there's correct drainage; this will help lower the risk of a boggy, muddy lawn.
If you have lots of heavy rain forecasted, you may want to transition your ground plants into a raised bed to help improve drainage and minimize the chance of root rot. If you have a water butt, this is a great time to collect natural rainwater which you can then use at a later date to water your plants with instead of chemically treated tap water.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.
Kind regards,
Chrissie Handley - Lawn Care Specialist at Online Turf - www.onlineturf.co.uk
Create Microclimates for Rooftop Gardens
During one of Mexico City's worst heatwaves in 2023, I had to completely redesign a rooftop garden for one of our rental properties after a 50°C heat index scorched our succulents and even cracked the planter tiles.
As someone who runs a property business where aesthetics meet functionality, I learned that protecting gardens from extreme weather is as much about smart planning as it is about crisis response. We now treat our rooftop spaces like microclimates.
- For heat, we install shade sails made of UV-resistant fabric—this dropped the ambient soil temperature by 10°C in one case.
- For frost, we wrap root balls of vulnerable plants in jute and use thick mulch layers to insulate them—essential in high-altitude areas of CDMX.
- For heavy rain, we raised our planter beds with fast-draining substrates and installed overflow pipes that channel runoff safely, avoiding root rot and waterlogging.
One trick that saved us last rainy season: installing moisture sensors synced with our irrigation system to prevent overwatering when storms hit. Simple tech, big payoff.
Weather extremes are unpredictable, but your system doesn't have to be. At RentMexicoCity.com, we now treat rooftop gardens like living, adapting infrastructure—just like the people who enjoy them.
Adjust Watering Schedule for Hot Days
As we're approaching summer, the most important recommendation for protecting a garden from extreme heat is to take things day by day. On exceptionally hot days, I often suggest adjusting your watering schedule, since your plants will lose more moisture to evaporation and may therefore benefit from an extra watering during a cooler part of the day. I typically water earlier in the morning and then again toward the evening during heat waves. Applying mulch can also help your plants retain that extra moisture you're giving them. You can also move your container plants around to protect them by offering some shade during the hottest parts of the day. You can do this for your in-soil plants as well by installing shade cloth or sails.
Plan for Resilience Against Extreme Weather
Protecting your garden from extreme weather starts with planning for resilience. For heat, mulching around plants helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce stress—which not only keeps plants healthy but also deters pests that prey on weakened vegetation. Shade cloths or temporary covers can shield sensitive plants from scorching sun.
During heavy rain, ensure proper drainage by slightly raising beds or using well-aerated soil to prevent root rot and standing water—conditions that attract pests like fungus gnats or mosquitoes. For frost, using row covers or cloches provides insulation and keeps both cold and opportunistic insects at bay.
Ultimately, a healthy, weather-protected garden is less vulnerable to pest infestations. Extreme conditions often weaken plants, making them easier targets, so safeguarding against the elements is also one of the best pest prevention strategies.
