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Plants outsmart the heatWhile sitting in my air conditioned office I begin to think about how much I appreciate those who work outside in the midst of the heat wave that has taken over much of the country. Those are not jobs to be envied, but I do feel indebted to those that are building our highways and picking the vegetables that we purchase at the grocery store. Being the 'plant nerd' that I am, my thoughts quickly turn to the beating that many of our plants are taking right now. How exactly are plants able to survive through such scorching temperatures? They don't get a water break, they aren't guaranteed even a breeze, and most certainly plants aren't able to move into the shade. Plants may actually have more tricks up their limbs than you are aware of. All plants have physiological responses to the environment. A sunflower following the path of the sun is one example of how a plant is able to maximize the exposure to light. Another more common response is a tree dropping its leaves in the fall. This is how the tree reacts to the cool temperatures that autumn brings. Ahh....Autumn: that is a nice thought. The following are some survival tactics that are used by plants everywhere. See if you can recognize any of these in your landscape. Leaves of a variety of plants will turn yellow and drop from the plant from a process called cladoptosis. Not all of the leaves will drop, but a noticeable number will fall. By a plant lowering the number of leaves; energy and water are conserved. There will still be enough leaves for the plant to function, but the amount of water being used is reduced. My river birch tree does this every year; and every year I threaten to cut it down and plant a tree that keeps its leaves all summer. But I haven't brought myself to do it yet. It is beyond me who thought it was a good idea to plant a tree with the word river in its name in the middle of a bermuda grass lawn. Other plants are able to fold or roll their leaves. The most recognizable plant that does this is your lawn. As the leaf folds, it is actually shading itself from the sun. The amount of surface exposed to the scorching sun is minimized. As temperatures cool down the leaf will unroll and begin to function normally. The most common response to the heat that has been reported this year is the lack of fruit on tomato plants. If you have tomatoes, then you are among the blessed. Due to the high temperatures early on, many plants fail to set fruit properly. Sometimes the plant may be more concerned about simply staying alive rather than making fruit. In order to help plants beat the heat, apply a new layer of mulch to retain moisture in the soil and water containers early in the morning before they are shocked by the heat. Consider removing the grass around the base of the tree. By replacing the grass with mulch, the tree will have less competition for the water. For additional tips to you're your lawn beat the heat contact the Extension Office at 405-713-1125. 7/28/08 Date: 7/18/08
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