Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Friday 28 August 2026 · late summer
Move Potted Plants to Shade
Late-summer heat spikes can quickly scorch the leaves of your delicate potted plants.
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Identify potted plants with thin leaves or shallow roots, such as herbs and young seedlings, that are sitting in direct sun.
Group these vulnerable pots together to make watering easier and keep the air around them slightly more humid.
Move the group of pots to a shady location, such as under a tall shrub, on a covered patio, or behind a garden wall.
Leave them in this temporary shade until the extreme heat spike passes, then move them back to their usual spots.
Why it works
Plants in pots have a limited amount of soil, which means their roots heat up and dry out much faster than those in the ground. Shifting them into the shade reduces evaporation from the soil and lowers leaf temperature, which stops the foliage from burning.
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