How to take care of plants, flowers and lawn during heat wave

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Watering salad in raised bed in garden. Gardening in spring time.

Airdate: August 4, 2022

We’re in the middle of a heat wave and high temperatures could be in the 90s for the next week or so. The grass is brown, leaves are falling off the trees, flowers are wilting and gardens are dry.

So, how do you take care of what’s growing in the ground during the middle of summer?

Erica Shaffer has appeared on Smart Talk many times to talk about gardening.

On Thursday’s program, Shaffer said the key to keeping plants healthy during hot, dry conditions is “watering less, but watering more.” In other words, rather than watering a little every day, water maybe once a week but give the plants and flowers the kind of water they would receive during a rain shower.

Shaffer added, “there’s so many different kinds of soils that we have in our area. The people who took the time to add compost to their soils are going to get a lot further along because there’s going to be more moisture retention. Mulch is a big deal. So it’s not only temperature.”

Which plants are heat resistant? “Any plant and perennial that you ever buy that has silver foliage is going to tell you that it’s that it’s heat and drought tolerant.”