Plants under stress: This is how your garden flowers can survive the heat!

Plants under stress: This is how your garden flowers can survive the heat!

The summer heat not only brings enjoyment, but also challenges for our gardens. As the current weather extremes show, plants suffer from heat, heavy rain and storms. These rapidly changing weather patterns increase stress on green plants and make them more susceptible to diseases and pests. Regina Fischer from the Agricultural Industry Association (IVA) makes it clear that it is high time to adapt the gardens to these new conditions. The key is to plant appropriately for the location and select robust species in order to maintain the joy of gardening even in colorful times. She recommends attractive flowering plants such as globe thistle and catnip as well as crops such as beetroot and parsnips, which promise great yields. Special trees such as the sweetgum tree and the rock pear also find their place in the list of recommendations.

But it's not just the selection of plants that is important. Proper water management is also the focus of garden care. For example, it is advisable to collect water in cisterns or rain barrels in order to be well prepared in the event of drought. Water-permeable surfaces and green areas should also not be forgotten, as these help rainwater to seep away in a targeted manner. The best irrigation method: less often, but more intensively - around 10 to 20 liters per square meter in the early morning hours. Mulch or ground cover, in turn, protects the soil from drying out, while humus and shallow loosening of the soil optimize the supply of nutrients. Finally, the use of fertilizer can also help to strengthen the resistance of the plants and avoid stress symptoms such as wilting and leaf discoloration.

Robust plants for new requirements

An interesting project at the TU Berlin takes up this topic and researches suitable perennials and grasses for so-called infiltration troughs. These areas, which are 14 x 3 meters in size and serve as tests on the site in Berlin-Dahlem, aim to promote biological diversity and prepare cities for the challenges of climate change. Infiltration troughs can help to relieve the burden on the sewer system during heavy rain and at the same time store rainwater. So concerns about heavy rainfall and drought are being taken more seriously than ever by planting long-lasting plants that both thrive under stress and provide valuable food sources for insects. The components of the planting since autumn 2021 include steppe spurge and steppe sage.

Since spring 2022, the vitality of these plants has been studied under various conditions that take into account both vegetative and generative characteristics. The goal is not only the coexistence of several plant species for years, but also the creation of a biotope network to promote biodiversity in our cities.

Local responsibility and nature-based solutions

But how is this change being driven forward in cities? The answer lies in the increasingly recognized role of nature-based solutions (NbS) defined by the UNEA. These solutions range from restoring and creating green spaces to sustainable urban water management. Municipalities play a key role here because they are responsible for planning and implementing such projects. The numerous advantages that arise from NbS are diverse: They not only improve the quality of life, but also actively contribute to flood protection and the preservation of biological diversity.

A few examples from other cities show how innovative the approaches can be. In Vienna, for example, streets and open spaces are being greened, while in Copenhagen permeable surfaces and green roofs are being installed to cope with heavy rain events. Hamburg has the goal of equipping 70% of new buildings with green roofs by 2024. These initiatives en masse provide a glimpse of a greener future for our urban spaces.

If we want to counteract the challenges of climate change, then proper planning with calmness and a good dose of green thumbs are required. This way we can not only survive the summer, but also enjoy it!

For more information and valuable tips you can visit the website 24garden, Transforming Cities and Federal Environment Agency visit.