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How (Not) to Fertilize Your Plants in Summer

On the surface, fertilizer seems like a good idea when your plants are looking sad and droopy.

But this can actually do more harm than good, especially in very hot weather.

Here’s what you should know about (not) fertilizing in summer, why your plants are struggling (hint: it’s likely not from lack of nutrients), and when it’s safe to fertilize during a heat wave.

As temperatures soar this summer, your plants probably look like they’re no longer speaking to you: their leaves start wilting, the tips curl up, the edges turn brown and crisp. SOS! These are all signs that your plants are in distress.

Your first instinct might be to reach for the fertilizer to perk them up—a boost of nutrients can only help, right?

But in really hot weather, you’d actually be doing more harm than good.

During periods of drought or heat stress, fertilizing your plants is generally a bad idea.

So is fertilizing them when they’re dormant—you may already know that plants don’t need fertilizer in winter when they aren’t actively growing, but extreme heat (combined with glaring sun, drying winds, and lack of soaking rains) can cause summer dormancy as well.

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