I'm asking on behalf of my mum who doesn't really do social media. A while back, during a big heat wave with no rain, she went out to water the garden really well. I took her out shopping for about 40 minutes, and when we returned, all of her rhubarb leaves, which were about 3-4 feet tall, had wilted down to around 1 foot in height—like they had been ripped off! It was super sudden and drastic. What could have caused this to happen?
3 Answers
It's possible that if the soil was really dry for a while and then she gave it a big soak, that could really surprise the plants. They might send roots up to the surface looking for water when they're too thirsty, and if it was hot outside, those roots can get scorched pretty easily.
I’ve always been told to water early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid stressing plants out. Watering in the heat of the day can sometimes do more harm than good.
It sounds like your mum may have had super hot water in the hose. I’ve noticed that if I leave my hose out in the sun, the water inside can heat up a lot. If she sprayed that on the leaves, it could cause serious damage or wilting. I tried it on some weeds once, and it worked like a charm—too hot!
Totally! It’s surprising just how hot that water can get.
So you're saying that the sudden watering might've stressed the roots? That makes sense!