My entire basil harvest got fried in one afternoon

I was so proud of my basil plants, had them in these nice terracotta pots on my west-facing balcony in Phoenix. Last Tuesday, the forecast said 95, but it must have hit 105 on the concrete. I left for a few hours to run errands, and when I got back, every single leaf was brown and crispy, like someone had put them in an oven. I'd been babying those plants for two months. I panicked and gave them a huge drink of water, which I know now was probably the worst thing to do for heat-stressed roots. They were a total loss. I'm switching to shade cloth and moving the pots off the direct wall. Has anyone else in a hot climate found a good way to protect herbs from that afternoon sun blast?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_murray1d ago

Terracotta pots bake the roots in that heat. Plastic holds moisture better for hot climates. Shade cloth is a good move, but the pot material is half the battle.

harris.drew1d ago

But doesn't plastic get way too hot and cook the roots anyway?