Place the protection on the west side as morning sun is always less stressful for plants than midday or afternoon sun. Plants in full sun transpire much more water than those in the shade, so if your soil is sandy as mine is, then you must also remember that more water will be needed now. It can be the difference between success and failure. But remember that too much is as bad as too little, especially for plants that are already stressed from their sudden exposure. Don t feed your garden now.
Fertilizer is almost never a help to stressed plants, but mulching with good compost can be.
It will cool the root zones and help hold in the moisture. As it breaks down, the nutrients will become available slowly, not as a jolt. And if your garden isn t suffering, volunteer to help out at one of our public gardens where the storms have put a terrific burden on the staff. For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Mary Henry's Northern Gardening topic, please visit the Discussions page . Used under License.