Caught my tomato seedlings wilting at noon on a 95-degree day last July

I was out on my south-facing balcony in Austin trying to water them but realized the black fabric pots were cooking the roots, so I moved everything to the east side and lined the pots with cardboard, has anyone else dealt with heat stress on a balcony that bakes all afternoon?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_nelson25d ago

@parkernelson watering in the morning helps but when it hits 95 the pots still heat up fast. Cardboard's been fine for me so far if you swap it out when it gets damp.

rowangonzalez19d ago

95 degrees in July is a tough test for ANY setup, and I've seen fabric pots turn into mini ovens on south-facing balconies here in Austin too. Cardboard has worked great for me because it adds insulation without trapping water if you check it every few days and swap the damp spots. Morning watering helps but it won't stop the afternoon sun from blasting those pots, so east side is definitely your best bet.

parkernelson25d ago

Why not just water them in the morning so the pots cool off before the heat hits? Fabric pots are supposed to breathe, wrapping them in cardboard just traps moisture and breeds mold.