Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:39 pm
Sunburn can also affect plants. Read here how you can tell if your flowers, trees and shrubs have gotten too much sun and what you can do about it.
Recognizing and treating sunburn in plants
Sun is important for plants. Without it, photosynthesis and thus the survival of plants would be impossible. But: plants that are exposed to the blazing sun for too long can get sunburned just like we humans do.
Sunburn is particularly common in plants that have not received shade or have not been watered for a long time. You can recognize it by discoloration of the leaves. The sun deprives them of moisture, whereupon they dry out. A beige to brown color is a clear sign of this.
- If your plant has received too much sun, you should move it to the shade as soon as possible. For those you can’t move, a parasol or awning is useful.
- Water the plant immediately, preferably at the root. You should remove brown, withered leaves so that it can concentrate on its still healthy shoots.
- However, you may not be able to help your plant and it may die completely.
How to prevent sunburn in plants
To prevent it from happening in the first place, you can prevent plant sunburn.
- Get used to the sun: When you put your plants back on the balcony or in the garden after winter, you should proceed carefully. This means: Leave the plants in partial shade for the first two to three weeks. Then you can choose a sunny spot for them.
- Plants that have been in the shade up to now can be placed in the sun for a few hours every day. But avoid the midday heat from 12 to 15 o’clock.
- If shady spots are rare, a sunshade will also do, for example in the form of a sun sail that you stretch over the plant. Awnings or parasols are also suitable. Smaller trees and shrubs can be covered with bird netting or a balcony screen to block the sun’s rays.
- To prevent cracks in tree trunks, you can buy special white paint or lime in garden centers, which you can apply to the wood. The tree white reflects the sun’s rays, protecting the tree from sunburn.
- Water properly: Water plants regularly when it’s hot, but never in the midday heat or when the sun is beating down on the plant. Give the water only to the roots. The water droplets on the leaves act like a magnifying glass and intensify the sunlight. The result: the leaves burn even faster. It is best to water the plants early in the morning, or late in the evening if necessary.
- The right flower pot: For potted plants, you should avoid (dark) plastic pots. These heat up much faster and more strongly than clay pots, for example.