Learned that balcony soil temps can be 10 degrees hotter than ground soil

I was reading through my state ag extension website last night and found a fact that surprised me. They said soil in raised containers on balconies can heat up to 10 degrees F more than ground soil during summer afternoons. My tomato plants have been droopy even though I water them daily in July. Has anybody else dealt with overheating soil in their pots and found a good way to keep it cooler?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesb421d ago

What kind of pot material are you using... plastic or ceramic?

jenny_carr521d ago

Oh wow, I actually just watched a YouTube video about this the other day! The person was saying ceramic holds moisture better for certain plants and keeps the roots cooler in summer. But plastic is way better if you travel a lot or tend to forget watering because it doesn't dry out as fast. I switched a couple of my fussy ferns to ceramic pots and they seem way happier now. Just make sure whatever you pick has drainage holes or you'll drown the poor things.