Temperatures will likely reach into the 90s across Maine for most of the week, creating stress for plants and livestock. You can manage the risk by keeping an eye on shade and water.
Plants
Shade cloth may be the simplest way to protect your plants. If you have a greenhouse or high tunnel, tying cloth over the top will lower the temperature inside considerably. Leaving the sides rolled up and keeping your ventilation fans going will help. If you have seedlings starting there, you might bring them outside.
Field crops can be covered with shade cloth too, but make sure it is propped up from the plants so air can circulate. If you don’t have hoops or posts intended for this, you can use things around the homestead like PVC piping, tubing, or even sticks work in a pinch.
If you don’t have shade cloth, try a spare sheet, loosely woven burlap, old window screens or sheer curtains. Generally speaking, the more tightly woven the fabric is, the less sun will filter through it.
If you haven’t mulched around your plants, adding a few inches will help retain moisture and keep the soil temperature down. Place mulch close around your plants but avoid the stem or trunk. Without a little air there, the plant could see more risk of rot.
Keeping the beds weeded will reduce competition for moisture.
Water in the morning or evening, including the bed around the plants.
Your plants will grow faster in the heat. Keep an eye on crops that are prone to bolting quickly, like lettuce and spinach, and harvest early if they look ready.
Animals
Shade and fresh, cool water are key here. Trees are a great source of shade in addition to human-made structures. You can wet the ground for extra cooling through the animal’s feet. A sprinkler or a visit with the hose also cools down animals. But sprinkling could create more humidity if your barn or pen is not well-ventilated.
Your chickens will appreciate frozen fruit or vegetables to cool them down.
Drinking water will get stagnant more quickly in hot weather, and your animals will drink more of it in the heat, so monitor it more closely than usual.
Ventilation and fans also make a big difference. In addition to opening windows and increasing airflow, cutting back any tall vegetation around the shelter or pen will minimize trapped heat. Hosing down the roof of a shelter might bring down inside temperatures too.
Shift your feeding schedule until after peak temperatures.
Try to avoid handling your animals, working them, transporting them and other stress-inducing activities. If something can’t wait, do it in the early morning.
Keep an eye out for signs of overheating, which include fast, heavy panting, weakness and open-mouth breathing.
If an animal is overheating, bring more water and shade to them when you can, instead of having them expend the energy to move. Call your veterinarian if you see signs of heat stroke in your animal.
Yourself
People are animals too, so we need to take precautions with the heat. If you can, work outside earlier in the morning or later in the evening, avoiding peak heat in the late afternoon. Drinking water is important, and so is having enough salt and minerals as you sweat. Sports drinks are one option, but you can also try making switchel, an old-time homesteader’s drink once known as haymaker’s punch made of cider vinegar, molasses or maple syrup, ginger and water.
