How To Save Your Scorched Plant After They Get A Little Too Much Sun

All plants need some level of light exposure to grow — yes, even those shade-loving flowers spilling out of your hanging baskets. However, too much of anything can have dire consequences, and sunlight is no exception. That's because, just like you, a few too many hours in the sun can give your plants a sunburn. And while plants don't get the red skin and blisters that come with the sneaky danger to gardeners of sun exposure, their damage shows up in other ways — from bleach spots on leaves to browning fruit.

One of the best ways to keep your plants safe is to research their light requirements. Some plants thrive in the sun's rays, while others prefer shadier corners where they get just enough light and not a bit more. However, if you've already noticed the signs of a sunburnt plant — such as yellow or bleached leaves turning brown or leaves with dry edges — there are a few steps you can take to try and save your plant, primarily by removing the damaged parts of the plant. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to a scorched plant, you may be able to save the plant itself, but the leaves are often a lost cause. Removing any damaged leaves is often the best way to increase a plant's chance of survival. Doing so lets your plant save its energy for healthy leaves or other processes, rather than focusing on a leaf that won't be able to effectively return the energy.

To trim away the dead leaves on your scorched plant, you can use pruning shears. Just ensure that they're clean beforehand to reduce the likelihood of introducing any disease or fungus to your plant on top of its sunburn. With your shears on hand, prune any leaves that have received a significant amount of damage. If there are leaves with minimal damage, you may want to keep them attached, as they can still contribute to photosynthesis. Still, take care to monitor the leaf in the following days for further signs of damage. Sun damage can also affect flowers and fruit, and these same steps generally apply — remove browning fruit from the plant, and deadhead sun damaged flowers to keep your garden healthy.

Another way you can help your plant that's scorched is to avoid one of the most common gardening mistakes: overwatering. With so much sun, it may only feel right to give your plant extra water. However, even with sunburn, overwatering can be harmful for your plant, and doing so can cause root damage that leads to slow growth and other problems.