We haven't had a heat wave this summer yet, but who knows, it might be right around the corner. For that reason and being the middle of the summer, let's take a look at some precautions for your landscape.

So far, so good for your plants outdoors because there is lots of moisture in the soil. However, as we get into the hot times of summer and as that soil moisture evaporates, your plants may show signs of thrust. I always like to see my plant leaves just start to droop -- that's how they are telling me to give them a drink of water.

Some plants, like tomatoes, actually roll up their leaves in an attempt to cut down on the leaf surface area exposed to the sun, thus reducing transpiration. More than likely, when it gets sticky hot, the leaves will curl even if there is a lot of soil moisture. They will unwind when the temperature changes.

Now, consider this, most insects need water to survive. However, when it's hot and dry, that moisture gets short and those pests go looking for anything that has water. That means pests in your landscape will get up close and personal with your succulent plants, for example. Thus, look out for signs of pest damage and apply the appropriate pesticide to control their presence.

Mites seem to be the one pest that can creep up on your plants unnoticed, so look for those tiny thin spider webs and and white stippling on the leaves.