Karuna Chinniah from the Wagga Demonstration Gardens said it was not unusual for people to lose plants around this time and into summer.

"The temperature goes way too high, about 37, 38 degrees and if you have three or four days consecutive it'll get you," he said.

Mr Chinniah said common plants like lettuces and tomatoes were susceptible to burning, and in a place like Wagga it is ideal to create a shade structure with shadecloth and fence posts to protect plants from the harsh sun.

Making sure to water more than just the surface of the plant is also important, Mr Chinniah said.

"You have to water it deep ... if you have drip irrigation, you run it for two hours, not everyday but once every three days so the water goes deep in there and it remains in the ground so plants can absorb it," he said.

After watering, he said covering the soil in about four inches of hay or leaf mulch would help reduce evaporation.

"If you do these three things, you can preserve your plants," he said.

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For those with movable pot plants, Mr Chinniah said it was a good idea to move them if they were getting too much of the afternoon sun.

He said the technique of dunking pot plants could help keep them hydrated and encourage deeper roots.

Fill a bucket of water with seaweed solution and dunk the pot in, bubbles should appear on the surface of the soil.

When the bubbles stop, remove the pot plant and place it on a full tray of water.

Mr Chinniah said this removed some of the air in the soil while providing deeper watering, and even a bit of water for passing birds.

While frequent watering is vital during the summer, Mr Chinniah said even in the heat it was possible to give a plant too much water.

"You don't want to drown the roots," he said.

He said especially with tomato plants it was important to remember to water the base of the plant rather than the leaves to make sure the soil is damp and prevent mould at the top of the plant.