The Dunk.

Sudden dead leaves?
Wilted plants?
It happens to the best of us. 
These Texas heat waves that occur after days of cool weather, or vice-versa, can brink shock to a plant. My basil, for example, looks beautiful one day and is wilting the next. My guess is it just can't do the 109 degree heat index, but after a sip of water it perks right back up. 
Sometimes plants need a little more than a drink of water though, and a "dunk" is needed! My mom has coined the term "dunk" in our family & surrounding friends. (Shhhh... don't let her know that I've outed her! She dunks!) It has become contagious and I find myself announcing that my pants need a dunk, and people look at me strange. This process consists of giving your plants a little boost when they need more than just a normal watering. 
Keep in mind, you should check out the soil's moisture content before you dunk your plants. Wilting and/or brown leaves can also be a sign of over-watering. So just stick your finger about 1 inch down into the soil. If it's wet below the surface, don't water. If it's dry, water. If it's so tough on top that you can't stick your finger in 1 inch, dunk away! 
Here's how:




This is of course only for plants in containers. First, fill your sink, bathtub or a large bucket up with water. I use my kitchen sink. Be sure and keep in mind that the water your tub or sink will displace a little when you put the plant in- so leave plenty of room! 

Next, take your sad plant and prepare him for dunk by picking off the wilted areas and dead leaves. Leaving dead leaves or blooms on your plants deprives them of nutrients. The plant will try to spread nutrients to these un-needed parts if you leave them there!

Now we're ready! Just stick the plant in the water. Press it to the bottom of the sink and let it soak. Let it sit in the water until it all the bubbles are through coming up. If your sink isn't full enough (or deep enough) to fully submerge the plant, add water straight into the pot. Having water in the sink will keep the water from draining straight out the bottom and give the plant a chance to soak up that water!

Anddddd we're done! This is my poor plant after his dead leaves and such were cleaned off. But, he'll be looking better in no time. (Yes... I say it's a him... mostly because it's a Habenero plant! Yes?) Once your plant stops bubbling, that means all the soil is nice and wet. Just drain the sink or dump your bucket. Let your plant sit for a while to avoid dripping when you take it back outside!