Advertisement

How to help your garden survive the heatwave

Plants in containers are most in need of a good watering during the summer - Johner RF
Plants in containers are most in need of a good watering during the summer - Johner RF

For the first couple of weeks we – and our gardens - absolutely revelled in it all. But with the serious prospect of yet more extraordinary heat now on the horizon, anxiety is beginning to creep in. When an anxious email from Diane Purkiss pinged into my inbox, it came as no surprise: How do you stop your garden from dropping dead in the heat, she asks.

First, let’s not forget that we started this summer with more-than-adequate water already in the soil (thanks to all the rain last year) and if we applied moisture-retaining mulches early in the spring, as we are all supposed to do, they should be doing just that. Even so, some plants are showing signs of stress, so the following list of priorities may be helpful.

Plants in containers - Credit:  Johner Images
Plants in containers are most in need of a good watering during the summer Credit: Johner Images

Plants in containers are most vulnerable, especially small ones containing annuals. Group them together in the shade. When the weather returns to normal, kick-start a fresh performance with a “haircut” and a feed.

Concentrate on applying water slowly to the big immovable and important things - tubs of camellias, hydrangeas, acers and other woodlanders that hate hot roots. If the butt water they prefer is running short, tap water won’t harm them in the short or medium term.

Soft fruit should be high on your list of priorities, and also vegetable crops that need water in order to swell – courgettes, tomatoes, potatoes, onions etc.

Soft fruits and vegetables like courgettes need regular watering in order to swell - Credit:  Franco Nadalin / EyeEm
Soft fruits and vegetables like courgettes need regular watering in order to swell Credit: Franco Nadalin / EyeEm

Newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials will appreciate a slow drench (at least half a big watering can each) once every few days to encourage them to make deep roots. So resist the temptation to give them less water more often. Scrape away mulches before you water and replace them afterwards.

Don’t panic Droughted lawns always green up again when it eventually rains – so don’t water them. Even established plants may wilt at midday in extreme heat, but are unlikely to die. Make a mental note to mulch more next spring.

Greenhouses | Tips for summer care from the RHS Advisory Team
Greenhouses | Tips for summer care from the RHS Advisory Team

Finally Water slowly and thoroughly in the cool of the evening so that everything stays moist for as long as possible. Aim your watering can or hose (preferably with a rose attachment), at the soil around each plant rather than at leaves, and water deeply an area about the size of each plant’s “canopy”. Foliar feeds (applied via a watering can or hose diluter to the leaves of plants) are helpful for stressed and flagging specimens.

We gardeners, however, may do better on a tall glass of Pimms - and let’s remember to enjoy our gardens while the sun lasts.

Find everything you might need to keep your garden alive during the heatwave at the Telegraph Gardenshop.